How long before your 'crappy kit' becomes 'unacceptable'?

gusty

Platinum Member
Ive still got my mapex starter kit that I bought 5 years ago. When does it become really bad to own a kit like that and not a good one? I don't really have the time to get more hours at work, so until i do have the time Im pretty much stuck with this one. How long do I have left to collect a couple of grand?
 
I'm still clinging on to my swingstar - it's now a limited edition muahahaha.

I like it. It still sounds amazing.

I guess a crappy kit becomes unacceptable when you move on to a stage where you can purchase much better kits without considering it like buying a house.

I've not reached that stage yet. I can't afford anything now. So my kit is still acceptable because I've got no choice.
 
As long as the bearing edges are in decent shape, you should have a playable kit.

I agree. And no "extra" air holes or extraneous damage to the shells that would affect the sound.

My bandmate has what must be a 10+ year old crappy CB 4-pc kit we use at practice. We also recorded our first demo album on it.. I slapped some new Evans heads all over and that thing sounds better than my brand new Mapex!!! Amazing!
 
As long as you want. You dont need to save up a couple grand as you said. I think you should aim for a mid level set such as a gretsch catalina, because they are very affordable for the quality.
 
Whoa Wait Hold up... A Mapex Kit not a good one? Thats crazy talk. I rock a Mapex from 1994. I bought it used with lots of dings and scratches from road wear. I love that beat up kit, like most peeps love their kids. You can do alot worse than Mapex.

That said upgrade when you can afford a new set. You have plenty of time to collect a couple grand. You dont really need a $2000 kit to get a sound good though. Buying a mid range kit & save some of the 2 grand for new cymbals.
 
Whoa Wait Hold up... A Mapex Kit not a good one? Thats crazy talk. I rock a Mapex from 1994. I bought it used with lots of dings and scratches from road wear. I love that beat up kit, like most peeps love their kids. You can do alot worse than Mapex.

That said upgrade when you can afford a new set. You have plenty of time to collect a couple grand. You dont really need a $2000 kit to get a sound good though. Buying a mid range kit & save some of the 2 grand for new cymbals.

Mapex makes crappy introductory kits, just like all brands do. The brand means a whole lot less than the quality of the wood, hardware, etc.
 
Whoa Wait Hold up... A Mapex Kit not a good one? Thats crazy talk. I rock a Mapex from 1994. I bought it used with lots of dings and scratches from road wear. I love that beat up kit, like most peeps love their kids. You can do alot worse than Mapex.

If you were referring to my comments, I was saying it rather jokingly. Comparing a Mapex Saturn to a CB kit is like comparing apples to oranges. However I will admit the CB sounded really good through the mics and in Protools tracks! My bandmates were astonished.
 
My reply was more about the original post saying an old Mapex is crappy or "not a good one" Sorry if it sounded kinda snarky. I just like my 15 year old pro M i got off Craig's List for $250. I think it sounds better than most new kits.
 
There is an old saying that goes like this "It is a Poor carpenter that blames his tools". I have always agreed with that sediment. If you are progressing well and you are happy with your kit then keep on playing it. Buying a new kit will not necessarily make you play or sound better. Another example; If you like your modest car and it runs well for you, should you replace it? My answer to that question has always been no! If something is working for me I stick with it.
 
What matters to you? I think the big advantages to buying a professional level kit is that you will sound and look more professional to your audience. If you just have fun playing and aren't worried about that then it's not important. I, like many drummers, am very particular about the way my drums and cymbals sound. If you are a professional drummer who gets money from playing, a good quality kit is probably a priority because of its advantages over an entry-level one. It might not matter to you, or you can at least get by with the sound of a beginner kit. It's up to you. Oh, and most drummers love dropping cash on new gear, so you have to overcome that impulse too.
 
Ok, about the drums themselves...they're in good enough shape. i was more refering to...like, when it comes unprofessional to have a bad kit when all the other players have good equipment.

About prices...here in AUS, a middle range kit is about 2000 grand, or not too much under it. 3007 brand new, about 2200. pro m, 1800-2000. and before i get the 'buy it 2nd hand off ebay' replies, usually that would be good advice but for me, I live away from a city (im not getting my parents to drive to brisbane or sydney just to get a kit). On ebay, its either not what im looking for or too far away. You probly couldn even get an export for 250 bucks on ebay. id be happy with an export, even though the rock sizes arnt exactly suited to everything id like to play...but thats a different matter.
 
Ive still got my mapex starter kit that I bought 5 years ago. When does it become really bad to own a kit like that and not a good one? I don't really have the time to get more hours at work, so until i do have the time Im pretty much stuck with this one. How long do I have left to collect a couple of grand?

No kit ever becomes "unacceptable" at any time, there is always use for them somewhere. You should grow your equipment according to your personal growth as a player, but growing your equipment can also mean adding new tricks such as being able to tune a cardboard box. As long as you get a decent sound, it doesn't matter what type of kit it is. For the most part, your audience won't have any concept of good drumsets vs "bad" drumsets, and if you get a good sound out of it, then more than likely anyone who does understand the hierarchy of drums will say something to the effect of "wow, he did a great job making that set sound great." Otherwise they will just accept it as your own and not complain about it.
 
I'm in the same boat as k3ng posted. I can't afford anything new right now so I have no choice but to keep using my entry level Slingerland kit from 1983. That said, when I am able to buy a much better sounding and better build-quality kit,I will. Not so much for the professional appearance thing as much as an instrument that I love the sound of and can someday leave for my Son to have after my time is up. A nice USA Gretsch custom maple kit or a Yamaha top of the line maple set is what I'd like. I still drive a car that I bought new in 1994 that runs very well and I like, so I guess that's how I approach this idea.
 
i think any kit can be playable. maybe not stage-worthy, but anything can be a good practice kit. really its still 'acceptable' if its not, well, broken. if the shells and most of the hardware is intact, then its playable. ive seen some really shitty kits in my day. a friend of mine has an old ludwig kit that was originally a double 20" bass 8 piece (20 20 10 12 14 16 18 14). when he got it, the set had almost no hardware on it. we had to take it down to a 4 pc (20 12 16 14) and only had 4 lugs left over... ridiculous. he covered them in comic strips and put some polyurethane on it. they look and sound great now, with only $10 for some poly and about 9 hours total of work.

not bad...
 
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