[Rafiq]

Alright, so I've been wanting to get into drums for a VERY long time, but I just haven't been able to really have time, or afford it. But now it's time for me to finally buy some, except I need a ton of help.

I'm looking to buy a nice kit right from the start, just so I won't have to buy a new kit for a while in the long run. I'm wanting to play a ton of Dream Theater (progressive rock/metal) and Opeth (progressive melodic death metal). I live in Abbotsford BC, so the only places for me to buy drums are Long and MacQuade and Tom Lee.

What are some brands that I should be going after? I want to buy a double kick pedal right from the start as well.

Any help is appreciated . Thanks!

[Kikunan]

How much are you looking to spend?

[HGinCT]

Craigslist is a great place to look. you'll find a lot off good stuff for really cheap. a lot cheaper than if you were going to buy new at Guitar Center.

as far as pedals are concerned. I like Iron Cobras, they are very smooth and aren't insanely expensive like some of the direct drive pedals.

the brand shouldn't really be a concern, it's whatever sounds good to you. that's why Craigslist is nice, most guys will let you try before you buy. one problem is that some guys won't respond to your emails or phone calls so you got to be a little open to contact plenty of people.

[DRUMMER121602]

Depending on the size of kit you want, and your price range, there are many quality kits that will last you years and years, yet not cost a fortune, for example:
http://www.musicians...ell-pack/713183
this kit is all you need and more to be able to play what you wanna play, and its affordable. You could also go for somthing like this:
http://www.musicians...ell-pack/713185
and use some money to get some cymbals and stands, as these dont com with cymbals. However I'm not sure about your price range, this is just a start, and there are plenty more drum brands that have good kits for good prices.

[Rafiq]

 Kikunan, on 03 January 2012 - 06:38 PM, said:

How much are you looking to spend?

The most I'm looking to spend is probably around 1500. Not sure if that much is necessary, but it keeps a lot of options open. I'm looking to pay it off monthly, which is why I would want to purchase a new kit from a retailer preferably.

[kyle102565]

you have alot of choices in that range. with no prior experience something midlevel should suit you well. Gretsch, Mapex, PDP. then of course you have hardware, a sturdy pedal and cymbals to buy.
take your time, ask lots of questions.
that 1500 will be gone before you know it.
case in point, i have strictly used drums and gear, ive got 1200 into both kits and my stuff is cheap.

[FourPieceMetal]

It's good that you're asking lots of questions, cuz some of even the smaller kits go for anywhere from 200 dollars to 1000 dollars. The crappy part is the only reason one's more expensive, is because people will pay more to have a more-known brand's kit. . .

You might wanna look into some lesser known brands. They'll have great quality kits from, oh say Ddrum, or even Ludwig, at the cost range that could get you a medium quality pearl kit AT BEST. . . look around for the lesser known kits in your local music shop, if they showcase them. Ask the manager if you can hit a drum from a kit that costs 300-500 dollars. Likely you will probably never have heard from the brand. BUT, they're drums, they sound good, and they're inexpensive. No many drummers can say the same about their first kit, cuz they looked for the top notch brand, and spent 2000 dollars on a kit, minus cymbals. So, good luck, and tell us what you wind up with.

[Poco Askew]

There are plenty of good choices out there. I'd worry less about brand/model and more about what is available with the features you want at a good price. My general advice is to spend about half your budget on shells and the other half on hardware and cymbals. I'd go with fusion sizes over standard sizes any day. Some examples:

Dixon Demon birch/mahogany kit
Mapex Meridian birch or maple
PDP FS all birch kit
Pearl Vision birch
Yamaha Stage Custom all birch
= about $360 - $600 as shell packs (more with hardware included)

Sabian Xs20 Performance Brilliant set = $450

Hardware pack = $200 - $300, (Sound Percussion, Gibraltar, Pearl). You will generally do a little better if you find a kit that includes hardware rather than buying shell and hardware packs separately.

Double pedals can be had on sale for a big savings. Otherwise figure on paying at least $300 for a good one.

Don't forget a good throne and never buy a kit that includes cymbals.

Just one possible combo:
Mapex Meridian Birch SRO shell pack @ $590 - 15% current promo = $502
Xs20 cymbals = $450
Pearl 790 hardware pack $300
Double pedal of choice $200 - $300 (m/l), sell single pedal that came with the hardware
Total = about $1500

Change the drums to Dixon or Pearl Visions, change the cymbals to Meinl MCS or Wuhan Traditionals and settle for an IC Jr. double pedal would get you into a kit for under $1200.

[Rafiq]

 Poco Askew, on 04 January 2012 - 07:17 AM, said:

There are plenty of good choices out there. I'd worry less about brand/model and more about what is available with the features you want at a good price. My general advice is to spend about half your budget on shells and the other half on hardware and cymbals. I'd go with fusion sizes over standard sizes any day. Some examples:

Dixon Demon birch/mahogany kit
Mapex Meridian birch or maple
PDP FS all birch kit
Pearl Vision birch
Yamaha Stage Custom all birch
= about $360 - $600 as shell packs (more with hardware included)

Sabian Xs20 Performance Brilliant set = $450

Hardware pack = $200 - $300, (Sound Percussion, Gibraltar, Pearl). You will generally do a little better if you find a kit that includes hardware rather than buying shell and hardware packs separately.

Double pedals can be had on sale for a big savings. Otherwise figure on paying at least $300 for a good one.

Don't forget a good throne and never buy a kit that includes cymbals.

Just one possible combo:
Mapex Meridian Birch SRO shell pack @ $590 - 15% current promo = $502
Xs20 cymbals = $450
Pearl 790 hardware pack $300
Double pedal of choice $200 - $300 (m/l), sell single pedal that came with the hardware
Total = about $1500

Change the drums to Dixon or Pearl Visions, change the cymbals to Meinl MCS or Wuhan Traditionals and settle for an IC Jr. double pedal would get you into a kit for under $1200.

First off, thanks everyone for the great help .

Just have a few questions..

What is the difference between "fusion size" and "standard size"?
Also, you mentions that the kits you listed above come as shell packs? What exactly does that mean?
One last one, birch seems to be the wood of choice, why is this?

Sorry.. I'm pretty new to this, so I'm not very familiar with drum talk.

[FourPieceMetal]

I'm no expert, but I think fusion size means smaller sizes. Like instead of a 22x18 bass drum, you could get a 20x14. It's all personal preference, but fusion generally means smaller than average drums. People will sometimes choose those over standard sizes because they project more. And, possibly because they take up less space and are easy(er)to carry around. . .

This post has been edited by FourPieceMetal: 04 January 2012 - 02:00 PM

[Poco Askew]

 Rafiq, on 04 January 2012 - 01:14 PM, said:

First off, thanks everyone for the great help .

Just have a few questions..

What is the difference between "fusion size" and "standard size"?
Also, you mentions that the kits you listed above come as shell packs? What exactly does that mean?
One last one, birch seems to be the wood of choice, why is this?

Sorry.. I'm pretty new to this, so I'm not very familiar with drum talk.

Fusion size toms are (usually) 10", 12" and either 14" and/or 16" in diameter.
Standard sizes toms are (usually) 12", 13" and 16" in diameter. I find the difference of only 1" between the 12" and 13" toms to be too small for easy tuning and a good range of pitches. Also the bigger rack toms make for more awkward placement over the bass drum.
Snare and bass drums are usually the same sizes with either fusion or standard kits.

A shell pack will not have any hardware other than tom mounts (again, usually). You will need to buy hi hat, snare and cymbal stands in addition to the drums.

Birch is a common hi-quality hardwood used in drums. Other wood is fine, too. Birch (to me) indicates at least a certain level of quality in the kit. You might prefer the sound of other wood(s), but I would not get too hung up on this because the differences are minor and until you've educated your ears a bunch, it would all be a crap shoot anyway. Tuning and heads make a much bigger difference in the final sound of your kit.

You probably will want to swap out the batter heads on a new kit. My other piece of advice is to stick with one of the more major brands, but don't buy the entry-level kit from anyone. These are all just general "rules of thumb". There can be exceptions to all of it.

[maturenewdrummer]

Basic shell pack consists of bass drum mounted tom (or 1 that goes on a stand or rack) bass drum drilled ( means tom holder fixture incorparated in shell of bass drum) or undrilled which means no tom fixture or holes in bass drum.A snare drum does not automatically come with the kit ask where ever you buy kit from if snare is included in price.I would personally log onto different drum manufacteurer websites they explain what diffo woods do in drums.Also ask about warranty on your drums brand new should get 12 months secondhand not a clue.Whatever you buy especially when you start to gig you need top quality drum heads and deffo you need top quality cases to protect your drums. No need to apologise people on here can help or point you in right direction no question is a silly question.

[Poco Askew]

 maturenewdrummer, on 04 January 2012 - 02:35 PM, said:

A snare drum does not automatically come with the kit ask where ever you buy kit from if snare is included in price.

In his price range virtually all kits include a snare. With high-end and custom drums a snare can be optional, but not much to worry when shopping within his budget. Still, it never hurts to make sure.

[Rafiq]

 Poco Askew, on 04 January 2012 - 02:16 PM, said:

Fusion size toms are (usually) 10", 12" and either 14" and/or 16" in diameter.
Standard sizes toms are (usually) 12", 13" and 16" in diameter. I find the difference of only 1" between the 12" and 13" toms to be too small for easy tuning and a good range of pitches. Also the bigger rack toms make for more awkward placement over the bass drum.
Snare and bass drums are usually the same sizes with either fusion or standard kits.

A shell pack will not have any hardware other than tom mounts (again, usually). You will need to buy hi hat, snare and cymbal stands in addition to the drums.

Birch is a common hi-quality hardwood used in drums. Other wood is fine, too. Birch (to me) indicates at least a certain level of quality in the kit. You might prefer the sound of other wood(s), but I would not get too hung up on this because the differences are minor and until you've educated your ears a bunch, it would all be a crap shoot anyway. Tuning and heads make a much bigger difference in the final sound of your kit.

You probably will want to swap out the batter heads on a new kit. My other piece of advice is to stick with one of the more major brands, but don't buy the entry-level kit from anyone. These are all just general "rules of thumb". There can be exceptions to all of it.

Okay, I see.. So I would assume the hardware kit would come with all the stands/mounts that I would need to set my whole kit up?

Also, what are batter heads?

[maturenewdrummer]

Batter heads are the top head on the drums the bottom is called the resonant head.Batter head on bass ( or some people say kick drum) drum is the head on which the bass drum beater hits

[Poco Askew]

 Rafiq, on 04 January 2012 - 03:29 PM, said:

So I would assume the hardware kit would come with all the stands/mounts that I would need to set my whole kit up?

Some hardware packs include just about everything (stands, pedal, throne). Others will only supply the stands. You just have to see what is included since there is no real standard as to what constitutes a "pack".

[dacg1995]

if you are completely a noob in all areas of drumming, i wouldn't recommend getting too expensive cymbals, i you don't get the technique right you can wreck your cymbals within a few months, and you don't want to break a single dollar cymbal in 3 months