Also do you think at this price range a used kit would be better than buying new?
You can get a pro-level kit used in this price range. That would be the smarter move.
sage32:
Are you going to haul these drums to and from gigs?
Are they for home use only?
What kind of music will you play on them?
Will you use them for studio recordings?
I assume you mean $1500 for drum shells only. No snare drum, no hardware, no cymbals.
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Mapex saturns all day.
I have saturns, a sleishman omega, a sonor s-class and a tama birch/bubinga and the saturns are my best kit.
Do the saturns have any strong competitors from other brands in this price range?
In your opinion what are the best drums in this price range considering shell quality, craftsmanship, customization options or lack thereof, and affordability?
Also do you think at this price range a used kit would be better than buying new?
How many drums are you looking to buy? If you want a Tama Bell Brass snare, you don't have enough money for that. If you want a Guru snare, you are right on the edge of having enough money. If you want a 9 piece kit, you are looking at some of the bottom lines within the various manufacturer's brands. If you are only looking for a 3 piece kit without a snare, you have more options for higher end drums.
You need to provide people with more information than "what are the best drums for $1500" if you want a answer.
Also heavily depends on what configuration you want. I'm very particular about my shell sizes so last few kits I bought had to be special ordered. I've never seen my kit configuration on display at a drum shop (24,13,15,18).
But if you're cool with more standard sizes, like kits typically kept in inventory, then you have a ton of options. Also, you'll find a ton of such kits on the used market.
What kits have caught your eye so far? Post them here and you'll get lots of feedback.
So far I've been looking at:
Mapex Mydentity
Mapex Meridian Maple (4 piece kits as low as $600 brand new)
Mapex Saturn
PDP Concept Maple
Tama Superstar Classic and Starclassic B/B
Gretsch Catalina Maple and Renown
Pork Pie Hip Pig and Lil Squealer
Ludwig Epic Pro and USA Keystone
And plenty more used kits
What do you really like about your saturns? And which configuration do you have?
The saturns have definitely caught my eye and I've heard very good things about them. Do the saturns have any strong competitors from other brands in this price range?