Checking out a used kit tomorrow. A little help ?

Over50drumguy

Silver Member
Going to look at used kit tomorrow . The limited info that I have so far with a few bad pics ( that I can’t even resize to post here) and some info my friend gave me is .........

Fairly new ( less than 2 years) concept maple 7 piece 8,10,12,14,16 ,14 snare, 22 kick in pearlescent white very clean in like new cond . Dw 3000 pedal and high hat stand

14” Zildjian A hats , 4 zildjian A cymbals in what I think are 16” thin crash, 16 med crash, 18” med crash , 20” med ride, and a 15” ZBT crash which isn’t really worth much to me . All mounted on a pdp rack with cymbal arms and clamp/arm for the 8” Tom. A DW tractor style throne . Look to be Remo coated on all toms ( not the originals I’m guessing ) , a white coated pdp by DW snare head , and a clear ( unknown) on the kick . A dozen or so ( unknown) new pairs of sticks and I’m told ... a plexi glass drum shield . There’s barely a stick mark on the heads or the cymbals. From what I can tell it’s all in great cond .

The asking price is $1,200 US. I’ve seen the used 7 piece concept maples go for 550 to 700 and more , depending on condition . They’re $999 new. I’ve seen Guitar center and Sam ash sell them for 700 with some marks and wear on em and from what I can gather this kit has nary a mark on it . With that said , if I apply a used price of 100 each ( low?) for basically unused A hats and 4 A cymbals that’s 5 bills right there . Add the kit , rack and hardware ( pedal and HH stand)?, throne , shield( don’t really need it ) sticks and possibly some other odds and ends for 700 and that’s 1200.

Sorry for the long book, but trying to give as much info as I’ve got at this point , and the guy selling ( it was his dads) doesn’t know much more and the kit is at his mothers house where he’s meeting me tomorrow ( little over an hour from me ), so don’t have much more to go on . Just got the info on this tonight at 10 and have been researching on line.

Assuming all above is accurate or close to accurate , does it sound like a good deal ? I think it’s a decent deal or at least in the ball park from the limited 2 hour research Ive done on line so far. . Seems like I always find these last minute (deals??‍♂️) with not much time to research and decide/act.

Looking for you’re thoughts and opinions on the price and the gear . Thanks for any help you can offer .

Paul .
 
Last edited:
Bump ^^^^^ Above

Going to check these out today . Short notice for info I know, and some vague info here and there , but going off my long ( sorry for that ) novel I wrote above , thoughts , opinions , advice ? All responses ( positive or negative ) appreciated . Thanks .
 
Update.....

Spoke to the seller, he said he’d take $1,100 . Now just wondering if it’s worth the hour and a half drive to take a look ??‍♂️
 
If same kit has sold for $700 new and you did math on the cymbals, then the actual value is $800 or so for the lot. Unless they're willing to take $800 then no it's not worth the trip.
 
If you want those sizes and have the money, I would say yes. Good luck.
 
They sound worth checking out for sure. In fact they sound like a good buy because you got the whole kit in one stop. Sell the shield and cut your cost. if you can get it for a grand, do so.
 
I wouldn't bother. Unless you want that exact kit and those exact cymbals it is not a great deal. Now if you could get it for $7-800 like Rattlin' said I would tell you to go for it.
 
If same kit has sold for $700 new and you did math on the cymbals, then the actual value is $800 or so for the lot. Unless they're willing to take $800 then no it's not worth the trip.

The kit new is $999, the 700 is used kits from places like GC and Sam ash with various degrees of wear and tear . And that would be shell pack , no hardware , plus tax . Thanks for your response ??
 
Last edited:
They sound worth checking out for sure. In fact they sound like a good buy because you got the whole kit in one stop. Sell the shield and cut your cost. if you can get it for a grand, do so.

Thanks Larry , this was my thinking also but with my limited knowledge of used pricing and finding last minute deals I wasn’t completely sure . And regarding these shells , ..... I would like a step above in a few different other brands , but I have heard them before and have read reviews and opinions by guys on here that love them , and think I would be happy with them for a few years anyway . Thanks again .
 
Thanks Larry , this was my thinking also but with my limited knowledge of used pricing and finding last minute deals I wasn’t completely sure . And regarding these shells , ..... I would like a step above in a few different other brands , but I have heard them before and have read reviews and opinions by guys on here that love them , and think I would be happy with them for a few years anyway . Thanks again .
Going to look at used kit tomorrow . The limited info that I have so far with a few bad pics ( that I can’t even resize to post here) and some info my friend gave me is .........

Fairly new ( less than 2 years) concept maple 7 piece 8,10,12,14,16 ,14 snare, 22 kick in pearlescent white very clean in like new cond . Dw 3000 pedal and high hat stand

14” Zildjian A hats , 4 zildjian A cymbals in what I think are 16” thin crash, 16 med crash, 18” med crash , 20” med ride, and a 15” ZBT crash which isn’t really worth much to me . All mounted on a pdp rack with cymbal arms and clamp/arm for the 8” Tom. A DW tractor style throne . Look to be Remo coated on all toms ( not the originals I’m guessing ) , a white coated pdp by DW snare head , and a clear ( unknown) on the kick . A dozen or so ( unknown) new pairs of sticks and I’m told ... a plexi glass drum shield . There’s barely a stick mark on the heads or the cymbals. From what I can tell it’s all in great cond .

The asking price is $1,200 US. I’ve seen the used 7 piece concept maples go for 550 to 700 and more , depending on condition . They’re $999 new. I’ve seen Guitar center and Sam ash sell them for 700 with some marks and wear on em and from what I can gather this kit has nary a mark on it . With that said , if I apply a used price of 100 each ( low?) for basically unused A hats and 4 A cymbals that’s 5 bills right there . Add the kit , rack and hardware ( pedal and HH stand)?, throne , shield( don’t really need it ) sticks and possibly some other odds and ends for 700 and that’s 1200.

Sorry for the long book, but trying to give as much info as I’ve got at this point , and the guy selling ( it was his dads) doesn’t know much more and the kit is at his mothers house where he’s meeting me tomorrow ( little over an hour from me ), so don’t have much more to go on . Just got the info on this tonight at 10 and have been researching on line.

Assuming all above is accurate or close to accurate , does it sound like a good deal ? I think it’s a decent deal or at least in the ball park from the limited 2 hour research Ive done on line so far. . Seems like I always find these last minute (deals??‍♂️) with not much time to research and decide/act.

Looking for you’re thoughts and opinions on the price and the gear . Thanks for any help you can offer .

Paul .
my thinking is if you like the cymbals and they really are A's then they're worth between 6 and $700 by themselves. And then shell pack new is 700 and then you had maybe a couple hundred for the rack it adds up pretty quick not counting the extra sticks and whatnot. That's like sixteen hundred and there's a bass drum pedal also probably a double pedal. So if you like it all 1200 is probably a good deal. The sound Shield is probably worth 2 or 300 I think they're pretty high
 
As said, if the cymbals are real As, sure. It might not be exactly the choices you want, but I'd say it's a good deal for that package.
 
So , I thank everyone for all the help and responses . A lot of what’s been said is along the lines of what I was thinking , but being out of the gear buying game for 15 years or so I just wasn’t sure .

Like was offered by others my thinking is .....

Real A’s , 4 of them . 3 crashes and a ride plus a set of A hats , in excellent condition ..... minimum $500 more like 6-7 but I’ll say 5 for arguments sake . Note: I don’t think they’re fakes but??? How would I spot that . I’m fairly good at knowing if stuffs been tampered with .

The kit in almost or like new condition $600

Rack. Minimum 100

DW Throne . Like new 100

DW 3000 hi hat and kick pedal like new , min 100 for both . Snare stand ..... probably pdp or DW ( 3000 ?) .... 50 bucks .

Unknown make of drum shield worth ( guess) maybe 100 and I would sell it .

Another 100 maybe for odds and ends I’m not sure about sticks and such . So a grand total of 1600 . If I buy for 1100 and sell the shield for 100, I’m in this kit for ..... a grand . Am I missing something or not taking something into account . Think I’ll go take a look , even with the hour and a half drive .

Thanks , this forum is fantastic and it’s twice now I’ve gotten info on a kit in a short period of time to help me make a more informed and timely decision and or re affirm what I was thinking so I don’t screw up and get taken .
 
Right now there are 314 concept maple kits for sale on Reverb. 26 are used.

It ain't exactly like they're a scare commodity. The exact same kit you're describing is on Reverb: https://reverb.com/item/23843021-pdp-pdp-by-dw-concept-maple-7-piece-shell-kit-pearlescent-white. $700 in Florida. So use $700 as value for kit.

Value cymbals at $500.

The other stuff is just other stuff stands rack pedals. More stuff to haul home. If you don't need it then don't worry about the value.

The key to me are the cymbals. Zildjian A's 3 crashes and A ride plus a set of A hats, in excellent condition. Could be worth more than $500 if the real deal.

So yeah I changed my mind.Very worth looking at for the price. $1,100. Offer him a grand cash when you're there see if he takes it. Nothing to lose.
 
The kit sounds like it's definitely worth checking out—IF you need all of that instead of just a shell pack. If you only need a shell pack, I'd look just for that elsewhere. Unless you don't mind selling off all the unneeded gear. If you don't mind going through the hassle, then you could end up with a great deal in the end (again, assuming you only need the drums).

But if you need the whole shebang, then I think it's worth $1100 + a 1.5 hour drive.
 
Fantastic responses guys. Really appreciate all the help and feed back . The only thing I don’t have a use for really is the drum shield . I do have a snare and stand but I would use the pdp as a backup or side snare . I have three single kick pedals from the 80’s. Two Tama strap drive and a pearl chain drive , and they are in near new cond ( Currently using one of the Tama’s ) but I would like something more updated ( May trade em all and the shield toward a double pedal). along with the one zbt that comes with the pdp. Gonna call him tomorrow and see if he’ll do the 1000 ( which he originally was asking , then had it at 12 and then when I spoke to him said he’d do 1100. We’ll see.
 
I drove 2 hours to look at a Renown shell pack. It was brand new. $1500. new at the time, they were brought home and never set up. Guy wanted 700, I got them for $650. Neither the time or gas was important to me, just the chance to see them in new condition , and the half price. I say go for it. Anything you don't want you can sell.
 
I drove 45 minutes to grab a shell pack this week and was blown away by them. Driving a bit to get what you want is worth it. at 2 years old I'd assume they are in good shape, if they aren't walk as there is no reason to be banged up in 2 years.

Buying separate is a pain for a new drummer as the hardware, drums, cymbals, and everything else adds up fast. If someone doesn't have a kit I recommend this.

REALLY check out the shells, the lighting is always different when you get home and seeing a scratch or scuff sucks if you didn't notice it before. Check the cymbals for cracks. Check the hardware condition, I'm ok with some scratches but the metal can't be bent or "sticky" when you raise and lower stuff.

If there are some things like that you can always take note and offer what you feel is good for both of you.

Worst case you lost a few hours driving, best case, new drums.
 
Initially I thought you were looking at this to flip, but it seems you are looking for a kit. In that case I think you should go for it if you like the kit. All of that stuff is solid gear. The 16 thin and medium are my current hihats of choice.
 
I think that would be a decent price on a 7-piece kit if you really, really want a 7-piece kit, but if you traditionally play something like a 4-5 piece, then I'd look elsewhere. I'd rather spend more on better-quality drums with fewer pieces than pay extra for drums you won't bother playing after having them home for the first week or two. Also, if you don't like the cymbals, you're going to have to do something with those (I, personally, am becoming less and less of a Zildjian fan as time moves on, but that's just me).

Overall, they are fine drums; however, unless you specifically want a 7-piece PDP set, I'd look elsewhere.
 
Do you have a set now? If not, would you buy that set just by itself if it wasn't part of a package deal, or would you rather look for a different set?
Do you think you would use those cymbals - 3 A crashes and one zbt? crash and one A ride. Or would you rather look for individual used cymbals that you'd be certain to use.
I don't think there's enough info about what you already have, and what else you'd be looking at other than this package deal to be able to be much help.

I was trying to keep it about the gear but reading you comments I get the point . And it has made me think more about my needs vs. my wants . I didn’t want to be so long winded about myself, but I see how a whole backstory might help . So here goes , ..... don’t fall asleep now.

Currently playing the same Franken-kit from my early teens . Drums....10,12, 70’s Ludwig chrome o wood concert toms paired with a 12,16,22 70’s pearl , wood-fiberglass 3 piece , 8,10,12 Roto toms ( not in use now , and yes ,
I was an 80’s mostly rock drummer lol !) and a1968 Ludwig supra. So basically yes , in need of a kit .
Cymbals are 1960’s 14” zildjian hats , 80’s zildjian 18” high China , Paiste 2000 sound reflections 16” thin crash ( they’re all in great shape), one Paiste before they were Paiste 20”ride ( not great but does the job ) and two unknown 16 and 18 crashes ( they just down right blow ),
Hardware ( mostly in great shape ) is ..... Ludwig snare stand , 3 pearl various boom stands ( like new and serve their purpose) a falling apart vintage Gretsch hh stand , various 80’s single kick pedals all of which work and are in great shape .
Believe it or not , with tuning and other tricks , I could ( back then , 78-98 ) get this kit and other gear I had back then to sound pretty damn good for rock, blues and various other stuff . I say above , 78-98 because that’s when I packed it up and put it away at age 32 . One child age2, wife pregnant with second , bought house, work work and more work ....on midnight to 8 shift , coming home and taking the kid handoff from the wife while she went to work her full time job ,.... many here know how it goes . I slept 4 to maybe 5 hours a day for 14 years doing this til they were all in school .The only drumming I did other than a jam here or there on friends kits was in the F.O.P ( fraternal order of police) bagpipe band since the early 90’s til present .
Kids are older ( youngest is 15 of 3 girls ) so I have some time to devote to what i have always loved . I’ve been shaking off the rust on this franken-kit for a little over a year now and it’s definitely helped and gotten me back to some semblance of my old self , but at this point it’s condition and sound is holding me back and makes it unenjoyable and not want to play ( I do it anyway to get the time and work in ) .
I play mostly rock, blues, and am enjoying some heavier ( various forms of metal ). But I enjoy and like playing most genres. I’d eventually like to play out and gig again as I’m now mostly retired . I’d like a decent intermediate kit . Used , as others on the forum have said its is the way to go . For me anyway.
Like some others here I enjoy a larger kit ( fun for me ). Ideally I’d like a 3 up 2 down , but not stuck on it depending what I find used .3 up, one down would work also . I like 3 racks I always have , I’d even do 4 but don’t need to. All depends on what I find out there . 8,10,12,14,16 ,14,22 works , but 10,12,13,14,16 or 16 18 Might be better . I’d like the ability to go big or small , depending on what or where I’m playing . But I wouldn’t pass up a great 5 piece ( 2 or 3 up and 1 or two down ) , but it’d have to be a steal of deal .snare not needed at this point as I can get by with my Supra for most everything , but no aversion to a kit that comes with one . I’m not stuck on any brands ... drums or cymbals , but am partial to and like sonor, Tama and pearl , zildjian or Sabian . I like a deeper fatter sound in the lower to mid tuning range . I looked at and liked and passed up on an 8 piece sonor ascent in 8, 10,12,14,16, 14 and 2x22. In hind sight I should have bought them , but it was the first set I had looked at since playing again , and first time dealing with the Craigslist crazies , and that deal fell through . There were a dozen or so since and for numerous reasons beyond my control
( Craigslist ?) they never worked out .

Budget wise I’d say around 1500 to 2k all in is where I’d like to be . But that’s not to say if I found a kit for 1500 to 1800 with some hardware and picked up cymbals I like going forward that I could t do that as the funds became available .

I think I’d be happy ( for a while ) with this pdp kit , and I know it doesn’t have to be the last kit I buy , but after dealing with this guy ( ?) and after some of the questions posed to me in this and writing this and thinking some more , I don’t think it’s for me in the long run . It wouldn’t be a bad purchase , but my desire to get into something better may have been driving this . I’m gonna keep looking and thinking, and researching . I’m a , ..... I’ll know it when I see it / hear it / play it kind of guy I guess . I COULD go on about more about myself but I’ll spare you the boredom .

Thanks to all the responses and thought provoking feed back . It’s helped tremendously ??

Bare with me guys . With your and the forums help . I’m sure I’ll be into something I like and fits my needs soon enough . Gonna go beat on the Franken-kit now for an hour or two ???.......?
 
Last edited:
Back
Top