Best drum kit all budgets discussion

tygerpax

Member
I thought it would be cool to actually get a thread of this for people who are looking at getting a new kit, we all know how frustraiting this process can be so lets get this going. Obviously we all have different taste so say why you like them and for what music style you think they would be sorted to, Lets include the Shells, the snare, the hardware and anything else you guys think would be helpfull for someone getting a new kit.

Obviously these are just my opinion and we all have our own so lest get it started:

Best budget/starter kit up to £200 - Cannon adder (great starter kit good build quality for price)

Best intermediate kit up to £ 650 - mepex meridian maple/ pdp m5 ( great tones from both of these kits i have heard them in most music genres but i think they shine in r&b/pop rock, the snares on these kits are a little to high end for my liking but still nice, and no complaints with the hardware)

best semi-pro kit up to £950 - sonor select/essential force/ pearl vmx or gretsch renown (great for all kinds of genres amazing musical tones from the sonor, the snare on the pearl is stunning for the price, and the hardware as to be won by the gretsch)

Best AFFORDABLE pro Kit £1200 - £2000 - DW Performance seriese/ Mapex Black panther blaster/velvetone (amazing kits for there price, totally different the mapex are a little more musical but the dw's have a great punch any genre, every thing about these kits are stunning, the hardware on the dw is very strong and the snare on the mapex is very musical maybe not to some peoples liking but it is stunning to my ears haha)

Best high end pro Kit - £2000+ - DW Collecters series/ Brady Kits (anyone who can afford to get these i would say what are you waiting for haha)

theres my 2 cents guys whats yours would be great for everyone to give there views
 
Re: **OFFICIAL best drum kit all budgets discussion**

As most of the gear nuts on this site reside in the USA, you'd be advised to give USD breaks too, lol! I'll round it down because gear tends to be cheaper in the US (lucky b&^%&^%ds)

£200 = $330 (so call it $300)
£650 = $1072 (so call it $1,000)
£950 = $1,556 (so call it $1,500)
£2,000 = $3,298 (so call it $3,000)

I'll put my thoughts in when you've had a selection of the following replies;

"there is no best"
"buy what sounds good to you"
"I'm going to tell you what my favourite kit is, but I'll pretend I'm being objective)
"buy used, you get more for your money"
 
Re: **OFFICIAL best drum kit all budgets discussion**

Best high end pro Kit - £2000+ - DW Collecters series/ Brady Kits (anyone who can afford to get these i would say what are you waiting for haha)

No, no and no again. You're not considering anything that isn't resolutely mainstream.

Andy's new 'Prototype' kit has to be up there somewhere. If you think mass-produced ply kits are the absolute be-all and end-all then I'm afraid you are much mistaken.

This thread is a waste of time and server space.
 
Re: **OFFICIAL best drum kit all budgets discussion**

As most of the gear nuts on this site reside in the USA, you'd be advised to give USD breaks too, lol! I'll round it down because gear tends to be cheaper in the US (lucky b&^%&^%ds)

£200 = $330 (so call it $300)
£650 = $1072 (so call it $1,000)
£950 = $1,556 (so call it $1,500)
£2,000 = $3,298 (so call it $3,000)

I'll put my thoughts in when you've had a selection of the following replies;

"there is no best"
"buy what sounds good to you"
"I'm going to tell you what my favourite kit is, but I'll pretend I'm being objective)
"buy used, you get more for your money"

First of all, LMAO at this ^

haha, anyway, I'll choose quote #3 and go from there. I'm not going to adhere to the price brackets.. I'll just list the 5 kits I recomend most often.

Best Starter Kit - the cheapest thing you can find with functional parts.

Best Intermediate/Starter++ - Pearl Forum. Very popular. I never owned one, but have had very good experiences with these kits. At a gig one time, I found myself LOVING the sound of the kit I was sitting in on... Low and behold: Pearl Forum. Done.

best semi-pro kit - Yamaha Tour Custom/Stage Custom. LOVE These kits. I did a ton of research on ply shell constructions a while back, and I determined for myself that, as far as ply shells go, Yamaha makes the best shells out there, and these drums wear them very well. Maple or birch, you choose.

Best PLY SHELL pro Kit - As I said, I think Yamaha makes the best ply shells, I'm not too fond of there high end Absolute series drums. IMO They've done some strange things with vent holes, depths, and mounting that sort of turn me off. If I had unlimited funds to buy a ply shell kit, I'd go with a Gretsch USA Custom.

Best high end pro Kit - Something custom, Something stave, etc. The sky is the limit as far as tone and timbre go when you delve into exotic woods and stave/segments construction. If you know exactly what you, you can have it built. Andy's kit is a great example. Everyone has there personal preference, and if money is no object, people will have the power to truly choose what sounds good to them, and no one can decide that but themselves.
 
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Re: **OFFICIAL best drum kit all budgets discussion**

No, no and no again. You're not considering anything that isn't resolutely mainstream.

Andy's new 'Prototype' kit has to be up there somewhere. If you think mass-produced ply kits are the absolute be-all and end-all then I'm afraid you are much mistaken.

This thread is a waste of time and server space.


haha chill out man its my opinion as you have yours on the andys kit, thats why i started the thread to see every ones tastes so people who are looking to buy can maybe come accross kits they havnt thought of yet, i know what u mean but thats just my fave kits
 
Re: **OFFICIAL best drum kit all budgets discussion**

First of all, LMAO at this ^

haha, anyway, I'll choose quote #3 and go from there. I'm not going to adhere to the price brackets.. I'll just list the 5 kits I recomend most often.

Best Starter Kit - the cheapest thing you can find with functional parts.

Best Intermediate/Starter++ - Pearl Forum. Very popular. I never owned one, but have had very good experiences with these kits. At a gig one time, I found myself LOVING the sound of the kit I was sitting in on. Low and behold: Pearl Forum. Done.

best semi-pro kit - Yamaha Tour Custom/Stage Custom. LOVE These kits. I did a ton of research on ply shell constructions, and I was convinced that, as far as ply shells go, Yamaha makes the best shells out there, and these drums wear them well. Maple or birch, you choose.

Best PLY SHELL pro Kit - As I said, I think Yamaha makes the best ply shells, I'm not too fond of there high end Absolute series drums. IMO They've done some strange things with vent holes, depths, and mounting that sort of turn me off. If I had unlimited funds to buy a ply shell kit, I'd go with a Gretsch USA Custom.

Best high end pro Kit - Something custom, Something stave, etc. The sky is the limit as far as tone and timbre go when you delve into exotic woods and stave/segments construction. If you know exactly what you, you can have it built. Andy's kit is a great example. Everyone has there personal preference, and if money is no object, people will buy what sounds good to them, and no one can decide that but themselves.

finally someone who knows what im doing here haha thanks for the input man and the gretsch is a great addition to the list
 
Re: **OFFICIAL best drum kit all budgets discussion**

No, no and no again. You're not considering anything that isn't resolutely mainstream.

Andy's new 'Prototype' kit has to be up there somewhere. If you think mass-produced ply kits are the absolute be-all and end-all then I'm afraid you are much mistaken.

This thread is a waste of time and server space.

excuse my ignorance but who is andy and his kit
 
Re: **OFFICIAL best drum kit all budgets discussion**

Spend some time on the forum and you might find out. There is nothing 'official' about your opinion; so the thread is misleadingly labelled.
 
Re: **OFFICIAL best drum kit all budgets discussion**

Ok....here it goes

Best Starter kit ..................see below

Best Intermediate/Starter..... see below

Best Semi -Pro......................see below

Best Ply shell Kit...................see below

Best High End Pro Kit.............The one that sounds best to your ears,regardless of brand ,finish,hardware,what your band likes,and who is endorsing that brand ..that week.You are the one who has to play them.You have to be happy with their sound.Its your instrument,and if your guitar player dosen't like the sound....tell him your picking out his next guitar.Have fun doing the research,and don't keep asking someone to make the decision for you.No such thing as a totally objective opinion concerning musical instruments,especially drums and cymbals.

Steve B
 
Re: **OFFICIAL great drum kit all budgets discussion**

Spend some time on the forum and you might find out. There is nothing 'official' about your opinion; so the thread is misleadingly labelled.

haha chill man, i didnt mean it like that i meant official as in the official thread to discuss
 
Re: **OFFICIAL best drum kit all budgets discussion**

You even caught me in a good mood. I'm just being a little hard.

At least England won at Cricket today. Otherwise I might've been really hard. Sorry for that. I know the thread's harmless just sometimes my hands move faster than my brain.
 
Re: **OFFICIAL best drum kit all budgets discussion**

Ok....here it goes

Best Starter kit ..................see below

Best Intermediate/Starter..... see below

Best Semi -Pro......................see below

Best Ply shell Kit...................see below

Best High End Pro Kit.............The one that sounds best to your ears,regardless of brand ,finish,hardware,what your band likes,and who is endorsing that brand ..that week.You are the one who has to play them.You have to be happy with their sound.Its your instrument,and if your guitar player dosen't like the sound....tell him your picking out his next guitar.Have fun doing the research,and don't keep asking someone to make the decision for you.No such thing as a totally objective opinion concerning musical instruments,especially drums and cymbals.

Steve B

i agree but how do you know if a kit is good if you cant try them in person or havnt heard of them, esspecialy for new drummers
 
Re: **OFFICIAL best drum kit all budgets discussion**

Quite easy. One method is to look at eBay and work out how well they hold their value. It's also fairly simple to ask other drummers that may have seen them for their opinions.

The other thing to do is to go to trade shows and look at some real quality drums. A few months ago I had the good fortune to play on some of the Guru kits that Andy (now) has a part in. I've been playing for a fair few years and I was astounded by the sound and quality of those drums.

Sometimes you need a yardstick.
 
Re: **OFFICIAL best drum kit all budgets discussion**

I just read this thread,
That's 10 mins of my life that I'll never get back!
 
Re: **OFFICIAL best drum kit all budgets discussion**

It took you 10 minutes Bob?
I made dinner and a Martini while I read the thread.
I had steak cooked on the grill with BBQ sauce and mashed potatoes with mixed veggies.
I used Kettle One vodka and three olives with just a hint of vermouth.
 
Re: **OFFICIAL best drum kit all budgets discussion**

I made dinner and a Martini while I read the thread.
I had steak cooked on the grill with BBQ sauce and mashed potatoes with mixed veggies.
I used Kettle One vodka and three olives with just a hint of vermouth.

Damn you, you've got me craving BBQ and a drink!

And in regards to the thread, you can use what you're on right now for all of those questions - the internet. Just browse eBay, read some reviews and go on sites like www.musiciansfriend.com to see what kits are considered beginner/intermediate/pro and to see what the ballpark asking price is. You may have to do a bit more research for custom kits but I'm sure you can find most of your answers on this forum.

My personal favorite go-to brand Yamaha. Everything they make is quality, from beginner to pro. (Can't wait to get my MCAs :D)

Anyways, I can't really give you a breakdown of which kits are best for the price ranges mentioned but, what Wsabol said is pretty bang on.

Cheers,
J-D
 
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