Help deciding

[67 goat]

I do not play drums, however, I am thinking about getting a kit to have available for jams. It likely wouldn't be used more than once a month, unless I decide to try teaching myself (but I am pretty busy...). I don't want to spend too much money, but I don't want pure garbage. I realize that I am not getting a pro-quality set from these choices, but having no experience, I would like some advice as to whether spending more is worth it in the following cases:

I am looking at

Ludwig Backbeat 5 piece for $400

or

Pearl Roadshow New Fusion 5 piece for probably $550

or

Something else entirely.

Any suggestions on a sub $700 5 piece kit just for jam space?

 

[wraub]

Have you considered used? Are you budgeting for hardware and cymbals?

 

[ericdrmz]

yep, used.. if you're not in a hurry, or smth like this

Yamaha Stage Custom Birch 5-Piece Shell Pack with 22" Bass Drum Natural Wood | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Yamaha Stage Custom Birch 5-Piece Shell Pack with 22" Bass Drum Natural Wood at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

then buy cymbal stands used, and tell your drummers to
bring their own cymbals (which the serious ones do anyway)
i know, again yamaha stage custom, but i've got an 1800,- kit
and the yamaha birch sounds better (and it's not the tuning)

 

[Silent Sound]

Here's a better idea. Buy used. Even at $700, you won't find a great kit, but you'll find a much better one for that price. And it'll probably come with a lot of other things you'll need. No cheap kit is going to sound good. There's no way around that. But if it's just for jamming, then who cares?

Also, keep in mind that you'll need to budget a lot more than just the kit. You'll want to invest some money into things like a comfortable throne and a good kick pedal. I can't stand playing drums on a cheap throne. And a cheap pedal is equally frustrating. Also, get a good rug for the kit to stand on. Trying to play a kit that's sliding around is maddening.

You'll probably need some sound treatment. Sound proofing is extremely expensive, and probably not something you want to invest in. But if you're playing in a smallish room, drums can get really mushy and smeary and literally hurt to just hear (not just volume but frequency). It's like fingernails on a chalkboard, even with ear plugs. Treating the walls and floor can go a long ways in making the drums comfortable to be around.

So buy used. You'll get a lot more of that little stuff, and save a lot more money than you think.

 

[67 goat]

Have you considered used? Are you budgeting for hardware and cymbals?

Those two kits are with hardware and cymbals. Probably not great cymbals, but looking a cymbal prices, whoever plays this will have to live with the included cymbals.

The used market around here is not great for drum kits. If I have to replace all the heads, I'll be close to new price anyway. If I lived closer to a real city that might be different.

Plus, the whole warranty thing.

But I am open if something comes up.

 

[67 goat]

yep, used.. if you're not in a hurry, or smth like this

Yamaha Stage Custom Birch 5-Piece Shell Pack with 22" Bass Drum Natural Wood | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Yamaha Stage Custom Birch 5-Piece Shell Pack with 22" Bass Drum Natural Wood at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

then buy cymbal stands used, and tell your drummers to
bring their own cymbals (which the serious ones do anyway)
i know, again yamaha stage custom, but i've got an 1800,- kit
and the yamaha birch sounds better (and it's not the tuning)

I did look at those, but that's just a shell pack. By the time I buy hardware and heads I'd be over budget. Also, if there are no cymbals, it means all jams with drums have to be planned, nothing spontaneous.

 

[wraub]

A quick look at CL in my area finds basic stuff like a PDP starter set, 5 piece, for $100. A couple (Mapex, Pearl midlevel) complete with everything (stands, throne, cymbals, one even included a cowbell) for $400-500, so there's options there, look on your local CL or equivalent.
Agreed with above re throne, also. I started with a couple of cheaper ones before I realized how important a good one is, the new price on mine is more than my starter drums cost (but I got it used).

@67 goat where are you located?

 

[John Quinn]

I do not play drums, however, I am thinking about getting a kit to have available for jams. It likely wouldn't be used more than once a month, unless I decide to try teaching myself (but I am pretty busy...). I don't want to spend too much money, but I don't want pure garbage. I realize that I am not getting a pro-quality set from these choices, but having no experience, I would like some advice as to whether spending more is worth it in the following cases:

I am looking at

Ludwig Backbeat 5 piece for $400

or

Pearl Roadshow New Fusion 5 piece for probably $550

or

Something else entirely.

Any suggestions on a sub $700 5 piece kit just for jam space?

I wouldn't go with an Drum Kit - I would go with an Electronic Kit - something like the Aleisis Nitro Mesh Kit - $449 - you have everything you want
in a Drum Kit.

 

[67 goat]

Here's a better idea. Buy used. Even at $700, you won't find a great kit, but you'll find a much better one for that price. And it'll probably come with a lot of other things you'll need. No cheap kit is going to sound good. There's no way around that. But if it's just for jamming, then who cares?

Also, keep in mind that you'll need to budget a lot more than just the kit. You'll want to invest some money into things like a comfortable throne and a good kick pedal. I can't stand playing drums on a cheap throne. And a cheap pedal is equally frustrating. Also, get a good rug for the kit to stand on. Trying to play a kit that's sliding around is maddening.

You'll probably need some sound treatment. Sound proofing is extremely expensive, and probably not something you want to invest in. But if you're playing in a smallish room, drums can get really mushy and smeary and literally hurt to just hear (not just volume but frequency). It's like fingernails on a chalkboard, even with ear plugs. Treating the walls and floor can go a long ways in making the drums comfortable to be around.

So buy used. You'll get a lot more of that little stuff, and save a lot more money than you think.

I've been watching the used market around here for a couple months (maybe not long enough). What I see in used are Eastar, Pearl Roadshow at the price I can get new, PDP at the price I can get new, and sets over $2k. And never more than about 10 used kits for sale at any given time. That's in a 200 mile radius.

 

[wraub]

I wouldn't go with an Drum Kit - I would go with an Electronic Kit - something like the Aleisis Nitro Mesh Kit - $449 - you have everything you want
in a Drum Kit.

Not a bad suggestion, if you can find one with a feel you like. I've played a few and definitely prefer mesh heads, but those can cost more.
It's usually a more cost-effective option, being typically all-inclusive.

 

[67 goat]

I wouldn't go with an Drum Kit - I would go with an Electronic Kit - something like the Aleisis Nitro Mesh Kit - $449 - you have everything you want
in a Drum Kit.

Electronic drums are nothing I want in a drum kit. I appreciate the thought though.

It's a visceral thing.

 

[67 goat]

A quick look at CL in my area finds basic stuff like a PDP starter set, 5 piece, for $100. A couple (Mapex, Pearl midlevel) complete with everything (stands, throne, cymbals, one even included a cowbell) for $400-500, so there's options there, look on your local CL or equivalent.
Agreed with above re throne, also. I started with a couple of cheaper ones before I realized how important a good one is, the new price on mine is more than my starter drums cost (but I got it used).

@67 goat where are you located?

BFE.

I see low price kits for the same price I can get them new and much more expensive kits. Nothing super cheap, nothing middle ground. Unless it is a junior kit. Those I can get pretty cheap, but myself and most of the people I play with are too tall for those.

 

[67 goat]

if 500-600 is your budget - with stands/ cymbals - then
i'd certainly go used.. find somebody who 'quits' drums
and sells 'everything' (just my view) but it would take
a month or two.. (where i live)

People here try to sell instruments for what they paid (or close enough that it doesn't usually make sense). I realize list price is not sale price, but for example the same CV Squier (which goes for about 400 on sale new) has been listed at 390 for the last three months.

 

[wraub]

BFE.

I see low price kits for the same price I can get them new and much more expensive kits. Nothing super cheap, nothing middle ground. Unless it is a junior kit. Those I can get pretty cheap, but myself and most of the people I play with are too tall for those.

Unfortunate, to be sure.

I got my drums by having funds ready and looking at the same ads a couple of times daily for a while until drums I wanted and could afford came up. Took a minute, but it paid off.
Of course, I've since spent much more to add cymbals, etc that I like (also found new after some patient looking), but the drums themselves are exactly what I wanted, and have served me well. Plus, spacing out purchases allows time for the finding, and time for funds to grow. I did the math recently and realized how much I've spent, but doing it over a couple of years made it a lot easier.

Have you looked at pawn shops or resale stores (if any are in your area)? I've had good luck at such places. Also, Reverb has a way to look for sellers doing local sales or sales without shipping, maybe you can find something not too far away? (not sure if you've tried this, just spitballing here).

 

[67 goat]

Looking at current listings (200 mile radius)

Gretsch 5 piece (doesn't say what model) $700

Pork Pie 4 piece (never heard of them, are they good?) $700

Tama Rockstar $600

Then the next cheapest is a Pearl Roadshow for $575 (basically what I would pay new).

Everything else is super cheap stuff (Eastar), electronic, just partial kits that would put me well over budget to fill out, or they are way more expensive (I can find $3000+ kits all day long in used, but that's just not happening).

That is what my used market is like.

 

[mattthehoople]

Yamaha stage custom, although inexpensive comparatively, is a professional kit. You can find complete drum sets for $799. Just understand, they will not sound near as good as a pro kit.

Cymbals are really expensive and buying used didn’t save me hardly anything. My Paiste 22” ride was over $600. It’s really expensive if you listen with a critical ear, because unfortunately the pricey stuff just sounds better than the Woohan or whatever you decide on.

If you dont want a complete kit to learn, just get a bass drum, one tom tom, and one floor tom, and two used cymbal stands.

People coming over can bring their snare, hats, throne, and cymbals.

 

[67 goat]

Unfortunate, to be sure.

I got my drums by having funds ready and looking at the same ads a couple of times daily for a while until drums I wanted and could afford came up. Took a minute, but it paid off.
Of course, I've since spent much more to add cymbals, etc that I like (also found new after some patient looking), but the drums themselves are exactly what I wanted, and have served me well. Plus, spacing out purchases allows time for the finding, and time for funds to grow. I did the math recently and realized how much I've spent, but doing it over a couple of years made it a lot easier.

Have you looked at pawn shops or resale stores (if any are in your area)? I've had good luck at such places. Also, Reverb has a way to look for sellers doing local sales or sales without shipping, maybe you can find something not too far away? (not sure if you've tried this, just spitballing here).

I watch Reverb. We do have a Music-Go-Round, but they rarely have drums at this location. The only other music stores that resell drum kits around here are Guitar Centers. Their prices are like 10% off new. The other music stores just don't have shop space for it.

When I was growing up, most of the music stores were big places with lots of storage. Now they are all tiny hole-in-the-strip-mall kind of places. Last time I took some guitars in to get some work done, they only let me leave one because they didn't have enough storage for me to leave multiples.

Maybe I just need to move.

 

[67 goat]

Yamaha stage custom, although inexpensive comparatively, is a professional kit. You can find complete drum sets for $799. Just understand, they will not sound near as good as a pro kit.

Cymbals are really expensive and buying used didn’t save me hardly anything. My Paiste 22” ride was over $600. It’s really expensive if you listen with a critical ear, because unfortunately the pricey stuff just sounds better than the Woohan or whatever you decide on.

If you dont want a complete kit to learn, just get a bass drum, one tom tom, and one floor tom, and two used cymbal stands.

People coming over can bring their snare, hats, throne, and cymbals.

I don't need it to be pro. This isn't for recording (if it were, I would be more amenable to electronic kits). It's not even for practice. It's just for being able to do pickup jams with friends and not having to plan everything out in advance.

 

[mattthehoople]

Yeah, don't knock yourself out then. Go cheap.

 

[wraub]

Looking at current listings (200 mile radius)

Gretsch 5 piece (doesn't say what model) $700

Pork Pie 4 piece (never heard of them, are they good?) $700

Tama Rockstar $600

Then the next cheapest is a Pearl Roadshow for $575 (basically what I would pay new).

Everything else is super cheap stuff (Eastar), electronic, just partial kits that would put me well over budget to fill out, or they are way more expensive (I can find $3000+ kits all day long in used, but that's just not happening).

That is what my used market is like.

Pork Pie does make good drums but, they do have product levels, as with most companies.

https://porkpiedrums.com/products/

As far as a basic set for general use, there's some consensus that a cheaper set with good heads and decent tuning can get you pretty close. My first "real" kit was a basic PDP set that sounded okay with good heads, definitely good enough for your stated purposes. That was a 5 piece set that sells locally here used for $100-125. Would likely still need hardware and cymbals, but you'd have some change to play with. There's a ddrum set similar to it on my local cl priced at $125 as well.

Of course, my first set was a bass drum and two toms (none matching), an import steel snare drum, and a high hat stand from a thrift store, bought for just under $40. A 20 dollar set of high hats later, and, it was a drum set. It was enough to confirm I wanted to continue. Now I have the drum set I've wanted since I was a little kid.

Guitar Center used drum stuff imo has a shipping charge built into the price imo. Still can be a good deal to be found.