Time for a new drum set?

Question

My son has been playing drums for a little more than 2 years now, and is still playing a Percussion Sound 4 piece beginner kit. We got rid of the stock cymabals at Christmas this year, and replaced them with Zildjian ZBT's (14" Crash, 20" Ride, 12" Hi Hat, and 18" China) and it has really been a help. But we still have the Percussion Sound snare, tom, floor tom, and bass drum. We replaced the snare heads with Evans heads. So I'm wondering:

1. Is it time to buy a new drum set?
2. If yes, why? If no, why not?
3 If yes, what type and why?

Please help me out, I want to know what to do next for drumming.

Answer 1

i agree with the first answer....cheaply made drums affect the sound so much...thats why they make them with cheaper woods and hardware....cause in the beginning you dont know any better,and thats why thier called ''beginner drums''.....the evens heads are great heads...however on this drum set your not going to get the full effect of the tones...its like putting great guitar strings on a crappy guitar......anyway,definitly check out dw products and gretsch kits are freaking awesome (thats what my drummer uses)....these are two companies that have been precising drums since the beginning.....i have never heard bad things from their drums...dw bass pedals are almost a standard in drums...lol...anyway,also try tama , and i hear pdp makes a decent set as well.....search around for a used kit....anything broken in will sound better,and be cheaper!!...cause we both know it aint cheap new!!.....anyway,im sure after two years your son is ready for the upgrade.....good luck!!

Answer 2

For $600 here is what I would do if it were me. I would get him a really good snare, one that he wants. Let him pick, and if it is $300, then it's $300. Buy nothing under $200. Worldmax makes a great brass snare for under $300. Black Dawg. There is nothing in this world like a good brass snare drum. That snare will last him much longer (his lifetime probably if he keeps it and cares for it) and serve him better than a mediocre snare with a mediocre kit (if you buy the Pacific).



Remember he is hitting the snare and cymbals more than anything else. Maybe look at a pro set of hihats as well. Even used Zildjian New Beats ($150-225 ebay) would be really good. Try craigslist in your area too.



The bass and toms while not great, will be just fine with some really good heads.



For the toms let's go with Remo Diplomat (white or clear) bottom heads on the toms, and depending on whether he wants a jazzier sounding kit go with Remo Coated Ambassadors on the tops of the smaller toms, and a Coated Emperor on the floor tom. If he wants rock, then go with Evans EC2 or equivalent on all toms.



While l am at it Pinstripes and Hydraulic heads are not equivalent. Remo Emperors, Pinstripes, and G2 and EC2 are not 'oil-filled' heads.



Bass drums - I would suggest one of the premuffled bass drum systems. Go to your local drum shop and buy what they suggest. EMAD, Superkick II, my preference is Remo's Coated Powerstroke III batter.



If you have to travel to a bigger city (closest one for me is in Columbus and I am in Cincinnati) take him and he will be in hog heaven. I am talking about a real drum shop, not Guitar Center or Sam Ash. I know a new kit is cool, but my suggestions will sound better than a new kit will.



If you can, either get him some Rock N Wraps or make them yourself if you sew. Get some cool fabric and put them on the drums. You do have to take the hardware off and put it back on. Help your young drummer with this tedious task, it will be good memories. Hey you can clean and relube all screws and pivots with white lithium grease while you are at it.

Answer 3

Any stable digital drum set is going to value you plenty greater suitable than 500 money. No high quality drumset could have an ipod enter because of the fact all of us at that time will merely mixture their ipod output and their drum output with a seperate gadget. young ones choose ipod connectivity.

Answer 4

yes your Drum set is manufactured for guitar center and was cheaply made in china. step him up to a pacific by DW kit

you can get them for around $600.00 and it is a great kit for the money, I workd as a store manager for guitar center for

6 years and now i am the store manager of an indi music store. If he isnt into the pacific check out the gretsch kits