What is the best drum set for a beginner?
get a starter ludwig kit, it'll come with everything you need, they sound decent and are in the 400-600 range
8 Answers
i have been playing drums for 6 years now (im 18 so i started at age 12) and i am still playing on the first set i ever bought, a 300 dollar set from groove percussion.
kinda like this one
http://www.samash.com/p/PVT12%205%20Piece%20Drum%20Set%20with%20Cymbals%20and%20Hardware_-49954016
the thing is cheapie sets arent that bad if you treat them correctly. what i DONT mean by that is oiling them up or anything, i mean "tuning" them, as you would a car. so, new cymabls, new drum heads, maybe a new snare drum, new base pedal ect.
the thing is all those can be purchased as you get better.
so if you want a new set but dont want to drop tons of cash, just go for it.
now, if you dont mind used, you can have some more fun.
look on ebay, post on craigslist, and if you can try to hear the set before you buy it
make sure it comes with hardware as well (cymbal stands ect.) as they cost tons in themselves.
the "best" known brands are Tama, Pearl, Ludwig,but really im stressing that the price of a set doesnt matter as much as you think
The important thing about starting any new instrument, whether it be guitar, drums, or keyboard is being able to stay motivated to learn and to get better at it. Usually, this requires a lot of self discipline. But it does help to have a good sounding instrument.
With drums, (I've been a drummer for about 5 years) there are many components to the instrument itself. In my opinion, there are two components that really matter the most - cymbals and the snare drum. Typically, when first learning drums, you'll be using the hi-hat, snare, and kick drum (bass drum) the most. When you progress to the point of moving along to the rest of the kit, simple tuning and good drum heads will help make your kit sound better.
With that said... I'd stick to the Tama entry level or Yamaha entry level kit. And I'd invest the rest of what you got on a good set of hi-hats, snare, and cymbals (in that order). If you can get an entry level kit used, that's even better, since it'll give you more money to spend on a snare drum or cymbals. I'm a Zild'jian guy on cymbals (K Custom hats, A Custom cymbals), but whatever floats your boat. You should try out different snares yourself and see what you like.
My best advice is to go on Craigslist. The economy is down and people need money fast, so they're willing to sell really great trap sets for unreasonably low prices. often you can get everything clear down to cymbals and a throne for one low price.
I have been playing drums for over 17 years, and I can tell you that the most expensive kits and the cheapest will both sound awful if they're not tuned correctly. I have a top of the line kit that I've been happy with for years, and I also have a poorly made Apollo drum kit that I've pieced together (Apollo went out of business in the 70's, I think.) Because I spend time tuning my drums, both kits sound comparable. Buy what you can afford as far as drums go, then invest in nice drum heads and learn to tune them. A great way to cheat on tuning is with a drum dial.
As far as what to look for in a set, check out the hardware. What makes many of the low end drum sets miserable for a drummer is that the hardware makes playing uncomfortable. you'll want double-braced legs, and you'll want boom stands for your cymbals. look a the tom-mounts (where the toms attach to the bass drum). Low end kits often have basic L shaped mounts that don't allow you to place the tom where it is most comfortable to you. there are some "ball joint" mounts from various companies that are pretty nice.
Finally, spend your money on cymbals. depending on what type of music you're playing, you'll be hitting your cymbals at least twice as much as any given drum. If your cymbals sound bad, you'll hate playing them. Each of the "big 3" brands (Zildjian, Paiste, and Sabian)make great cymbals in their mid and top of the line, and make terrible cymbals in the low end.
That said, stick with it and practice, practice, practice.
My first kit was a Pearl Export which has since been replaced by the Vision series. They're quality kits for around half a g.
I second the Tama suggestion however in my experience Tamas have a slightly better sound for near the price but other beginner kits like Pearl's Vision and Mapex's Meridian and M series kits have more high-end features and tend to last longer.
I'm a percussion major at UA (Roll Tide) and I've been playing for several years and more recently started teaching private lessons. One thing I would say is to be careful about buying off-brand or store brand kits. Obviously they're cheaper and sometimes you get more bang for the buck, the problem is that you never know what you'll get. I've had a few students whose parents opt for these kits and when something breaks or they want to use aftermarket upgrades, they can't because these kits aren't designed to accommodate.
One last possibility would be to look into ddrum kits. They're a relatively new company that gives you a lot of bang for your buck with regards to quality AND sound. ddrum and PDP both adhere to this approach.
If, and this is a big if, you're going to buy new, I would recommend buying a Pacific Drums maple kit. Pacific Drums These are the cheapest maple kits on the market (maple is largely considered the most high-quality shell material, unless you're talking about more expensive woods, e.g., birch, at which point it comes down to individual preference, and many still think maple is the best), and the rest of the drums (aside from the shells, that is) are as good or better than any set at a comparable price. Their cheapest maple kit retails for like 600 or 650. But if you're a haggler, you can get the kit plus an add-on or two (an extra piece of hardware or a cheap cymbal) for 575 or maybe even 550.
Even if you're buying used I might consider looking for this type of kit. I really just don't think there is a better quality kit on the market for less. But depending on what you're looking to spend, 600 bucks and a sharp eye on craigslist can yield a very high quality set with a few cymbals. If you're going this route, take your time, look for a really good deal. Check out the retail prices - price is a relatively good proxy for quality, especially in the drum market. Any kit that costs more than 1200 new is going to sound great.
People are right about the heads. Buy new ones unless the kit comes with quality newish heads. I would recommend either Remos Remo Drum Heads or Aquarians Aquarian Drum Heads
Also, if you're handy, you can order the parts yourself and build a kit for cheap that is high quality. And the fact that you built it yourself makes it sound that much better. You can get shells from Keller shells Keller shells and the rest of your parts from places like Drum Gear Online, Drum Gear Online
I'd definitely agree with used. There's a store called Atomic Music around College Park, MD that only deals with used instruments. I picked up this Mapex Pro M Classic set plus a nice Zildjan Z Custom crash, A Custom ride and K Series hats, and all the hardware. Once I got a new set of batter heads, the entire thing set me back $800.
Used is especially good for a beginner. If, two years down the road, you decide that drums aren't for you, you can sell the kit and not take such a huge hit on depreciation.
For a new kit, I've always liked Tama. The Stagestar seems to be the current version of the Rockstar, which is what a lot of us had when we were starting our first bands in the early 90s. They couldn't compete with professional DW kits, of course, but they got the job done.
Yamaha makes a great entry-level kit, too. It's rock solid. It might be this one.
I play a Pearl Forum kit now, which is their entry-level, and it's okay. Don't waste your time on those no-name $299 kits ...
The very first thing you'll want to do is change the heads. Remo pinstripe heads make any kit sound better.
Or you can go find the next level up (around the $700 range), and look for a used one on craigslist. After the initial purchase of the drums, cymbals and hardware become very expensive; craigslist is a great source for used kits and metal.