Been Thinking...

[ludvista29]

Alright, this is something i've been thinking about for a while now. I know im sticking with drums, and I'm starting to gig here and there, I've been playing out with many people. I have alot of respect from adults such as my drum teacher, and band directors. They have been saying I am the best drummer to come out of my towns music program. I really have been wondering if I should buy a professional level kit now. I know this is something that I want to become more than just a hobby. My parents know that this is not just some phase. I just want to know your opinion on this. Should I buy a professional level kit?

[_Austin_]

Judging by the amount of posts you have, yes... :lol:

On a more serious note:
I think a professional kit is the wrong term for what you are after.

A really personal kit. This could cost a million quid or 20 in a car-boot.
But i think if you are looking for that kit that bests suits you and really gives itself to your playing and gives the sound you love, that isn't easy to find.

Also i believe that you go through phases of favourite sounds, just like music, music influences your tastes and thus influence your ideal sound which means a different kit. Maybe not in a huge way, but slightly.

I know i have a vague idea of what i would like from a kit but thats because i can only hear the difference between sizes of drums.
Wood type and bearing edge type is something i havent listened for in different kits, basically because i havent got that much experience with different types of wood and edges. Maybe several trips to some drum shops is in order to get me accustomed with these

Sorry if i've rambled and not made much sense, im looking to spend a lot of money on my next kit to make sure i have something amazing and ive been thinking about what i want from a kit for a while.

I think you should drop a load of money on a kit when you know the sound you want.

Let me know what you think :)
Austin

[MatthewMeredith]

Can I get an amen for Ausin here?

Amen!

What he said is perfect. Instead of thinking about buying a "professional" level kit, buy the kit that you think rocks. If you think a Jungle Kit rocks, and you love the sound, buy that! Sure you'll put new heads on and maybe change around the hardware, or even refinish it, but it'll be YOUR kit, not just some really fancy-scmancy expensive kit.

I, myself, am a fan of the Taye Go-Kit. But since Ray Ayotte turned into a douche and Taye is no longer available in Canada, I'm looking at Pearl Masterworks, in Go-Kit sizes. That way it's MY set and it's unique to me.

Hope that helps!

[Zildjian]

professional level kit wont make you any better. You already got a really good kit. Itts better then most of the people your age has. If your teacher's really mean that then it should motivate you to get even better, and not motivate you to get a new kit.

[ant_182]

its not just about the drums, have you got all the hardware and cymbals you like? Do you have a nice kit now? What about promoting your self and your band ? A nice kit is great to have, but whats the point if you have no one to share it with?

[_Austin_]

Cheers matt

I think you should go for a professional kit because thats what you want and theres nothing wrong with buying one.

Just please make sure you make an educated decision.

Having learnt from experience I hope no one else goes down that road.

I bought that beech custom in black sparkle fade if anyone remembers and i hated it, i tried so hard to get to like it because i bought it with my own money but i had to sell it. It wasn't for me.

But thats a bit of an extreme, i bought it from ebay and didnt hear it.

Just please please please, know what you're buying before you buy it.
Brand new drum kits loose a LOT of value as soon as you have played them in.

[Undisco Kidd]

Can I get an amen for Ausin here?

Amen!

What he said is perfect. Instead of thinking about buying a "professional" level kit, buy the kit that you think rocks. If you think a Jungle Kit rocks, and you love the sound, buy that! Sure you'll put new heads on and maybe change around the hardware, or even refinish it, but it'll be YOUR kit, not just some really fancy-scmancy expensive kit.

I, myself, am a fan of the Taye Go-Kit. But since Ray Ayotte turned into a douche and Taye is no longer available in Canada, I'm looking at Pearl Masterworks, in Go-Kit sizes. That way it's MY set and it's unique to me.

Hope that helps!

I'm pretty sure massmusic or other places would gladly ship to canada.

Also, a kit you love > a professional kit. Other drummers I know hate my cymbals and set. They think my china is ugly, and that my snare and cymbals sound bad. I'd much rather have a bop kit that I like than some giant kit to impress people with. If I remember, you have a nice maple kit that's fairly new.

[ludvista29]

Thanks, I've been look around and I've found the sound I've been looking for. And its Definatly not my kit. I'd rather have a four piece yamaha aboslute.

[Undisco Kidd]

Thanks, I've been look around and I've found the sound I've been looking for. And its Definatly not my kit. I'd rather have a four piece yamaha aboslute.

Well, you do have the right idea :D

Be anal about this though. With absolute, you can get birch, oak, maple, and beech. Don't just assume the entire kit has to be the same wood. When I have the cash for a new set, I plan on birch toms and an oak bass.

[ludvista29]

I plan on Beech or maple? Bass, Maple Racks, and Birch Floors

[moogoogaipan]

yeah, it doesn't have to be expensive to be nice.

My kit cost under $1500 and it's probably the best kit I could ever possibly ask for.
The day I went to Fork's (Five-Star Drum Shop in Nashville) I had played many kits.
$5000 Sonor Delite
$6000 DW
$4500 Tama Starclassic Bubinga
$3000 Yamaha Recording Custom

the $1500 Gretsch had been put into storage at a warehouse because nobody had wanted it for months. So I waited about 2 hours for them to retrieve it from the warehouse...
Set it up, tuned it, and it sounded better than all those other kits I played.

You'll know exactly what you are looking for the instant you hear it. I was sold within 15 minutes of being able to play on it.

[Retarded Chipple]

I don't think it's worth it JUST yet...

Look around loads, practice lots more, wait until you find the kit you're after and have a real need for it i.e. you start working as a drummer more than once every few weeks...


...don't just get a pro end kit because a few people have said you're pretty good!



Also agree with finding the kit that was made for you!

[Zildjian]

yeah, it doesn't have to be expensive to be nice.

I completly agree with this. I LOVE my rockstars (except the stock snares lol), the kit cost me $700. I could not see myself falling in love another kit like i did with them.

[moogoogaipan]

good ole Rockstars.

That was my first kit. I gave it up for my new one... I still love it, though. It's stacked in the corner where I can always see it.:thumb:

[FooBuddy1989]

Yeah I agree with that as well, I still have the first kit i ever bought a Yamaha YD series it cost $600, i've been playin 4 years and i dont see myself getting a new kit anytime soon.

[ThatOneDrummer]

Thanks, I've been look around and I've found the sound I've been looking for. And its Definatly not my kit. I'd rather have a four piece yamaha aboslute.
can i have your old kit for free ? :p
but seriously, like everyone else says, stick with what sounds good to you
get a kit that you know you're going to love playing for a long time to come
and may i ask what's wrong with your sessions? haha

[Mr Pink]

The big difference you will notice between a top of the line kit and say a TAMER Rockstar is the volume. TOTL kits kill the other kits when it comes to volume. Quality of shell, edges, hardware, heads all play into it. Lets face it , volume is important with drums...not so you can be loud all the time necessarily, but so the drums sing at ALL dynamic levels. George W Bush is a monkey. A TOTL used kit would be my suggestion..if you buy it right, you will get your $ back when you upgrade. I have a Pork Pie for sale :thumb:

[the_pure_drummer]

The big difference you will notice between a top of the line kit and say a TAMER Rockstar is the volume. TOTL kits kill the other kits when it comes to volume. Quality of shell, edges, hardware, heads all play into it. Lets face it , volume is important with drums...not so you can be loud all the time necessarily, but so the drums sing at ALL dynamic levels. George W Bush is a monkey. A TOTL used kit would be my suggestion..if you buy it right, you will get your $ back when you upgrade. I have a Pork Pie for sale :thumb:

haha

[ludvista29]

I see what you guys mean, but I've been really thinking about High End drums. I dont want to wait to long with my old kit because It'll probably lose its value. Also, i've been playing yamahas alot more latley and its definatly MY sound. I think at the earliest I would get the new kit by Christmas, If i get a job in time. and if not probably around spring next year. So I still have alot of time to think this over, but I honestly think its time now. I dont want to keep buying kits that im not going to be happy with in the future...I want to get the one I will keep forever.

[Chippy569]

think i should toss this out, while we're talking about personal...


...I think cymbals define your "sound" a lot more than your drums. Specifically your hats and ride cymbals. Therefore I think it's MUCH much more important to find the "perfect" (to you) set of cymbals before finding the "perfect" set of drums. Drums can sound great! with simply a head change and a good tune-up. Buying "pro" drums doesn't change that. But cymbals can't really change, 'ya know? So having the "right" cymbals, to me anyway, is a huge priority over having the "right" drums.

[ludvista29]

I agree to an extent, But I think that certian drums have different tones, and resonate differently, I know most has to do with tuning and heads, but theres always that little difference.

[ThatOneDrummer]

would you be seeling your pearl when you get your new kit?
I'm starting to be interested. thats a sweet kit

[ludvista29]

Yes I would, For probably 650-700

[White Riot!]

think i should toss this out, while we're talking about personal...


...I think cymbals define your "sound" a lot more than your drums. Specifically your hats and ride cymbals. Therefore I think it's MUCH much more important to find the "perfect" (to you) set of cymbals before finding the "perfect" set of drums. Drums can sound great! with simply a head change and a good tune-up. Buying "pro" drums doesn't change that. But cymbals can't really change, 'ya know? So having the "right" cymbals, to me anyway, is a huge priority over having the "right" drums.

The snare drum is by far the most important sound on the kit.

[Chippy569]

The snare drum is by far the most important sound on the kit.

hmm. agreed.

[moogoogaipan]

nah... i don't think so.

It's a culmination of the sum of the whole.

If anything sucks, then it's gonna sound bad.

I've played many combinations of qualities...

Good drums with crappy cymbals = sucks
crappy drums with good cymbals = sucks
good drums and good cymbals with crappy snare = sucks
great snare and bad drums with bad good cymbals = sucks
... get where I'm going

Find a good kit... number one.
Find a good snare that matches it timbrally... number two
Build up a good collection of cymbals to compliment each other and the kit... number three.

[ThatOneDrummer]

Yes I would, For probably 650-700
wow thats a hell of a deal
i have to find the money, and ask my parents, but keep me in mind as a potential buyer of your kit
and good luck with finding a kit
yammies are sweet, and i hope it all works out for you:thumb:

[White Riot!]

If anything sucks, then it's gonna sound bad.



But some things are more transparent than others. The snare drum is not!

[moogoogaipan]

I guess it depends on the genre.

But I can't overlook anything that sounds bad.

If you used that philosophy of transparency, then you'd have a ton of drummers neglecting to properly tune their toms because they are more transparent than the snare.
And the way I play, I use the toms as melodic augmentation and therefore can't afford to say... hmm... doesn't really matter, as long as my snare sounds good.

It's all opinion. But it's my opinion that focusing on one part over another will eventually develop itself into a weakness.

[ludvista29]

wow thats a hell of a deal
i have to find the money, and ask my parents, but keep me in mind as a potential buyer of your kit
and good luck with finding a kit
yammies are sweet, and i hope it all works out for you:thumb:
Sweet man, just so you know, specs are
22x16
10x10
12x10
13x11
14x11
16x16

[Damo]

Save up for a pro quality set if you feel you are ready for the live/recording aspect of drums.

Cheaper kits may sound somewhat similar, but thats where the similarities end.