Roland TD-17KVX upgrades?

Flam_5

New Member
Hey drummers,

This is my first post on this forum, so if this topic has already been discussed please point me in the right direction. I searched and didn’t find it yet though.

I’m about to buy the Roland 17-KVX (almost ready to pull the trigger) and I’m wondering if anyone out there 1) owns this set, and 2) has done any upgrades to it.

I’ll be even more specific, have you upgraded the toms or the kick? If so, how did it go and are you satisfied?

I’ve done a ton of research on which set to buy and it looks like the TD-17KVX hits a sweet spot for the mid-range price point and quality, with the exception of the size of the toms, which seem really small. I know there are Alesis kits out there with larger toms in a similar price range, but I’ve read enough concerns on durability and reliability of Alesis to make me veer away from that brand (if I’m wrong, please tell me).

I’ve also come across the Roland 27-KV which clearly has nicer/larger toms and a better kick drum, but also costs a lot more (~$3,000 vs $1,800). I’d rather not spend an extra $1,200 on the 27-KV, but if I’m going to do a bunch of upgrades to the 17-KVX anyway, the price might come out in the wash.

If you have any thoughts on this, please let me know! Thank you in advance!
 
First and foremost, thank you so much for your detailed replies to this post and the one question I asked you on another thread. I also found 65 Drums on YouTube and had similar impressions. The owner of that channel is a very down-to-earth guy and generally gives great advice on a lot of different electric drum kits. I watched quite a few of his videos as well as read through many of the comments, and in some cases wrote questions to some of the commenters on his videos. All very helpful. I’ve been a drummer for 25+ years now, but this is the first electric kit that I’ll be buying so I took my time and did a lot of research.

Truth be told, I was almost ready to buy the TD-17KVX. I was convinced it was a great set for the price point, and I still think it probably is. I was initially torn between the 17 KVX and an Alesis kit (the exact one escapes me at the moment), and I just couldn’t get over how much nicer the Alesis ones looked and how much better the toms appeared. The reviews on all Roland kits are glowing with respect to durability and reliability, and I found plenty of good reviews on Alesis kits too actually, but no matter which website I was reading I found issues with durability with Alesis, especially with the cymbals. It clearly wasn’t everyone, but it was there. By contrast, there were really no issues on any Roland’s cymbals. The small toms on the 17 KVX were a big concern for me (although it may have the side effect of improving my accuracy) and the cymbals, as you mentioned, were clearly a newer/nicer upgrade on the 27 KV. Nevertheless, that was the impetus for me posting here. It’s clear that I could swap some stuff out, but I started adding up potential costs of replacement heads and the price slowly inched toward the 27 KV.

Long story short, I bit the bullet and bought the TD 27-KV. FedEx will be dropping it off in a few days. Drumming is therapeutic for me and is a great stress reliever, so although I paid quite a bit more up front I’m hopeful I won’t have to worry much about reliability and durability in the future and it can remain a stress reliever (not a stress producer). I still think the vast majority of Alesis kits look A LOT better than most of Roland’s kits. It’s a little odd to me that Roland’s kits look so bland but function so well. On the other side, if Alesis is truly catching up in terms of quality and reliability (and it looks like they might be), then people will be able to get a much better looking kit for a much nicer price point. Time will tell.

Thanks again for all your thoughts and comments. They were very helpful and greatly appreciated!
 
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