Acoustic Drum Kits

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Recently you guys helped me in my search for a quality guitar for my son, pointing me towards a Taylor, which has been fabulous.

Can I have the same pointers with regard to an acoustic drum kit please?

I know of a few makes but that's all.

There's obviously some massive quality and price differences but I want to understand the basics before I commence the search.

Better woods used, good makes, types of cymbal etc.

He will be playing rock music in the main.

Thanks,
 
They won't hear a lot - as I've developed the room I've provided some acoustic insulation measures.

He has a Roland already, and while it's great, it's just not the same as an acoustic.
 
I play drums and use to gig regularly in my area!
I use a Pearl Kit - Fusion size drums, which are slightly smaller than the rock kits. Not that theres much in it sound and play wise. And Pearl have always been a quality make for many years..same as Tama, D-Drum etc etc
Cymbals generally the more you spend the better the sound - Not always the rule as you do find a couple items that impress you even though they cost a lot less than the others.
I spent £330 on a 'hi-hat' set, which is fair amount but they feel nice and sound crisp, which obviously the cheaper stuff won't always give you.
Best is to get your self into a music shop and damned a go on everything! :D
Hope that helps at all!
 
That helps a great deal, thank you.

Am I right in saying that of you gig and you're not the main act, you take along your snare and use the other guy's kit?

I ask because I wonder of it's better to have a gig kit and leave the main kit set up?
 
A quick bump for the nightshift.
 
I bought mine as gigging kit.
I personally prefer to play my own kit as much as possible and whenever I get a chance but there has been a few times where Ive had to use another bands kit.
In that case id take my snare, bass pedal (Or twin pedals), Any cymbals you need etc
But if a gig allows time for you to set your own kit up its worth taking your own as I'm sure you'd want to! :)
 
Most rock kits consist of 12, 14, 16 toms, 22 bass and 14x6.5 steel snare. What you go for depends entirely on budget as the shell pack is just the start. The hardware can cost as much again but the important thing is to get the sturdy stuff with memory locks if gigging a lot. You can hang the floor tom, 14 tom, ride and crash all from one stand if you get the right stuff. That cuts down on the amount of time setting up and taking down, as well as trips to the car.

Decent cases are very important. I have lambswool protection racket cases. I prefer the soft cases as it is easier to squish it all in the car and the chrome is less likely to get damaged by a rivet in the hard ones.

Lastly on to shells and cymbals. This is all personal stuff so the only way is to audition a few set-ups. Pearl are probably the most popular and readily available, but Yamaha, Ludwig, Tama etc all make very good kits at all levels.

My kit is a fusion DW Maple with Zildjan cymbals. You really can tell when you spend proper money on a drum kit. It is just so nice to play and has many smart features.

Check the small ads to see what is out there. Many parents buy live drums before realizing their mistake and selling them to buy a Roland.
 
My son plays pearl maple kit... with Paiste cymbals and sticks from Vic Firth... thankfully not in the house.
Then again he is sponsored by Pearl, Paiste and Vic Firth so he may well be biased. That said - he does swear that Pearl Maple kits are the doggies ( I think I know what he means)...

In any event - if your son is taking up the drums, my offer of looking after his Taylor still stands!!!

Best of luck whatever he decides...
 
I grew up playing Pearl and as others have said, they make good kit at all price brackets.

Often the difference between the good stuff and the cheap kit isn't the drums themselves but the hardware that holds them together. The last thing you want is your snare stand moving whilst you are playing it or your cymbal stand slowly getting shorter and shorter as you play it.

When I went pro however I switched to Yamaha. This seems to be almost the de facto for most studio based players. Top quality kit but you do pay for it.

The key with a lot of kits however is also to match them with the right heads. You can transform even a cheap kit sound wise by fitting a good quality head (was always a fan of Remo Pinstripes personally)

Cymbals are a lot easier. It's all down to the sound so you need to go to the shop and audition them until you find the ones you like.

I am sure things have changed somewhat (haven't picked up a pair of sticks in many years now) since I made a living out of this but to a point, the hardware is more important than the drum shell itself.
 
scottishman2 said:
My son plays pearl maple kit... with Paiste cymbals and sticks from Vic Firth... thankfully not in the house.
Then again he is sponsored by Pearl, Paiste and Vic Firth so he may well be biased. That said - he does swear that Pearl Maple kits are the doggies ( I think I know what he means)...

In any event - if your son is taking up the drums, my offer of looking after his Taylor still stands!!!

Best of luck whatever he decides...
Click to expand...

Thank you for your kind offer to liberate his Taylor :thumb: ;).

He's not replacing guitar with drums and has played both for a while now.

The Roland has been great (we bought him a decent spec one) but he craves a "proper" kit now.

A couple of local bands expressed an interest in his work, but at 16/17 they couldn't progress him because of his age at venues.

However, he's 18 in December.
 
developer215 said:
A couple of local bands expressed an interest in his work, but at 16/17 they couldn't progress him because of his age at venues.

However, he's 18 in December.
Click to expand...

Cool.

When he becomes a proper Rocker, has he realised he will have to smash the drum kit up with the axe at the end of a gig.
 
I'd definitely look around at secondhand kit. You might find a nice old snare drum or perhaps even cymbals if you keep your eyes open

Nick Froome
 
Mapex Saturn LA Fusion ordered, following him having a bash, some great reviews and the recommendation of a pro drummer we know :thumb:

It should be ready for his 18th, early December.

Earplugs for the rest of us :D.
 
I used to play the drums, 20 years of drumming, and now a very painful back although not related has stopped me. I started with Premier, then found Pearl, I had a Export, then EXR, then a beautiful Pearl Masters, just sold it.

I would buy him a Pearl, secondhand export, if you find a good one they are rock solid kits. Not 100% sure now what the names are now, but have a look on ebay, always loads of kits for sale, secondhand is good value for money. Its not worth buying new for a first kit. But thats your call. Pearl Export Select 5-Piece Drum Kit in Blue Mist (Delivery Available) | eBay something like this.
 
Thanks for the reply Paul, but we wanted to get him a new kit - it's his 18th, after all.

He's happy and my research (which was considerable) showed it's a good kit.
 
Nothing wrong with Mapex, they have come along way. Its an individual's choice after all, I always went Pearl, as my drum tutor had Pearl. That was probably my biggest influence in my life time of drumming. Its like anything, when you find what works for you, you tend to stick to it. This is me with my masters a few years back, haha :) Havana affair RHCP ramones cover - YouTube
 
I'm sure your son will already have a drum hero or two, but Greg Bissonette endorses Mapex and is someone for him to aspire to.

Gregg Bissonette - Drum Solo Part 3 - YouTube

I have a good friend and music producer in L.A. who uses Greg for sessions on a regular basis for TV music scores. He can't praise Greg highly enough for being a total pro and a seriously nice bloke.

Last year he needed Greg for a session. "What kind of snare sound are you looking for, John?" - "Oh just a basic rock snare sound - whatever you feel like will be OK". When John arrived at the studio, Greg had his kit set up and a choice of NINE snares racked up next to it. OTT maybe, but shows the attention to detail that keeps top pros in work all year round in L.A.

Ringo Starr hires Greg as his touring drummer - which speaks volumes!

Just tell your son that pulling faces a a la Greg isn't compulsory!
 
ss201 said:
Ringo Starr hires Greg as his touring drummer - which speaks volumes!
Click to expand...

They should probably have considered this in Ringo's Beatles day as well.
 
ss201 said:
I'm sure your son will already have a drum hero or two, but Greg Bissonette endorses Mapex and is someone for him to aspire to.

Gregg Bissonette - Drum Solo Part 3 - YouTube

I have a good friend and music producer in L.A. who uses Greg for sessions on a regular basis for TV music scores. He can't praise Greg highly enough for being a total pro and a seriously nice bloke.

Last year he needed Greg for a session. "What kind of snare sound are you looking for, John?" - "Oh just a basic rock snare sound - whatever you feel like will be OK". When John arrived at the studio, Greg had his kit set up and a choice of NINE snares racked up next to it. OTT maybe, but shows the attention to detail that keeps top pros in work all year round in L.A.

Ringo Starr hires Greg as his touring drummer - which speaks volumes!

Just tell your son that pulling faces a a la Greg isn't compulsory!
Click to expand...

Thanks for that - it makes our choice seem like a good one - and my son is called Greg too :thumb:.
 
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