KIT ADVICE

Alburg

New Member
I started drumming about a year ago with a yamaha DTX532 edrum set. Now I am looking to buy an acoustic set. As I am a beginner what would be your advice
Pearl export or similar or invest as much as you can afford?
 
Go to Guitar Center's website and look at the used kit section. Lots of great kits to be had for super cheap. I'd personally recommend a PDP CX kit like this one. You won't find better sounding drums for a better price.

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/PDP-by-DW/CX-SERIES-Drum-Kit.gc?rNtt=PDP CX&index=6

I concur. This is a fantastic kit for the price.

(A friend once told me that the old Pacific drums that had the RIMS mounts on the tuners like this one as opposed to the mounts around the lugs are actually DW shells. I've done a ton of research on this, and I can neither confirm nor deny this after what I've found. With that said, these are great drums for the price. If they would have made a set with a 16" floor tom, I'd have a set right now.)
 
The OP is not from the USA so Guitar Center is a no go.
 
Depends on your budget and what your goals are, but if you're mainly going to be practicing at home and eventually doing some live gigs, Export-level kits are often preferable. You can make them sound good and you don't have to worry about wear and tear so much. It will also free up some money for good quality heads and cymbals, which are very important for getting a good sound out of your kit. Then if you end up sticking with it and getting into recording and such, you can start looking for that ultimate kit. You'll have a better idea of what you want by then, and you can either sell your old kit or it can become your workhorse kit so you can baby the fancy new one.
 
I concur. This is a fantastic kit for the price.

(A friend once told me that the old Pacific drums that had the RIMS mounts on the tuners like this one as opposed to the mounts around the lugs are actually DW shells. I've done a ton of research on this, and I can neither confirm nor deny this after what I've found. With that said, these are great drums for the price. If they would have made a set with a 16" floor tom, I'd have a set right now.)
That's the only thing I didn't like about them, the 22/10/12/14 setup. In my mind it either needs a 20" bass or 16" FT.
 
Depends on your budget and what your goals are, but if you're mainly going to be practicing at home and eventually doing some live gigs, Export-level kits are often preferable. You can make them sound good and you don't have to worry about wear and tear so much. It will also free up some money for good quality heads and cymbals, which are very important for getting a good sound out of your kit. Then if you end up sticking with it and getting into recording and such, you can start looking for that ultimate kit. You'll have a better idea of what you want by then, and you can either sell your old kit or it can become your workhorse kit so you can baby the fancy new one.
I am 60 and have just started out a year ago. Drumming is here to stay but I think gigs etc. probably wont happen. Its pure private pleasure at home.
 
If you already know you want to stick with drumming I'd say spend as much money as you are comfortable with. There is always something arguably better (better finishes, hardware, build quality) to spend money on, you just need to decide what is most important to you. If you are 60 and only play at home, I believe I know myself as much as I know that I would probably get a really nice set, if money allows. One might not really need anything more expensive than a Pearl Export though, so go with a kit like that if gear is not something you think about a lot and only want a durable, pretty good sounding kit. I would not get anything cheaper than that, though. Yamaha Stage Custom is also a safe bet.
 
I started drumming about a year ago with a yamaha DTX532 edrum set. Now I am looking to buy an acoustic set. As I am a beginner what would be your advice
Pearl export or similar or invest as much as you can afford?
Well ...... I'm not sure "what you can afford" But I wouldn't recommend you buy a Yamaha PHX kit just yet!!! ;)

Export is a great place to start. But there are a lot of other kits ...... in around the same price ...... that will also serve well. Even if you were gigging, an Export or an intermediate level kit would work just fine. Plenty drummers use them. Cymbals are a far better way to spend your BIG MONEY. Get good sounding (usually means more expensive) cymbals. Most any drum kit (with good heads and tuning) will sound fine. Cheap entry level cymbals, however ..... will always sound like cheap, entry level cymbals.

That said ..... if you've got a particular "dream kit" in mind ..... and you can afford it ..... then carry on. Why not get what you want? But the practical side of me would say the Gretsch Renown, the Yamaha Tour Maple Custom, or the DW Design series should be about the upper end of your drum choices.
 
Pearl Exports are good, so are Tama Rockstars and Yamaha Stage Customs. For rock music Paiste 2002 cymbals would be nice, including Soundedge hi hats. Or Zildjian A's or K's. Zildjian New Beat hi hats are popular.
 
Deja Vu!

This is a very common question.

I suggest holding off until you decide you are unable to hold off...and continue to practice on what you have until you see why you cannot adequately express yourself on what you have.

This way you will not wander into the realm of old dusty drum sets left to silently ring in the corner...a sadder place than old pet photos and dark nights of what could have been.

If you feel you have crossed this line without question, be aware that your shells are not the issue(within usual reason) but it is the cymbals and hardware.

Lastly, use no advice from this or any other board that you have not vetted...get some lessons, research the players in your area that do what you want to do, befriend and elicit advice while making contacts. Develop your own opinion(which I bet you are!)...any other approach leaves you at the mercy of marketing direct from an ad or regurgitated by someone else.

Welcome to the life-long pursuit of drumming!!
 
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Hi Otto,

I have been taking lessons and I miss the acoustic feel each week. I do like my edrums and they will be staying but I would like more time on an acoustic kit. For me its less about how well I play (although obviously I want to continue improving) its the pure fun I have had these past 12 months being challenged learning new things.
 
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Then I think @PorkPieGuy put it well:
What's your budget?

Even considering budget, it's always best to buy used if you can. Also, you can find some of the best deals on sets that people are selling together, and "all for one price" if you will.
 
I started drumming about a year ago with a yamaha DTX532 edrum set. Now I am looking to buy an acoustic set. As I am a beginner what would be your advice
Pearl export or similar or invest as much as you can afford?
Yamaha SC new after you check the used market. No better value… SC over the Export any day… My two cents.
 
I’d buy a good snare and cymbals as a priority then find an inexpensive shell pack of preferred kick and toms. If the kick sounds fantastic and toms sing to the heavens if snare and cymbals don’t sound great it shows more than the reverse in my mind.
 
Well I finally made my choice: Pearl Maple Decade with Paiste pst 7 set of cymbals.

Initially I wasn't happy with the kit sound but after replacing the skins that came with it with Remo Coated ambassadors, I love it.
(Thanks also to Rob Brown videos on tuning. I very quickly got a sound I liked. Particularly the snare which was challenging and not so quick)

I am a very happy beginner so hopefully this investment helps me reach the next skill level.
 
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