Buying a new drum set? LOOK HERE! Dont make a new thread!!!!

[SonorKen]

I keep seeing 500 threads on what kit to buy. I created this thread so people can discuss new kits, what to buy, and the plus and minuses associated with those kits.

My all time kit reccomendation would be a set of Sonor 3003's. They are killer kits, sound great! I saw an ad in Midwest percussion for a set of 3003's for 769..

Ideally it would be nice if people would put up reviews of kits. I'll do one on my Sonor Delites soon.

[Shoot2thrill]

I'll do a review of my PDP's soon.

[noxealia]

Pearl Export Series Review

Alright, just to state, the Pearl Export I have is from 1996, I won it in an eBay auction. So if things have changed with them please let me know so I can fix this.

Ok, before I get started, here's the kit version I have:

Pearl Export Series 1996 Ocean Blue
22" Bass Drum
10" Tom Tom
12" Tom Tom
13" Tom Tom
16" Floor Tom
14" Snare Drum
---

Alright first of all sounds great, if you're on a budget/it's your first kit. You can tell the difference when it's Pearl. Now as you might've known it IS a begginer set so it IS a wrap. But you can always goto http://members.westnet.com.au/freobonsai/ for refinishing your drums, er...you should make sure you have some kind of wood staining experience before, so you spread it equally. Overall the sound is great, just slap on some evans g2 clear batter heads on the 4 toms(not reso)(10", 12", 13", 16"). and for reso use whatever you like, you should make sure its clear. For the snare be sure to use a evan power center head, and a clear ambassador head for the reso side. And last of all Bass Drum, you should probably keep the Pearl reso side head, but change the kick head to an Aquarian Super Kick II. That's about all, if you need more info you can contact me at: [email]noxealia@noxealia.com[/email] . Later.

[sublimeisnice]

from my post in the Review Forum

"I bought the Cheap $300 Pulse Percussion set from musiciansfriend.com. I think for a beginner who has little to no money and isn't 100% sure whether they will stick with it or not, it's a perfect set.

Cymbals- Hi-hat and Ride, are pretty trashy the ride is only slightly better then the hi-hats. The hats sound like a total tin can when they are closed. I find the crash to be rather decent. After having already bought a second crash and having a third on the way I think I'll still keep this one.

Drums- Not sure what they are made of, its very light, but the add in the mag. didn't say what wood it was. The wrap around it is kinda poorly attached, but good enough. The snare wasn't great with its factory heads at all, but a quick change of heads and it's good to go.

Heads- The heads that came with it were pretty bad, esp. on the snare. The toms lasted me a few months before I decided to get new ones.

Hardware- This is wear the kit really falters. The cymbal stands are really tiny and not very balanced. Also the legs for the floor tom tend to slide around no matter how much you tighten. The snare stand is also not very balanced. The hi-hat stand is also a really cheap low end model. and the ability to position the toms(ARRRRRGH!) ...there is none.



For the Pulse Percussion set I'd rate it a 7.5/10 as a beginner set BUT a must have if your not sure if your going to stick with it or not, because you just can't get a cheaper set .(that i've seen)"

[tigerstripes]

Ive played Pearl Forums great beginner kit good hardware, decent sound, and the snare sounded pretty good. I suggest buying a quality used kit though 500-600 US dollars for a beginner set is kinda steep. You can probably pick one up for 300 to 400 dollars on Ebay.

I play Pearl masters now have Birch and maple pieces.....
Great sounding kit, very good hardware, stock heads on the bass are good, dint have stock heads on the toms or snare when I got it so I dont know how they are. I havent had any problems with loosining hardware, actually I have had the opposite happen where the it seems to tighten as I play on them and sometimes a pain to remove the toms, but at least I know they wont loosen and move on me or *gasp* fall off. Price is where these fail....but I got them used so I payed less than half the price you find on musiciansfriend or other discount site. Great serious kit that comes with a serious price tag. For everything I have on my kit cymbals and all cost me about 4,000 US. dollars I estimated to replace them or buy them new would cost about 8,500

here is pics
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v434/oneroaddrums/DRUMS11-05-04.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v434/oneroaddrums/drums411-05-04.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v434/oneroaddrums/DRUMS210-05-04.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v434/oneroaddrums/BIRDSEYE11-05-04.jpg

[drumforyourlife]

...or you could go with Mapex...

i have a Mapex M series, and i am totally in love. It's all maple, with lacquered finish on the drums. It comes in a bunch of cool colors, and is great to play straight out of the box.

the drums themselves sound boomy and resonate great... maybe not ideal for punk rock or jazz, but great for rock and blues.

the stock heads are pretty good, and lasted me a while. I ended up replacing them with pinstripes, and the snare with a powerstroke III, and i love it.

the hardware is top-notch, with strong, double-braced stands all around. my only complaints were that the snare stand won't come up to where i want it for snare-only excersizes, and that the tom mounting system was a little confusing. you'll get the hang of it eventually though. everything on this kit stays where you put it, except the feet on the floor tom. i lost the little rubber caps.

overall it's a great kit to start, and a great kit to use for recording/gigging. looks great, plays great. i would reccomend it to anyone.

the only thing is that it's a little more expensive than other beginner kits, at about $700 USD.

overall, 9/10.

[RichHunt]

Yamaha Stage Custom Standard.

Pretty awesome kit. Easy to set up and tune. Snare is wicked when tuned
correctly.

Hardware is brilliant, best mounting system, I can get the kit virtually anyway I want. Pedal that comes with the kit is average at best.

Bass drum stock head is a shocker and should be replaced quickly, if only I had the money to replace mine.

I had some issues with the hoops on mine, but I think it's because I've played to many rimshots, I'm not entirely certain though, seems to be fine at the moment.

[RavEMasteR]

Yamaha Rydeen:

Awesome kit. Never had any complaints about it aside from the stock heads sounding awful. However, once you change the heads, it should give you the sound you want.

The tom mounting system is great. The mobility offered is sufficient for most beginners, and as long as you don't intend to make up some sort of really wierd setup, it'll work great. Pedal that came with the kit was decent. It uses a strap drive instead of a chain drive, and it has a floaty feel.

The stands are just wonderful. It hardly moved when I use them. Only exception to this is the hi-hat stand.

Best of all, it comes in a great price! RM2300 for a standard kit, or should I say, it's about US$500.

Downsides:

You can't expand your kit beyond the normal 5 piece without buying another Rydeen fusion sized kit.

The hi-hat stand just sucks. It didn't fall over, but when you step on it, it shakes! I worry everyday about my hi-hat stand falling over, wrecking my precious Istanbul hats. Recommend that you replace this POS immediately.

[Agave]

Tama Swingstar;

This was the very first set that I ever purchased, but I purchased it after I had been playing for 3 years, so I knew a thing or two about a decent drum sound. And this kit was good.

This kit is a beginner kit, and that's made very clear everywhere with reviews. However, I have to say that the sound of the kit for it's price still blows me away. It's far FAR better than a forum, when tuned correctly. True, the sound does not have depth, but for a kit where you're just going to practice at home, or at insignificant performances, its great.

The stock heads are better than the Protone pearls, and the hardware is professional looking, and professional quality. Easy to set up, and comes from a reputable brand. Furthermore, you can buy starcast mounting hoops upgrades, to enhance the sound of your kit at a small expense.

I bought my kit, which was a swingstar custom, in rock sizes, with a matching wood snare, and a beautiful amber mist kind of wrap. I may post pictures of it. I was so impressed with TAMA that I moved on to the starclassic series, which is nothing short of fantastic. The kit is also available in fusion sizes.

I highly recommend this drum kit; it has a 5/6 for sound, a solid 9 for hardware, 8 for looks, and a 10 in value for money.

I'll do a starclassic one soon.

[alvyn]

Tama Stagecustom:

Awesome budget kit, apart from the fact that:
1. Throne's a little small
2. Hihat clutch's bad
3. Cymbals suck

The tom mounts are nothing spectacular, but they're sturdy enough. Hihat stand's double braced and pretty decent (just change the hats and the clutch). The straight stand that comes with the kit isn't DW standard, but its sturdy enough.

The snare's a steel snare, and after u've changed the heads on it, it sounds pretty good. 6 lug tho, so it'll take sometime to tune it

Toms are 10", 12" and 14" respectively. 6 lugs. Once u've changed the heads and spent time tuning, they sound awesome.

The 18" bass sounds good too, even with stock heads!

Basically, just get new cymbals and heads, and this baby's read to roll!

I got mine for $800 SGD, or around $470USD.

Great kit for compact places (ie. bed rooms).

[Chris]

Can I cheak something, what do you think of the New Yamaha Stage Custom Advantage Nouveau? I know it came out this year, but im not 100% on it.
It is around £549.99, and im looking at getting these sizes:
Bass Drum - 22''
Rack Toms - 10'' and 12'' (and a 8'' tom, but this is a extra £65.00)
Floor Tom - 16'' (with legs)
Snare Drum - 14'' x 5.5'' (it is wood, but i will be using my snare I ordered today)

Is that good value?
And I have read Richhunt's review of the old Stage Custom, and i was already planning to get new Skins for it anyway, but thanks for saying that the stook heads suck.
(I have a CB kit, and am looking at getting a 8'' and 10'' toms that is £139.99 if this kit gets a bad review)
And please dont say to me get a Peal Export kit, as im not a big fan of them at all.

So thanks in advance

[Joseph_Yamaha_SCA]

Originally Posted by Stagefrightken

My all time kit reccomendation would be a set of Sonor 3003's. They are killer kits, sound great! I saw an ad in Midwest percussion for a set of 3003's for 769..

Ideally it would be nice if people would put up reviews of kits. I'll do one on my Sonor Delites soon.

They are actually $779 plus $39 for insurance. which comes out to $819 which i might add is still a **** good price. The site says they are $849 but that changes to $779 + $39 at checkout.

[infeef]

for beginner/mid level kits you cannot top the MApex M/Pro M series. they are magnificent.

[ilikenoise]

Anybody own / had any experience with Tama Starclassic Performers or Maples?

[Vespa]

Yamaha Stage Custom Advantage Drum kit
Intermediate Category.

· 10�, 12�,14� Fusion Toms
· 14� Snare
· 22� Bass
· Blue Fade Colour
· Yamaha YESS system and Stands.

Looks-In the shop choosing my kit the Yamaha stood out from the crowd- it looks like a pro kit.
This comes down to the YESS system in my opinion- it means that the Yamaha can easily be adjusted to anyone’s taste.
The Blue fade looks really good under light and always is a crowd pleaser!

Sound-Birch & Philippine Mahogany Shells
An outer layer of birch and an inner layer of falkata are combined with carefully selected Philippine mahogany plies and sealed together with our exclusive Air Seal System. This unique method ensures a perfectly round shell, which is a crucial factor in achieving superior tone quality and ensuring durability. Toms and floor toms feature an 8-ply construction while the bass drum utilizes 9-plies for added tone and durability.

Toms-With the correct heads the toms have the perfect blend of the fat yet slightly resonating that I know many people are looking for.
They have a very warm and cutting sound to them.

Snare-Again with the correct heads and tuning the snare drum gives the perfect sound to what I’m looking for and can be easily tuned to anyone’s needs.

Bass- The bass is the best sounding drum on the kit compared to others, it has a huge bottom end boom and is still very tuneful in its sound and resonance.
With the Remo Powerstroke 3 I have put on it has a huge boom to it and sounds awesome.

Hardware-This is where the Advantage beats any competition even out of its price range.

High-Tension Lugs
Incorporating a springless casing design, the precision-machined lug nuts offer noise-free control. Similar to those found on our Recording Custom drums, these high-tension lugs are manufactured as genuine one-piece units.


The YESS (Yamaha Enhanced Sustain System) system is a very clever invention- A piece of hardware that slots into the bottom of a stand and accommodates 3 holes for toms and or cymbal stands.
On the Advantage you get 2 YESS systems and 3 stands. It is also possible to put a YESS system on the bass drum to accommodate the average set up.

So on my kit I have-One YESS fitted stand holding 2 toms and a cymbals stand,
One YESS fitted holding 1 tom and a cymbals stand,
And a single stand holding my ride.

It allows for so many combinations of set up.

The tom mounts have a ball and socket device meaning 360 degrees of rotation and allows for precision adjustment and placement.

The pedal is a good beginner pedal but I felt the need to upgrade it, it is sturdy enough but lacks control in my view.

The stands themselves are very sturdy and can change between straight stands and boom stands. The hi hat stand is very weak and cannot hold up my hi hats allowing them to drop slightly, this means a lack of control.

Summary-The Yamaha Stage Custom Advantage is a supberd kit for the money and has many features found on high end kits.
Not only does it looks the business but it sounds great too.
The hardware is where the kit stands out and beats the competition hands down in my opinion.

+’s
Great hardware
Great Looks
Great individual sound
Easily customised to the players needs/tastes

-‘s
Bad pedal
Bad hi hat stand

Overall-5/5
The perfect kit at such a great price.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7...ase_pid/444491/
Musicians Friend link


Pictures-
The YESS system for my 10" tom and 16" Crash
http://img32.photobucket.com/albums...acon/YESS_1.jpg

The Drums with no cymbals-
http://img32.photobucket.com/albums..._no_cymbals.jpg

The full kit-
http://img32.photobucket.com/albums...new_front_2.jpg

Another kit different set up etc-
front view:
http://img53.photobucket.com/albums...DSC00220000.jpg
Side
http://img53.photobucket.com/albums...DSC00221000.jpg
Top-
http://img53.photobucket.com/albums...DSC00234000.jpg
Thanks to Yamaha drums for some information and Joseph for pictures.




http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=171093

[Vespa]

Sabian AAX Cymbals, Pro

Sabian AAX 16� Stage Crash
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7.../base_id/50551/

What Sabian say-Precise. AAX delivers pure, bright shimmering tones. Like stainless steel, AAX is cool, modern, and extremely efficient. With its streamlined design and sound-shaping Auto-Focus Response feature, AAX is the ultimate breakthrough in modern cymbal making. Tap with your finger or thrash with a stick, Auto-Focus Response maximizes sensitivity, equalizes high & low pitch levels, and purifies sounds by filtering out conflicting overtones. AAX sounds are pure and accurate. Ideal in the studio, ideal onstage. AAX delivers the freedom to sound great in any music.

Looks- it looks really nice, especially in sunlight, it really reflects and looks the business. The Sabian logos are well stuck on/however they do it and are nice and large for others to see.

Sound- When hit it creates a loud yet controlled burst of sound with a medium decay, it is the perfect balance and compliments other cymbals.

The bell is very small but you can use it in certain situations when noise levels are low.

The controlled sound is perfect for riding on the crash in the songs where it is needed, it doesn’t drown everything else out and provides a nice background sound.



Sabian AAX 18� Explosion Crash-

Looks- It is a gorgeous cymbal with an un-lathed huge bell, it really looks raw and superb.

Sound- It is the loudest thing on earth I think and hitting it full whack will drown out any other noise on the drum kit or even in a band.
When we practice I have to half hit it, it still sounds good but not to its full potential.
It is a cymbal for live use when you need a loud crash.
It is good for accenting beats because of its short sustain and quick decay.
The bell is louder than that on my ride, it sounds great and when I can I use it instead.

Sabian AAX Stage 20� Ride-

Looks- It is a subtle cymbal for its size, there is no definite beginning of the bell, it just starts rising up, un like that of the 18� Explosion Crash.
This minimalist look in my opinion is a nice contrast to the Crash Cymbals.

Sound-It is very normal in that it hasn’t got too much wash and hasn’t got too much ping, it is a mix of both, in my view I would prefer to have a pingier ride.
As you move up the cymbal you get more ping but its no huge gap between that and at the end of the cymbal.

Sabian 14� Stage Hats-

Looks- They look really professional and are the same looks as the 16� Stage Crash.

Sound- A very loud chink and very cutting these hi hats are the best I’ve used so far.
They are very loud and can be heard over most sounds the kit and cymbals make.
When half open they have a very washy tone and texture to them.
When fully open they sound like a very small ride, even the bell is large enough to use and sounds really good.

Overall-16� Crash - 4.5/5
18� Crash- 4/5
20� Ride- 3.5/5
14� Hats- 4/5

+'s-
They all look and sound great especially with each other, they all compliment one another in their tones and sounds.

-'s-
They are all very 'normal' with no special features to distinguish them from other cymbals of the same category, apart from the 18" Crash.

Thanks to Sabian.com and musicians friend.

[Reaganista]

I recommend Pacific CX and Saluda mist customs.

[wesm9787]

ok.... i think i'm the first one with an actual question... lol
anyways.... i've already got a tama swingstar, and some pretty nice or at least decent cymbals, but i'm looking to get a shell pack cause i don't especially like the color, and they're in standard sizes and i want to get a fusion set... i've already tried out a pearl export kit in fusion sizes and i found it was a whole lot easier to play on and a lot more comfortable than on a standard kit.... and i'm hoping to get something fairly cheap but still pretty good that will last me for a while and sound good... i've been looking at maybe some pearl exports or a pacific fs set.... anyone have any opinions on either of them or maybe something better they'd reccomend? thanks to anybody who responds

[jeffdude22]

How about the difference between Sonor 2003s and 3003s.
Not cosmetically or anything, because I know they have different finishes. Unless the finish affects durability.

[Der Meister]

Originally Posted by punkdrummer9787

anyone have any opinions on either of them or maybe something better they'd reccomend? thanks to anybody who responds

By shell pack do mean you don't need hardware? if you do, the Pacific is a great choice, better than an export, i always thought Pacifics where at the same level with sessions, pro M, 3003 (i'm talking sound wise, some pacifics cost more for the laqeured finish but the sound doesn't change does it?).