Newbie here but old school drummer...
I've only had 4 drum sets during the 47 years I've been playing (started at age 14 and I'm 61 now). My first set was a 1961 Gretsch midnight blue pearl set w/22x14 bass drum (can't get used to calling it a kick drum), 14x5.5 snare, 8x12 tom, and 16x16 floor tom. Cymbals included 20-in ride,16-in crash-ride, and 14-in hi-hats. Since then, I have basically kept the same sizes, except for adding a 9x13 tom when I got my second set. I also added a 3rd cymbal so that I now have 21- and 19-in rides plus a 16-in fast crash. IOW, the few sets I've had have never really changed in size.
When I got my first set at 14 years of age, there was never a thought given to if this set or that one was good for the "beginning" drummer or student or young player. My dad and I just got the one we could afford at a music store and went with it. In fact, I played the very same first set I got at the age of 14 way into my mid-20s, after which time I got a Ludwig to replace that first one since by that time Gretsch had started its famed decline.
As a result, I don't know what anyone means by "beginning drum set," which always brings to mind (aaargh!) those aluminum or cardboard drum sets one can find at cheap toy stores.
So, can anyone tell me what differentiates a "beginning" from an "advanced" or "professional" drum set today?
PRNole47
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