[Alex's Trip]

I want to buy one. Any cheap suggestions? I really am looking into the $300-$400 range. I've wanted to learn to play drums forever, and I've decided that its time for me to stop wanting. I've never really played them before.

My dad used to play drums in the school band, and I think the regular drum kit too. He wants to buy a kit, but doesn't really have the money, and doesn't think he should. So I have kind of buttered him up and talked him into spliting the cost with me. (We'll see if he follows through).

I like banging around on things when listening to songs. I have no real idea what I am doing, other than snare on every 4th hi hat. Anyway, who plays drums here? Was it hard to learn at first? I don't want to get too discouraged, especially if I have to spend the most money I'll have in my hands until Christmas.

Any thing I should be aware of when purchasing? My dad knows pretty well what he is doing when it comes to looking around, but any advice would be awesome as well. Thanks guys.

[holy-reverb!!]

Does yr budget include symbols and hardware, or is it just the drums?

[Alex's Trip]

Originally Posted by holy-reverb!!

Does yr budget include symbols and hardware, or is it just the drums?

The kits we are looking at (the 300-400 dollar ones) come with the cymbals and hardware...

[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

If I was a drummer I'd have 2 rides, an assortment of bells, a kick, a snare, and a low tom. Crashes, high toms, and high hats are over-rated IMO.

[holy-reverb!!]

hmmmm. it depends if you want a really cheap kit or a higher quality. A cheap kit is a cheap kit no matter what brand. Cymbols come in a few prices ranges and materials. Good ones bring yr sound up alot. A good kit whick comes with good hardware is the pearl EX. My drummer has a few kits and loves this one for the price. Cost about 600. But then again his cymbols cost about 300 a piece so he sounds really good. Just get a cheaper kit, get good and then go for something a bit more pricey.
good luck.

[holy-reverb!!]

are you buying used or new?

[Alex's Trip]

Originally Posted by holy-reverb!!

hmmmm. it depends if you want a really cheap kit or a higher quality. A cheap kit is a cheap kit no matter what brand. Cymbols come in a few prices ranges and materials. Good ones bring yr sound up alot. A good kit whick comes with good hardware is the pearl EX. My drummer has a few kits and loves this one for the price. Cost about 600. But then again his cymbols cost about 300 a piece so he sounds really good. Just get a cheaper kit, get good and then go for something a bit more pricey.
good luck.

Thats why I'm looking at the $300 dollar kits...what if I don't like it? When and if I get good, I'll buy something of higher quality.

[Alex's Trip]

Originally Posted by holy-reverb!!

are you buying used or new?

Haven't really decided. We haven't looked at any used ones in pawn shops yet. But there are new ones for the price.

[schizophrenicroom]

if you find another cheap drum kit besides the one you buy, you're sending it here.

i played drums in middle school and i play on and off now. i don't really have any advice or anything, sorry

[holy-reverb!!]

if you get cymols w/ the kit they are most likely very cheap, like you dont care if it at all sounds good cheap. If you can but a kit for 300 and then get a set of cymbols for about 200 you will sound very good. Paiste and Sabian make very good (cymbol) kits. Since you live in cali sabian from canada will be alot cheaper than paiste from swiss. Or even zildjin for than matter. I think you should buy a cheaper kit that comes with hardware and buy symbols on the side. You just gota go to a music store and look at prices. Sabian B8, paiste 101 and 201 kits are very good and cheap when you look at the quality of their sound. Westbury kits cost about 250-300 and come with hardware, and they sound very good for the price.

[Alex's Trip]

Originally Posted by schizophrenicroom

if you find another cheap drum kit besides the one you buy, you're sending it here.

Whatchoo mean?

Cheap one with cybmals:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/PulsePro5PieceDrumSetwithCymbalsWineRed?sku=444648

[holy-reverb!!]

thats a good starter kit. But the cymbals in that pic are sabian, so they would not look like that if you got it. Most likely more shiny. and the ones you get are not sabian.

[Alex's Trip]

The thing is, I'm not super concerned about the quality now. I just want one that I can play without it falling all apart.

[holy-reverb!!]

then you should just buy a pulse or something like the pulse. The pulse is a good kit if you dont care that much.

[acousticrock87]

My advice:

-Don't get a no-name brand kit.
-Don't worry about the cymbal quality at all. I've played in bands with shitty cymbals, and no one cares. The difference is almost completely preferential, and if you're looking at that range, that's the last thing you need to worry about. Plus, cymbals do break. So I honestly don't invest much money into them anyway.
-For starting out, get something with a bass drum, snare, hi-hat, crash, two toms, and a floor tom. Maybe also a ride. The reason you should get those pieces is because it's standard, and if you want to learn it's best to learn on that. You can decide on one tom or two, bells or whatnot once you can play this.
-For $300-$400 I think you could probably get the bottom end of a good brand if you look hard (like Pearl or Tama even) or a decent used kit from the same brands.
-I would recommend getting a book of rhythms and rudiments and learn how to read them. Even chill out on the set for a while and do the boring stuff on the snare or a drumpad. You know, paradiddles and crap. It's like scales; you have to learn it to get better at some point.

Something like this should work. Just look at ratings and read tons of reviews. Don't settle, because there are good kits for good prices. Also, spend as much as you can on it. Drums aren't something that you can completely upgrade for Christmas, so go as high as you can with the actual drums (again, don't worry too much about the cymbals - yet).

Also, look for sales, just like any instrument. Potentially saves hundreds.

[RIPfrey05]

i love drums, def. the most fun of any instrument to play!!

[schizophrenicroom]

Originally Posted by Alex's Trip

Whatchoo mean?

I am broke/poor and I'd like some drums

[Cantankerous]

You can get a nice Pearl kit in your price range.

[m^a(t)h]

i want to get a small kit too. Just bass, snare, and high hat. I can play some sick dance beats with that....

[krastian]

Yeah man get one....always been the best release for me. I'm kind of drunk so I'm not reading the posts to well, but you can get one for around 400 bucks....the cymbals are going to be shitty as hell though. If you are really serious then I'd save up a little more money and maybe get a decent used set with decent used cymbals (that won't sound like pie pans clanging together.....not really loud either). Either way a set is a set and you can fucking rock it.