your thoughts about a dealer

have you tried Ebay? there you will (with luck) cheap prices... also a good place to buy is americanmusical.com they are great with customer service and prices althought I don't know if they have what you are looking for...
 
Go check them out for yourself! :)

Guitar Center
2415 N. Monroe St. #600
Tallahassee, FL 32303
(850) 386-1783

Guitar Center is the "Wal-Mart" of music stores... except that their shelf prices are usually midrange instead of rock bottom. You can usually talk with an employee and negotiate the price down a bit, though, especially if you are spending more money.

Their equipment is the same as anyone else's. I will caution you that the sales associates are sometimes not very knowledgeable in their departments, but will often pretend to be (perplexedly so). I mean, if you're a guitar guy covering a lunch break in the drum room, that's fine... just don't pretend that you're a drum expert and give bad advice.

Generally, my advice with GC is to know your stuff. Know what you want and the price you'd like to find it at, and Guitar Center can usually help you.
 
You will find, on these forums, one bit of advice is probably paraded around more than any other:

BUY USED!

For instance, you are talking about getting a Yamaha Stage Custom (birch) shell pack for $700. These are towards the bottom end of Yamaha's line (only the Rydeen is lower). You also don't get any hardware (other than tom mounts). In the Musical Instruments section of the Tallahassee Craigs List (I would put the exact link, buy my computer is acting up), there is a Mapex Pro M listed for $600...

You get a better kit (assuming it's in good shape), the hardware, and it comes with cymbals. It doesn't list what cymbals, so odds are that they aren't great, but still, for $100 less, you get all of that!

Ebay is another great place to look. If you are patient, you can find some amazing deals. I have seen DW shell packs go for around $800...kits that were $2000-$3000 when they were custom ordered. It's amazing.
 
Amen to Buy Used!!

I just won a late-70's Ludwig Acrolite snare drum on eBay. The winning price was $36.99 with a $25.00 shipping charge, which brings the total price to $61.99. From the picures it seems a bit in need of a good cleaning and polishing, but that's one of the reasons I bought it, to "fix it up". Ludwig Blue and Olive badge; serial # 917097. I've always wanted one.

If you are willing to take the drums apart and give them a good cleaning and polishing, or if you don't mind a few knicks and scratches, or you don't mind if a drum or set of drums are used and maybe have a few minor parts missing, you can usually find some great deals.

It's with anything else someone is selling, they either want to get the best possible price they can and hold out for it, or they price it to move and sell quickly.
 
Thanks for all the advice people! much appreciated.
I'll let you know what I decide on and what I get if any.
 
Guitar Center, Musicians Friend and Music123 are all owned by Bain Capital. With 214 stores located nationwide, they are the largest music retail outlet. "Buy used", yes, good advice. If you "must" buy new, look at Just Drums here: http://www.justdrumsonline.com/default.aspx Shane Fowlkes is a forum member. Good guy, he'll price match, and he'll care about you way more than anyone at Guitar Center ever will.
 
Don't forget you local non-chain shops as well. They usually have new AND used ready to eat, and there are many who can function as an ersatz pawn shop/bartar store when you want to go from an older kit to something newer. Added bonus, the used kits are right there where you can see them. MUCH better than photos.

Also your local store is less likely to have the "guitar guy in the drum dept." thing going because they are generally too small physically to have the drum guy THAT far away from his wares. Main local store drawback: you generally can't pound on the kits like GC or whatever.
 
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