Intermediate Drum Kit

blackmail

Junior Member
hi, first, sorry for my english, its not my native language.

ive been druming for 10 years, then i had to sell my kit to move in with my gf, i havent had drums for 8 years, and now its time to get back to this wonderfull world.

im looking to buy a intermediate birch kit with a set of cymbals (14, 16, 18, 20/22) and im very lost with all the choices.

this are the options i have in mind:

Sonor Essential Force
Tama Silverstar Custom
Mapex Meridian Birch

and for the cymbals i kind of like the K set (14" HH, 16" and 18" dark thin crash and 20" ride), but i also like the Sabian HH and the Istanbul cymbals a lot.

what do you think?, any other options?

thanks and again, sorry for my english.
 
Yamaha stage custom also.

I like the silverstars a lot, but check out the yamahas, they have a very good reputation.

As for the cymbals, those are all very nice, but it would depend on the sound you want.
 
Yamaha stage custom also.

I like the silverstars a lot, but check out the yamahas, they have a very good reputation.

As for the cymbals, those are all very nice, but it would depend on the sound you want.

Thanks for the reply, i cant find any new stage custom in my country, and the used ones are far more expensive that the ones i said in my previous post :(

about the cymbals im not very sure what sound i want right now. i like them all xD

im going to play some metal, prog rock and fusion but i dont want to be limited, thats why i want a versatile kit all around.
 
I would prefer the silverstars to those other sets, but I have not played either the sonor or the mapex birch so I could be wrong. I really like the look and sound of the silverstars though.

With the cymbals they are all very nice. It would be a toss-up for me to decide between the k's and sabians. I love zildjians but the hh cymbals are really nice also. I even like Istanbuls.

I think you would like any combination of those sets and cymbals for the most part. Go with what is best for you. If you can't decide which you like more, go with the cheaper.
 
I would prefer the silverstars to those other sets, but I have not played either the sonor or the mapex birch so I could be wrong. I really like the look and sound of the silverstars though.

With the cymbals they are all very nice. It would be a toss-up for me to decide between the k's and sabians. I love zildjians but the hh cymbals are really nice also. I even like Istanbuls.

I think you would like any combination of those sets and cymbals for the most part. Go with what is best for you. If you can't decide which you like more, go with the cheaper.

The Mapex is the cheapest one from the kits though i dont like the finishes so much.

I still dont know what to do.

In the cymbals department i would really like to pick a combination of cymbals from different brands and models, but i save quite a lot of money by buying a set.

I spend all the afternoon seeing cymbals videos on youtube and i think the K set (K 14". K dark thin 16" & 18" and K 20") and the Avedis set (New beats 14", Fast 16" & 18" and sweet 21") are the ones i like the most... the Avedis is a lot cheaper.
 
The Mapex is the cheapest one from the kits though i dont like the finishes so much.

I still dont know what to do.

In the cymbals department i would really like to pick a combination of cymbals from different brands and models, but i save quite a lot of money by buying a set.

I spend all the afternoon seeing cymbals videos on youtube and i think the K set (K 14". K dark thin 16" & 18" and K 20") and the Avedis set (New beats 14", Fast 16" & 18" and sweet 21") are the ones i like the most... the Avedis is a lot cheaper.

The avedis cymbals are pretty nice. I have the sweet ride and new beats are extremely popular. I am not crazy about some of their crashes, but, whatever is best for you.

I would still prefer tama for one main reason- they should last you a long time and look good for many years if they are taken care of properly. Not many other companies can match their hardware quality and durability. Yamaha is very good, but I would say tama is very comparable. These are your drums that you will use probably for quite a while. If one is a better deal, go with it, but don't go for the cheapest to the point you will regret it in the future. Make a decision you will be proud of five years from now. If that is getting a really cheap set that you like go with it, but if one of these just really stands out to you, you may regret passing it by in the future. I passed on a pearl masters just because it was a little more than the kit I got. I like my kit, but if I had it to do over again I would pay extra and get the masters.
 
I bought a meridian birch when I was first getting back into drums. Its a great kit. However, I was not educated on the differences between the different woods at the time, and I have to say it does not "sing" like a maple kit. Depending on what you play it could be all you will ever need, though.
 
Tama Silverstar based on your choices and all the sound checks I've listened to. They seem like they have no peer in their price point with the exception of the PDP concept birch drums. I haven't hit or heard them yet. Cymbals are even more of a personal choice to me. I love my Zildjian A's, tough to beat for the money. Money no object, check out Paiste Signatures. I hear a lot of great things about Dream cymbals.
 
Tama Silverstar based on your choices and all the sound checks I've listened to. They seem like they have no peer in their price point with the exception of the PDP concept birch drums. I haven't hit or heard them yet. Cymbals are even more of a personal choice to me. I love my Zildjian A's, tough to beat for the money. Money no object, check out Paiste Signatures. I hear a lot of great things about Dream cymbals.

i cant find the pdp concept birch here, i do find the concept maple, but its quite more expensive. what do you guys think about the PDP M5?
 
Back
Top