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My son (16) has been drumming for many years in school band. We have a used, electronic drum set at home that is showing its age, plus my son has the itch for an acoustic drum set. I had a very basic drum set (bass, snare, tom, and one cymbal) since my parents couldn’t afford much. It was adequate, but very limiting. That said, ideally, I’d like to get him a more complete drum set (bass, snare, two toms, a floor tom, high hat and two cymbals). What might this run (new) in US dollars - ballpark? And, do brands make a difference? Last, if I have to scale back, what would you cut out of the drum set?
Head off to the local music store chain and find a decent mid-grade set. I’ve got Mapex, probably on the lower end of the scale. 7-piece, probably ran about $500 (I was a gift). This was a long time ago… probably around $800 now, maybe?
Where you can really sink some dollars are in the cymbals. But I’ll tell ya, cheap cymbals are shit! I’ve got Zildjian ZBT’s which are the cheapest they make, but still miles better than other brands. Every now and then I’ll stumble on a single used cymbal in decent shape and grab it. Fun to swap them around for different sounds.
Don’t skimp on the hardware. Nothing worse than flimsy cymbal stands. Get that good thick double-braced stuff. I bought a cheapy China stand on eBay, and it’s pretty much unusable. Junk.
I think the best advice is take the kid to the store and let him pound some kits. If he’s good, buy the best stuff you can afford. Upgrade when you can.
I’m always looking on Craigslist for used equipment and see some really nice higher quality stuff for under $1000. Tama, DW and Ludwig are all really good stuff.
Disclaimer: I own an acoustic and electronic drum set. But if anyone calls me a drummer, they’re misinforming you.
Since you already know the drums, and have some experience with the instrument, I’d advise buying a used set. You’re going to save money, you’ll usually get hardware and brass as part of the deal, and since you and your son can already play them, you can try them out and see how they sound and play.
Brand does matter, but it doesn’t matter that much. I have a Pearl set, and they make everything from beginner’s sets like mine to crazy expensive sets. Generally, if it’s from a manufacturer you recognize, and doesn’t come with cheapo single-braced hardware, it’s probably OK if it’s within your budget.
I’m not a drummer but this is exacly my advice. People often sell their used but durable recreation equipment (bikes, exercise equipment, that table saw they didn’t use as much as they thought) for pennies on the dollar just to clear up room.