Beginning drumming - Looking for advice

Welcome to the forum!

Buying your first kit can be both a daunting ordeal and a wellspring of enduring gratification.. While the forum contains a wealth of knowledge and wisdom, there really isn't an agree'd upon manner in which to go about it. That said, there's a lot of consensus in certain areas.

1: Cymbals are more important than shells.
2: A good snare is more important than the rest of your shells
3: Buying used is a 25-50% price reduction and should be leveraged without mercy.
4: A good quality BD pedal, throne, and HH stand should be acquired sooner rather than later.

My advice is to take your time. Figure out your budget first while you fantasy shop. Figure out what music you intend to play and what you want to sound like. Sort out your practice accommodations in the event that you'll be encumbered by noise restrictions.
 
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I have a Gretsch Catalina Maple and I love it. I have Evans EC2 Clear batter heads and Aquarian Classic Clear resonant heads on my toms. Currently I'm playing a Ludwig Supraphonic snare with Evans HD batter head and a standard Ludwig reso head (like Evans Hazy 300).

Go for some used Zildjian A, or Sabian AA cymbals. They're professional cymbals and a step or two above the PST-7.
 
The only real downside of the Catalina Maple is that the used Renown Maple is so darn cheap.

When I was shopping for a kit, I ended up wanting a Catalina, and getting a used Renown for less.
 
Alright, thank you for the responses and the very warm welcome! Another question, what is the highest value for money snare you would suggest? (Budget of about $450)
 
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Alright, thank you for the responses and the very warm welcome! Another question, what is the highest value for money snare you would suggest? (Budget of about $450)

You can't go wrong buying a used Ludwig Acrolite. If that's not possible, then try a Pork Pie Big Black (BoB). A great drum (Ludwig Black Beauty clone) for the price. If you like wood there is the Yamaha Musashi oak, but everybody seems to be out of stock on that one.
 
Alright, thank you for the responses and the very warm welcome! Another question, what is the highest value for money snare you would suggest? (Budget of about $450)

What is your total kit budget?
What hardware do you already possess?
What style(s) of music do you want to play?

Different snares excel at different things, so we'd be guessing.
 
I currently have the majority of the kit (shells, cymbals and hardware). I just need to find a decent snare, a bit cheaper than I said earlier - probably nearer the $200 range and I plan on playing a large range of music so I'd want a snare that is a good all-rounder.
 
I currently have the majority of the kit (shells, cymbals and hardware). I just need to find a decent snare, a bit cheaper than I said earlier - probably nearer the $200 range and I plan on playing a large range of music so I'd want a snare that is a good all-rounder.

I echo the above. Grab a used Acrolite for ~$100.
 
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