Starter Drum kit help

akirru · 15 Aug 2007 at 18:00

I wasn't sure if this was the best section for this post .. but here goes.

I'm looking for a good drumkit to start me off.

I was looking at the CB brand starter kits (£200 - £300)

What do you guys think? What would you recommend that is sturdy, has a good sound and I can learn on.

Cheers
Andy

Scam · 15 Aug 2007 at 18:15

I think any of the start kits are fine to learn with, but if you want to ever start gigging then they're pretty hopeless. If you plan to get into a band and play live you might want to look at entry-level kits like the Pearl Forum/Export or Yamaha Stage Custom (or anything by the big names around those prices). Or even check out second-hand stuff.

EDIT: http://drumwright.co.uk/store/acoustic-drum-kits.asp

akirru · 15 Aug 2007 at 20:03

Yeah it would be eventually to use in gigs and live hopefully. So do you think I should spend more now and get something decent? How are the 'CB' kits?

Andy

bcjames · 15 Aug 2007 at 21:26

Check out the low end Mapex kits, mine was real nice for the money:

Munkyman · 15 Aug 2007 at 21:55

If you want to play live and not spend loads then i would recommend the pearl export. They're solid little things and can take a lot of abuse.

Here's my late '80s export. Been through 100's of gigs and still looks and sounds good!

akirru · 15 Aug 2007 at 23:40

Thanks for your replies guys, yeah I'm hearing good things about the Pearl drums.

What sort of price range am I looking at for a decent set of Pearl Export drums?

Cheers
Andy

Dave · 16 Aug 2007 at 06:36

Probably looking at around £300-£400 second hand, and that should come with cymbals & hardware.

Mapex drums are excellent at low values - you may be able to pick up a second hand M / Pro M for that price, and they are brilliant drums for the money. (birch/maple drums, better wood)

Jono · 16 Aug 2007 at 09:36

Make sure you budget for a decent set of skins, especially if you buy second hand. Worn out/crap skins can really make a drum sound crap.

RetiredGreyFox · 16 Aug 2007 at 18:35

Pearl Export or Yamaha Stage Custom if you plan to play live.
You must spend at least £200 on your cymbals otherwise you will end up with biscuit tin lids after a couple of weeks.

Munkyman · 16 Aug 2007 at 23:26

Zildjian and Sabian do good starter packs for cymbals

Have a look here for cymbal prices.

Dave · 17 Aug 2007 at 06:17

. . . but avoid Zildjian starter cymbals like the plague, the ZBT/ZXT series are awful.

For starter series, you want Sabian B8/B8 Pro, or Paiste PST3/PST5.

(dolphinmusic.co.uk tends to be the best for cymbals)