Ideas for a "Beater Kit"

Frosticles

Silver Member
Have sold my beloved MLX today & "Maybe" in the market for a "Beater Kit" that I can use for gigging. Ideally I want a good quality kit that has seen better days. Not bothered about scuffs, dings & scratches as long as it is solid with good bearing edges etc.
Am maybe thinking of something like a Mapex saturn MK3 or 4???? Any other suggestions that would suit?
 
Pearl Vision. It's a sturdy kit.


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Hey Frosticles, take a look at a Sonor Force 3005, 3007 or Select Force Series with 400 hardware would be a good buy.
 
yamaha stage custom, they sound great and honestly for the price it's hard to find a better kit in that price range
 
Why'd you sell the MLX? Wouldn't that have a great beater kit?
 
If you want to spend on the low end,my money would be on Tama kits from the late 70's thru the late 90's,but can't tell yow many Rama kits I have seen that look like they have been through world war three and were still functioning and sounding great.This applies to the entry to high end offerings IMO,and Rama sold so many they are usually not to hard to find.ñ
 
Wow some people's images of 'beater kits' differ from mine.
I would agree an old Tama (Rockstar or Swingstar) or Pearl export fit the bill. They are mostly cheap and indestructible.
 
Wow some people's images of 'beater kits' differ from mine.
I would agree an old Tama (Rockstar or Swingstar) or Pearl export fit the bill. They are mostly cheap and indestructible.


Ha ha ha - Mapex Saturn 4 beater kit. I hear ya.
Maybe he should look into a Craviatto beater kit or something.

Frosticles - what kind of budget are you talking about here?

In my book, a beater kit is one that you wouldn't mind or care if it got beat up.
Something that you'd use if you're playing at a nasty place, or if other careless
people might be using it.

I see useable kits locally for around $100 all the time around here that would fit the bill.
You have to wade through the single drums here (even though I sorted
by drum kits), but there's a lot of what could be considered beater kits
for pretty low prices;
http://www.musicgoround.com/search?...0&pf=&pt=&dist=25&zip=&sn=&sid=true&orderby=7
 
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Yamaha Stage custom; essentially a RC with a $650 price tag. You could find a good one on CL for around $400-500
 
Pearl Exports. You can find a good condition 4 or 5pc for 100-200, new heads if needed and you have a decent beater kit.
 
I just picked up a beater Pearl Export kit from the 80s off of a guy for $60. Needs some serious TLC, so I may strip it and paint them. I have a bunch of new hardware lying around to replace the broken stuff, so I couldn't pass it up. Heck, the guy threw in a vintage Tama pedal from the 70s that's in pretty good shape. I can probably sell that $60 and make my money back.
 
Why'd you sell the MLX? Wouldn't that have a great beater kit?

The MLX I had was absolutely pristine & far too good for the kind of gigs I tend to play. A good friend of mine offered me very good money for them & I know he will really look after them :)

Ha ha ha - Mapex Saturn 4 beater kit. I hear ya.
Maybe he should look into a Craviatto beater kit or something.

Frosticles - what kind of budget are you talking about here?

Did see a used Saturn 4 piece shell pack on eBay for £350. This would do :) £350 is my limit for one.

Yamaha Stage custom; essentially a RC with a $650 price tag. You could find a good one on CL for around $400-500

Leaning towards these as my other kit is a Recording Custom. I gigged that on Saturday & was a nervous wreck.
 
....Did see a used Saturn 4 piece shell pack on eBay for £350. This would do :) £350 is my limit for one.....

....Leaning towards these as my other kit is a Recording Custom. I gigged that on Saturday & was a nervous wreck.....


Sounds like you should have snatched up that Saturn.

I've had 5 Stage Custom sets.
I bought them new, and they looked new when I sold them.
I don't consider them beater kits. I have seen old, beat up Stage Customs that might fit the description though.
I would have been upset if someone scratched them all up, or dropped them down a flight of stairs or something.

I think it's the term 'beater' that threw me off.
Doesn't sound to me like you're looking for a beater kit.
Seems like you're looking for a less expensive, decent quality kit.
Probably what most people would call mid level or something similar.
 
I think it's the term 'beater' that threw me off.
Doesn't sound to me like you're looking for a beater kit.
Seems like you're looking for a less expensive, decent quality kit.
Probably what most people would call mid level or something similar.

Nail on the head :)

Yes, a nice usable mid range kit (Pref Birch) that may have some battle scars so that I am not worried about kit share etc :)
 
You're spoiled for choice. If all you want is something you don't have to worry about, you can buy whatever suits your fancy. Here are some I found in three minutes of Googling:

https://www.drumshack.co.uk/1/mapex-mars-smokewood-big-beat-24-12-16-2nd-hand-9668

https://www.grahamrusselldrums.com/...drum-kits/pearl-exr-drum-kit-blue-strata.html

https://www.gumtree.com/p/drums/need-gone-asap-mapex-vx-limited-edition-/1169420165

https://www.gumtree.com/p/drums/yamaha-stage-custom-kit-with-stands-and-cymbals-/1169352786

I'd gig any of these. Personally, I like the look of the Mapex VX kit - 1 up, 2 down with a different finish makes it infinitely more attractive to me. :)
 
Ta muchly. Something will catch my eye soon I think :)
 
There was a guy local to me selling a 4 piece Saturn III beater kit for $350. I tried to haggle to under $300, but he wouldn't bite. Its not like I need 6 kits in my basement... But that would have been a fantastic kit to travel with.
 
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