Earning your gear?

Toolate

Platinum Member
When I was a kid I was really into riding my bmx bike and jumping/doing tricks etc. but never really had a nice bike. After a while it became something I was proud of, especially when I would see another kid with a really nice/expensive bike who (as kids do) was trying to prove that he was better than me. I was very proud of my ability to out-perform on lesser quality equipment.

So- 25 years later I look at drumming this way to some extent except that I am now able to afford nicer stuff. I am about 2 years into drumming and I think my skills are where they should be- not better not worse. I am really lusting after a black beauty snare after playing one but I dont think I could go into a store and buy one because I wouldnt feel comfortable playing it in front of people and would worry that I might be viewed as the kid on the nice bike with no skills and an attitude. Wouldnt mind a set of USA Customs either.. . . .

For those who can afford to buy pro level drums/equipment- Do you just buy the best thing you can afford at all/any time or set personal goals and try to earn it for yourself?

Posted this thought on another thread and decided it might make an interesting conversation-
 
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Depends how much money you have. If you can barely afford your rent then forking out for a Pearl Reference for your beginner kid's 1st kit probably ain't that smart. If you're so rich that it don't make a difference then who cares?

I've never been one of those who says you have to be a level X drummer in order to deserve good gear. If you can afford the snare I say buy it: life's too short to worry about the jealousy of someone who may think you're not good enough to play on gear they can't afford.
 
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I purchase and have always purchased what I could afford at the time I needed / wanted it.

My parents didn't have the money to contribute to my gear so it was up to me to earn it.

When I was a kid back in the 1970's that meant buying brands like Royce and CB700, no-name cymbals from garage sales, using rocks from the yard to hold up broken cymbal stands people gave me, etc....

Fortunately the time came where I could afford better high end gear so I did. Back then there really wasn't a vast mid-level market like there is today.

As time went on I began earning gear money from playing gigs and teaching so I was able to buy the stuff with that money versus out of pocket from my day job. I earned enough to buy high-end gear which is what I did.

Drumming became such an important branch of life to know that I had no concerns whether or not I needed to justify owning pro level stuff.
 
Yeah I know of a guy who owns a Reference, Demon Drive, a big set of pro level cymbals, but just cannot drum and cannot tune a snare drum to save himself. But he's happy.

Another guy owns a Starclassic, a small collection of DW snares, lots of cymbals, mics, fancypants recording gear, but has never played in a band....

My next kit is going to be on a totally different tangent to my Saturn. I don't want any of the drums to match, it'll probably be a four piece. I already have a Superstar 12" tom and just need a kick and floor tom. I used to be such a perfectionist but lately I've found myself gravitating towards the more eccentric and wild corner. I think this kit will be more harmonious with the sound I want to create on the drums. As long as it's all mid level stuff I should be able to make it sound alright. I'm not sure if this really answers the question but my point is that you should play the kit that inspires you.

I hear about guys who want to spend $5000+ (NZ dollars) on the absolute best Reference/Starclassic/DW etc kits, just to play in a rock covers band once or twice a month, as a side to their day job. Whatever makes them happy I guess, but I feel like they have just fallen victim to the marketing of those companies and haven't really made their mind up for themselves. I bought my Saturn for the sizes and price, and partly because I missed out on a similar used Pro M kit that was sold before I made my mind up.

I do like the idea of setting goals, something like "When I can play this song/groove/thing I'll buy myself that new cowbell I have had my eye on!". That actually sounds like something I'd like to adopt :)
 
Posted this thought on another thread and decided it might make an interesting conversation-

I saw it and meant to come back and comment at the time but obviously forgot.....glad you threw it back out there.

You're a grown man with his own money that you work hard to earn. If you can afford to lay down the cash and it'll bring you some joy, what the hell are you waiting for? If you wanted to buy a Mercedes Benz would you wait until you had the skills of a race car driver or just get the damned thing? Life's too short my friend.....why deny yourself? Besides, no-one in a drum store thinks 'hey, this guy is unworthy of that Black Beauty'.....they're more likely to be thinking of the commission they'll earn off it.

My drumming's never gonna set the world alight, but if I want something and I have the cash to spare, I buy it. Impressing someone or keeping up with the Joneses has nothing to do with it. I buy it for my own enjoyment.....because I dig the sound and I know I'm gonna get some use out of the thing. Pure and simple.

Go get yer Black Beauty and come back and start a thread tellin' us how much you love it and how happy you are you didn't wait a day longer.
 
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I remember saving my money and buying a Noble and Cooley honey maple snare back in the late 80's. Now that I have a family and not much extra cash for gear, I sold it and used the money to buy 2 new K custom dark crashes. My other cymbals had crack's, but lasted for 24 years. I did not have to buy the K's, but they were 16" and 17" and came from the same litter. I will miss that snare. Go out and by that Black Beauty, treat yourself, The nice thing about High end gear is that it holds its value and sometimes can be worth more.
 
I think anyone with a modicum of solid drum talent, and desire to play outside of their basement, should have a quality snare drum, so, if you can afford it, without too much pain, then, by all means, go for the Black Beauty. I have my share of drum gear, but, between recording and gigging out, I use everything, and, for the most part, need it all. I've been playing drums for over 30 years, but still have no need for a super high-end kit. However, every good drummer needs at least one good snare drum !!
 
when I was finally able to afford my own gear I went and bought 2 1960s Ludwig kits at Pro Drum Shop in LA

first new kit I bought was when I sold those 2 kits and ordered a custom Spaun......hated that kit ....it was horrible and more expensive than both classic Luddys put together

sold the Spaun and bought a 1970s Ludwig loved that kit and played it until I bought my 2 Gretsch kits a few years ago

there was a Pearl MCX somewhere in between but I wasnt a huge fan of that kit either

I just buy what sounds and feels good to me

the cost and what someone ranks as the best means nothing to me

the Spaun and the Pearl came highly recommended by many and I hated both kits

I have a Black Beauty that I have modified a little bit that has been with me for about 20 years....... probably the best sounding drum Ive ever owned and the first snare drum I ever bought with my own hard earned money
 
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You're a grown man with his own money that you work hard to earn. If you can afford to lay down the cash and it'll bring you some joy, what the hell are you waiting for? If you wanted to buy a Mercedes Benz would you wait until you had the skills of a race car driver or just get the damned thing? Life's too short my friend.....why deny yourself? Besides, no-one in a drum store thinks 'hey, this guy is unworthy of that Black Beauty'.....they're more likely to be thinking of the commission they'll earn off it.

My drumming's never gonna set the world alight, but if I want something and I have the cash to spare, I buy it. Impressing someone or keeping up with the Joneses has nothing to do with it. I buy it for my own enjoyment.....because I dig the sound and I know I'm gonna get some use out of the thing. Pure and simple.

Go get yer Black Beauty and come back and start a thread tellin' us how much you love it and how happy you are you didn't wait a day longer.


+1. I know how you feel. I'm also mid/late 30's and just starting (2 years in now), and I feel like a poser buying intermediate/pro gear sometimes, but screw it. You only live once, and you're helping the economy :)

I played guitar when I was a kid, and while I'm sure working a shitty job and saving every penny for 6 months to buy an intermediate guitar was a great learning experience, its nice now to just buy whatever the hell I want, when I want.
 
One thing to also think about is how having better gear can positively affect your growth as a drummer. When I got my first expensive snare (and set), it completely changed the way I played. Dynamics and ghost notes became more important because they actually worked with the gear I was using, instead of just thrashing things, I became aware of everything that was going on...
 
I agree with Pocket. You're a grown man, if you can afford it, who's to say you shouldn't?

I worked in several music stores selling drums for many years. Most people who buy high end equipment are not pros. Many are professionals in other fields who can afford a nice kit and do so because it makes them happy. If talent was a requirement to buy nice drums, the drum business as whole would go out of business.

That said, I think it's nice that you are aware of this. Too many people think buying nicer gear will make them sound like a better drummer.
 
Once I got to a point in my playing where I proved (to myself) that I was committed to the instrument and had the passion to keep up with it, I bought myself a nice kit. Now, this is not a "pro kit". I have a Mapex M-Birch which is considered to be in the intermediate range.

After experimenting with heads and tuning, the kit sounds amazing (to my ears) and has been a workhorse for gigging and even recording with my band. I'll probably play this kit for a very long time.

If things really take off with my band and gigging becomes more regular for us, I may start looking into a pro level kit at that time. Who knows.....

As far as snares go, I too, need to get a good snare. I think that the snare should be the best drum on your kit as it is the heart of the whole thing, But my point is get the snare that sounds best to your ears whether that be a $1000.00 sig snare or a $100.00 garage sale special that sounds amazing.

But, I agree that if you have the money and you are committed to the instrument, get yourself a nice kit or snare. It doesn't have to be "pro" as there are a lot of imtermediate kits out there that look and sound amazing. And don't be embarrassed to test out drums in the music store! Your the one who has to live with it once it's purchased and you need to be happy with the sound.
 
Oh and about the trying-it-out-in-the-store worry... You don't have to really play it, just hit it in different ways, look it over for defects, and maybe play with the tuning and/or snare tension. I usually try out my snares with one stick.
 
The way I see it, if you can afford it and you want it then buy it. There is no skill requirement for gear and anyone who looks at you in that way is an idiot. To put you at ease about whether or not you have earned it, use buying it in a different way. Use it as motivation to get better. Anytime I buy new stuff it gives me an energy and motivation to practice that transfers into my playing.
 
For those who can afford to buy pro level drums/equipment- Do you just buy the best thing you can afford at all/any time or set personal goals and try to earn it for yourself?
Quite simply, I buy what I want.​
 
For those who can afford to buy pro level drums/equipment- Do you just buy the best thing you can afford at all/any time or set personal goals and try to earn it for yourself?

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I started playing in 1992. I've owned two Export kits (beginner kits) and finally this year, I got a Masters MCX. It is my first pro quality, but not top of the line kit. I'm much older now, and can pay cash for a masterworks or dw kit. I just didn't see the need to spend thousands more on a kit that sounds marginally better (if better at all).
 
Your not required nor expected to be a great player just by buying a great sounding musical instrument. You will however enjoy becoming a better drummer while playing a great sounding snare drum. Buy the Black Beauty if you can afford it. I just saw a B.B. sell on E-bay for around three grand. It only cost a couple hundred bucks back in the late seventies

I bought my first pro-quality drum back in 1983, a chrome Sonor snare drum. Every Monday I walked from my job as a janitor down to the music store to lay down fifty bucks until it was paid off. Man I hated cleaning toilets but I loved that drum.
 
I have a similar, although shorter story than most of you. Slight case of GAS (5 kits in 2 years).... but all were purchased on craigs for a total cost of around $2000 including:

15 yr old mapex mars pro kit (beaten to death) $90
5 yr old tama rockstar custom (never played condition) $175
Gretsch catalina club rock 5 pc (never played condition) $600
Gretsch catalina rock 4 pc (26, 13, 16, 18,14) $1000
One no name kit was a gift
Yamaha DTX $500

So its all intermediate at best. I have just been learning what sounds best to me as I learn to play. Catalinas and Tama kit really sound fantastic. But the snare dept is lacking in every sense. I think what I have learned is that, as far as my ears are concerned, I can make any intermediate kit (of which most are really very well made) sound pretty good but not the snares. Especially not the catalina snares and I dont know if it is the fact that I play a BB every week at my lesson or that they sound bad but I cant get to the point where I like the sound because I know there is a better snare sound.

I am not rich enough to go buy anything but I could do a snare. My mother used to tell me that if you wanted something, you should wait 6 months and if you still wanted it then you should act on that feeling. It really works for so many things and I would suggest trying this to anyone who has made an impulse buy only to regret it later.

I am going to buy a BB and will probably find a Supra based on this thread and all the advice and perspective. Life is short and I really want to play snot out of one of those for an hour or two a day. No one has see me test it out and my jam buddies will love it surely.

I thought it was funny that no one flat out said "Oh yeah, I do that" confirming that I do actually have some self control (maybe more than most).

Would love to hear from another flagellant like me if there are any. Not that I am continuing this way any more. at least with regard to snares.
 
When I first started learning to play drums I was playing on a beginners Peavey kit with one ride and a set of hi-hats then got a Paiste 101 Brass Crash cymbal the next year for Christmas. 2 years.

Then, I decided I wanted to take drumming seriously and had been watching guys like Mike Portnoy, Dave Lombardo, Joey Jordison etc.etc. and like "If I get a double pedal I will be an amazing drummer!" but that was not the case, the next year for my birthday I went out and picked a single Iron Cobra and said "I'll get a double pedal for Christmas" which was like, 3 weeks later. Never did. Went out and bought a new cymbal! Thought I'd have enough for a Sabian or Zildjian (because all my favourite drummers were using them) but I never, and left with an Agean crash. Which I could compare to Zildjian and it's still lasted longer than some of my Zildjians. So that was 3 or 4 years I had been playing drums with terrible gear and slowly started getting better gear.

I'm getting lost here, but 2 Summers ago (which would've been my 4th or 5th year playing drums) I decided I was going to get a new ride and a pair of hi-hats. So I got the hi-hats first and said "I'll look around at the rides" and then my dad said "Look at this!"
It was a limited edition Mapex Meridian Maple but I was like "Yeah yeah" looking at the DW9000 double pedals because again, all my favourite drummers at the time were using them. And then started looking at a Tama Superstar Hyperdrive like "I want that..." but then I finally took a look at the Meridian Maple. I always thought at the time that Mapex weren't great because no big players play them. I wanted a Tama. That's what Mike Portnoy, Copeland and Taylor Hawkins played (and I was looking at a Gretsch at the time too because Taylor Hawkins had just joined Gretsch). But the dude in the store was like "Why go for Tama? The Mapex kit's bigger, comes with the hardware and the shells are better" etc. etc. and got to sit down and play both kits. Well, I left with a pair of hi-hats and a Mapex Meridian Maple. And at this point I wasn't even in a band! And still learning too I guess. But then my birthday I finally got a good ride. A Zildjian Sweet Ride and for Christmas I went out and bought a A Custom EFX crash. And since then I've gotten even more stuff. A Black Panther Sledgehammer and more crashes and a new pedal.

But from working in a drum shop for a week (for school) I learned how to make a cheap drum kit sound good and stuff like that so at gigs people would be like "Your snare sounds amazing but it's because it's expensive, and I've got a crappy snare" I'll say "Nope" take the snare from them, tune it for them and the look on their faces. Then I tell them, "doesn't matter if it's a junk snare or a 24k Gold Craviotto. You can make anything sound good with practice."

And I always get people who are like "Oh I'm better than you because I have better gear" or "I'm deserve you're gear, you suck" etc. etc. But I'll still play a entry level kit with a pedal collapsing and garbage can lids for cymbals and shock them. I couldn't really care if someone's "more experienced" than me or "better" than me or has a friggin' Ayotte kit for all I care. I do what I do. And I try do it to my best.

That's something I learned. What you want you don't NEED. I'm happy with my Mapex Meridian Maple kit and all my Zildjians/Sabians etc. etc. but I'll happily play any kit, though... I did break a kit the first gig I ever played... It was a Session Pro I believe. Whole thing collapsed in the 5 song set we had. Maybe, 2nd song in. So yeah, maybe a decent kit.

Sorry for this being all over the place, it's 2am where I live.
 
When I was a kid I was really into riding my bmx bike and jumping/doing tricks etc. but never really had a nice bike. After a while it became something I was proud of, especially when I would see another kid with a really nice/expensive bike who (as kids do) was trying to prove that he was better than me. I was very proud of my ability to out-perform on lesser quality equipment.

So- 25 years later I look at drumming this way to some extent except that I am now able to afford nicer stuff. I am about 2 years into drumming and I think my skills are where they should be- not better not worse. I am really lusting after a black beauty snare after playing one but I dont think I could go into a store and buy one because I would feel comfortable playing it in front of people and would worry that I might be viewed as the kid on the nice bike with no skills and an attitude. Wouldnt mind a set of USA Customs either.. . . .

For those who can afford to buy pro level drums/equipment- Do you just buy the best thing you can afford at all/any time or set personal goals and try to earn it for yourself?

Posted this thought on another thread and decided it might make an interesting conversation-

I think you have to think in terms of 'application'. If you don't consider yourself that great of a player, but you are playing with a group or in a show where you can't afford to have things break on you, then obviously, you will buy the best you can afford. Granted, the best you can afford doesn't have to mean the most expensive stuff.

In musical instrument terms, the high price you pay pays for playability and durability. I've seen parents buy cheap guitars and drums for their kids and then the kids get turned off because they're almost impossible to play, so you have to pay enough to have something playable. I've done some high-paying jobs and some where I wondered how I ended up there considering the caliber of players I was surrounded by, but I can't ever say my gear failed me at an inopportune time. So, expensive doesn't have to mean "unnecessarily gaudy and useless", to me it just means it will work and continue to work when you need it to.

That said, then no, I don't ever feel I have to 'earn' my gear. But certain high end things drumming-wise are useless: $2500 snare drums (or even $1000 snares), gold plated bass drum pedals....overweight stainless steel kits with engraved art on the shells....
 
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