Need Some Help

psychosiz

Junior Member
Hi I know some of you probably hate threads like this as they get repetitive and a pain to respond to sometimes, I do apologize and understand as I see them in keyboard forums. I am going to learn to play drums. I am going to buy a set to start on. Did some research, found some sites, info and drums sets. Played some at music stores and some used sets, but here is my issue. While I can hear, I don't know what to listen for. I know drums have different sounds and as I was trying them out playing very basic, (maybe more like off time with frequent mistake) beats, I really didn't know what I was listening to in terms of what I should be listening for. About the only the only thing I could kind of judge was the feel. I plan to play rock primarily and I don't know where it will go from there. I know these sets are not ideal but for now its what I can do. I know on any of these sets, I will need to upgrade the cymbals at some point if I continue as I imagine they are all fairly cheap ones. Anyways, after reading up on some drum sets, I narrowed down the search, based upon my finances, to the following sets:

Mapex Voyager 5 piece set
Pearl Forum FZ725 5 piece set
Gretch Drums Energy 5 piece set
Tama Imperial Star 6 piece set

The Mapex is the cheapest along with the Pearl, the Gretch is $100 more and the Tama is $200 more than the Mapex and Pearl. The extra piece on the Tama is an extra floor tom. These are all new and while I will consider used, I would rather not as I have no idea what good or bad condition is and have no way to recognize any potential problems being new to drums. My question is are they are preferences in brand? I believe the player makes the most difference, but I know many keyboardist are anal with feel and sound regarding manufacturers. Basically any insight would be great or even a quick suggestion as I know typing a response takes time. Thanks for you help!
 
all these kits with good heads on top and bottom will sound good, for me id go with the mapex voyager but i only like playing 4 piece kits so id lose one of the toms. i have a starter kit that ive had for over 3 years now and got remo emperors on the toms and emperor x on the snare and it sounds amazing to me but i have to use a lot of duck tape. good luck
 
i have to use a lot of duck tape. good luck
Experiment with tuning young Jedi ;)

Phychosiz, unfortunately, in the budget realm, new is not necessarily a guarantee of good playing condition, although it increases your odds of getting it right. Do you have a drummer friend local to you who can help out? Going better quality used will get you closer to a good useable kit, & will reduce the sting when it comes time for the inevitable upgrade.

Any of the kits you listed will get you started, but you can do so much better used. At this stage, any kit with stout hardware & good quality heads (not the crap heads that budget kits come with) will get the job done for you. Where you really need to place your concentration (& most of your budget) is on cymbals. Going used is absolutely the route to take here. Buy pro cymbals, even if it means you can only afford one at a time. That is an investment that will pay you back in the future.

Good luck, & welcome to the forum.
 
Thanks for the replies! The information was really helpful. I was told about the cymbals and I know over time, that is where the money needs to go. This seems to be the thing everyone has told me. Right now sadly, my budget is limited and will probably be this way for awhile so I need to find something within that area. Going used locally would be an issue due to transportation, lack of knowledge and funds not being cash. I can look online for something used but I really want to find a whole set so I can start playing and learning. If anyone happens to come across anything please let me know, thanks.
 
Mapex Voyager 5 piece set
Pearl Forum FZ725 5 piece set
Gretch Drums Energy 5 piece set
Tama Imperial Star 6 piece set

At that price point, the differences between the 4 kits is minimal. They are all made in china out of the same materials, and quite probably all in the same factory

If it were me, I'd stick to the Pearl or Tama, as they have a long established history of making budget kits, and if on the off chance you every need parts, or add ons, you have a better chance of getting them. Mapex is not bad either.

Gretch really has nothing to do with making the Energy line, they just import then with their name on them.
 
Someone told me a Yamaha Stage Custom Birch (5 piece) is step up from the others I posted previously in this thread? Is this true?
 
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