Tama Swingstar as a first set?
 

I'm planning on getting my first set in a couple of months, and was thinking of starting with the Tama Swingstar. After buying it, I'd replace the snare heads with Remo coated emp/clear amb, the tom heads with Remo Clear emps/Clear ambs and probably just put a Powerstroke 3 on the batter side of the bass drum (if I somehow manage to have money after this, I'd put an amb on the res side).

Anyways, the question is... would this be okay for my first kit?

What's your budget? Because personally I would rather go for a Sonor force 2005, Pacific CX or Mapex M for my first kit. I think all these run around 800-900 new.

My budget is however much I make during the summer and how many jobs I get reffing.

XD

Realistically, though, I'm only willing to pay up to $900 for the basic kit (which is what the Swingstar is after tax in Canada, basically).

I have the swingstar and its great. I will always suggest this as a beginner to intermediate (sometimes advanced) kit. It sounds good, it includes everything you need to get started, its a great deal. I would say that your idea to replace the heads after you get it is great and eventually you will need to replace your cymbals but that is a whole different thread.

Okay, cool. I guess it looks like I'll be starting with the Swingstar. Now all I have to do is save up 900 bucks.

>_<

Another question: The Swingstar, or something similar... how much would it cost second-hand (store or garage sale)?

Try getting a Superstar. The Swingstar is a nice kit, but its one problem is the lack of suspension mounts on the toms.

[QUOTE=crazyguy832]Okay, cool. I guess it looks like I'll be starting with the Swingstar. Now all I have to do is save up 900 bucks.

>_<

Another question: The Swingstar, or something similar... how much would it cost second-hand (store or garage sale)?[/QUOTE]

Second hand kits are risky to buy. Sometimes people try to sell it to you for more than its worth, sometimes they hide major blemishes or totally busted up parts. I'm not sure about the pricing, but if they are selling it for a fair price that sounds good for the condition its in, you should realize it.

[QUOTE=the thing that should never be]Try getting a Superstar. The Swingstar is a nice kit, but its one problem is the lack of suspension mounts on the toms.[/QUOTE]

Okay...

<newb question>

What are suspension mounts?

</newb question>

Also, the Superstar is a fair chunk more than the Swingstar...

[QUOTE=skadrummer411]Second hand kits are risky to buy. Sometimes people try to sell it to you for more than its worth, sometimes they hide major blemishes or totally busted up parts. I'm not sure about the pricing, but if they are selling it for a fair price that sounds good for the condition its in, you should realize it.[/QUOTE]

Of course. If I went to buy a used set, I'd make the guy I'm buying it from take the heads off of everything, and let me try the set for at least 10 minutes to make sure it works okay.

[QUOTE=crazyguy832]Okay...

<newb question>

What are suspension mounts?

</newb question>

Also, the Superstar is a fair chunk more than the Swingstar...



Of course. If I went to buy a used set, I'd make the guy I'm buying it from take the heads off of everything, and let me try the set for at least 10 minutes to make sure it works okay.[/QUOTE]
Suspension mounts hold the drum from the rim instead of piercing the shell, therefore they allow the drum to have its natural tone. The Superstar owns the Swingsatr, its worth it if you can afford it.

[QUOTE=the thing that should never be]Suspension mounts hold the drum from the rim instead of piercing the shell, therefore they allow the drum to have its natural tone. The Superstar owns the Swingsatr, its worth it if you can afford it.[/QUOTE]

Ah, okay. Well, I'll phone the music store and check how much more the Superstar is. If it's 50 bucks or less I'll take that... otherwise I'll stick with the Swingstar.

Curse my tiny budget!

Ya that tiny budget sucks. If it is a couple hundred more it might be worth the wait to get a set that will last a longer period of time and also sound better.

[QUOTE=crazyguy832]Ah, okay. Well, I'll phone the music store and check how much more the Superstar is. If it's 50 bucks or less I'll take that... otherwise I'll stick with the Swingstar.

Curse my tiny budget![/QUOTE]

Or you can buy the swingstar and eventually add suspension mounts. I'v been looking into them, they aren't that expensive.

I'd save up first and get probably the Sonor Force 2005 (all birch shells). That way, down the road, you wont have to buy another kit to upgrade.

[QUOTE=pdpdrummer88]I'd save up first and get probably the Sonor Force 2005 (all birch shells). That way, down the road, you wont have to buy another kit to upgrade.[/QUOTE]

o_O

:amaze: :amaze:

No.

Not for my first kit... noooooooooooooo way.

That would cost WAY more than the Swingstar, even after buying new heads for the Tama.

skadrummer, how much are supsension mounts?

Superstars are great - die cast hoops, wood bass hoops, its all good.

I play a Tama Rockstar 4-piece - got it a while ago and now im rebuilding it with wood bass hoops, a new wrap, and im getting my lugs powdercoated black - theres always fairly inexpensive things you could do to your kit to make it sound and look better.

In your case I would go with the swingstar - I would worry more about learning to play than your equipment. Swingstars are one step above a sh*tkit - its from a awesome company and its pretty good quality for the price. Of course you get the FAMOUS Tama cymbals with it - after you learn to play gradually replace and upgrade some equipment. Start with heads, then cymbals, hardware, etc. Its always nice to have an OK kit with great hardware, cymbals, etc. than to get a really good kit and have to play with crap everything else - it defeats the purpose.

Thanks for everyone's help.

^_^

And, yeah, that's pretty much the order I plan on upgrading, noodle.

It took me a while, but I found them.
[URL=http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=perc/search/detail/base_pid/440415/]Suspension mounting system[/URL]
They are priced by size. Those are the best ones I could find. Plus regular tom mounts will last you as long as you need them to, its just the suspension mounts are better.

[QUOTE=skadrummer411]It took me a while, but I found them.
[URL=http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=perc/search/detail/base_pid/440415/]Suspension mounting system[/URL]
They are priced by size. Those are the best ones I could find. Plus regular tom mounts will last you as long as you need them to, its just the suspension mounts are better.[/QUOTE]

Sweet.

:thumb:

you dont need a special hoop for the star cast mounting system - theres these little rubber things that screw onto the rim that connect to that "C" shaped thing.

With 900 CDN$ you have plenty. It cost me 750$ for a Ludwig Accent with Solars (yuck) and new batters. So, if you have 900, you could easily get a Swingstar with maybe a B8 pro pack, which would be a pretty good starters set. It would last you a long time.
And if You can, also check out the Ludwig Accent. Great beginner drums.

The problem with 900 CA is that, after buying the Swingstar, I only got 50 bucks left... how much is the B8 pro pack?

[url]http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=perc/s=acoustic/search/detail/base_pid/449211/[/url]

[QUOTE=Stubbsy][url]http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=perc/s=acoustic/search/detail/base_pid/449211/[/url][/QUOTE]

Yeah, uh... that thing's $930 US... so it'd be a hell of a lot more CA...

:(

It is a nice set, though.

SAVE UP that little bit extra, it will be worth it. You don't even know how much you will be getting from you summer jobs right? Just wait and see then!

[url]http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=perc/s=acoustic/search/detail/base_pid/444622/[/url] what about yamaha?

I really don't see what the big deal is with just buying a beginner set. And the swingstar can even be more than a beginner set. I think that the swingstar is your best bet, that yamaha dosn't look bad, but it dosn't come with cymbals and only has one cymbal stand. I figure if you can get good at playing and tuning and can make a beginner kit sound great then nobody should care that your using a beginner kit.

^^ Yeah. Basically any of the big companies beginner kits (Pearl forum, ludwig accent, tama swingstar, etc) will practically be the same. So I would go for the cheapest, so you have more money left over for cymbals, heads, sticks, whatnot.

I would save up if I were you. In the long run it will be a better investment, you spend $900 now and then to get say a 3005 another $1200ish, so if you were to save up it would mean that you wouldn't have to shell out a bunch more money for another set.

Swingstars are great. I played a used set for 3 years before getting my Rockstar Customs. I still gig with the Swingstars.

So... many... choices...

*head asplodes*

The Yamaha does look nice, but I don't care much for the quality of the cymbals initially. They don't need to be high-quality, cause it's not like I'll be gigging with them before I have the chance to buy new ones. If that Yamaha set is cheap, though (like 200 less than the Swingstar), then I might just get that and buy the cymbals seperately.

And, rockin, when I want to upgrade, I'll probably just upgrade each part individually.

Also... why would I need to worry about buying sticks? They're, like, 2/bucks a pair... 10 for a good one...

[QUOTE=TTTSNB]Suspension mounts hold the drum from the rim instead of piercing the shell, therefore they allow the drum to have its natural tone. The Superstar owns the Swingsatr, its worth it if you can afford it.[/QUOTE]
its sorta Like yess mounts

I got the Superstar as my second kit, been playing for about 5-6 years now. It's great and definitely worth the money if you're serious about playing.

What's with the bump?

Lol didn't even notice...

Yeah the swingstar should make you happy but honestly, this is just me now, I'd get a cheaper kit that way you would have money for cymbals because the ones the swingstar comes with suck, the hihat is manageable and the crash and ride are just, well they make you want to throw up.

[QUOTE=crazyguy832]So... many... choices...
Also... why would I need to worry about buying sticks? They're, like, 2/bucks a pair... 10 for a good one...[/QUOTE]
Because if you are just starting to play you will go through sticks really fast. Probably 1 week for the cheap sticks a month for the good ones..

My first sticks lasted a year and a half, you must have a bad technique problem or something. Swingstars are just the ultimate beginner set. But be aware, they come with all of Tama's lower end hardware, not the roadpro stuff that came with the rockstars, and comes with the superstars. Make sure you get the ready to rock swingstar pacakge, as that comes with stool and cymbals.
As for superstars, they are basically the rockstar with all the defects, which there wern't any, fixed. Looking now, i'd prefer a superstar because it has birch shells, but rockstars jsut pwn

dude swingstars ae awsome kits a m8 has one it sounds great as for cymbals and stuff make em last for as long as possible until u get newies

buy second hand.

The new swingstars have upgraded there suspension mounts. They are good beginner kits