How To Buy a Drum Kit Without Breaking The Bank
When it comes to buying a drum kit, it can be quite an expensive purchase. Which, of course can put people off learning this fantastically versatile instrument. In this blog post I will give you my tips and tricks to avoid breaking the bank.
There are many different varieties of drum kits; the actual sizes of each drum (width and depth), the colour (the colour of course doesn't affect anything except how cool you want to look behind the kit) and of course how many drums you want in your full set up. A basic four piece set up or a gazillion piece set up, or what I like to call the 'Peart' set up.
For beginner drummers this can be a very difficult decision to make, but if you keep reading I hope to give you a few pointers to get yourself going to buy and learn this great instrument.
TIP NUMBER 1: MAPEX
I LOVE Mapex Drums....There, I said it! They are so affordable and sound fantastic. They have such a wide variety of drum kits from complete starter kits to professional as they come. I had a Mapex Armory kit for such a long time, I used it for wedding gigs, rock shows, and jazz shows.... AND it only cost me £500 brand new, which is $872 Canadian dollars. It was for sure a steal of a drum kit. Reasonable price, looked great, sounded fantastic and was so reliable and sturdy. Mapex also offers their Tornado series, which is in my opinion, the best overall starter kit for people interested in learning drums. You can buy it new at Long & McQuade for $525, or you can get it on finance.
TIP NUMBER 2: HARDWARE
A lot of people forget you also need hardware (cymbal stands, hi hat stand, kick drum pedal and drum stool). But don't worry....This might seem like a huge list of things to buy just to start learning an instrument, but I assure you while the list might be large the bill won't be if you are smart about it.
If you are looking for cheap hardware packs, you can literally type into Google 'Cheap Drum Hardware Packs' and one of the first things that pop up is PDP 800 Series Hardware Pack, you can buy it for $200 or pay $9 a month for 24 months, and this has everything you need for a starter kit. Two cymbal stands, kick drum pedal, snare stand and hi hat stand. I like hardware packs because they are usually cheaper than buying everything individually and they almost always come with a hardware bag for transport.
If that is outside your budget, then I suggest getting the essentials which are a hi hat stand, snare stand, cymbal stand and drum throne (a stool). I have included some links for cheap and cheerful drum hardware.
In my opinion, I would spend a bit more money on a decent drum throne as you will be (hopefully) sitting at the kit for at least a few hours a week so being comfy is a must in my book. Getting a super cheap drum throne, coupled with bad posture at the drum kit, can lead to some back pain, so I suggest going with the Mapex T570 drum throne, its a reasonable price, its great quality and very comfy.
TIP NUMBER 3: CYMBALS
Cymbals can also be a very expensive purchase as well...Which, is crazy because they are just bits of metal that you hit with a wooden stick...But believe me, each cymbal is its own instrument and has its own voice and tone. Check out how they make them here.
Zildjian's ZBT line is designed with beginners in mind. The ZBT line are great start up cymbals because Zildjian make great cymbals and this particular line is quite affordable. You can get a ZBT pack on amazon for $263 or rent them at Long & McQuade for a very great price.
Here are a few more cymbal pack links to look over:
TIP NUMBER 4: DRUM STICKS
This is a tough one as almost all drum sticks are the same price. If I were you, I would go with the classic Vic Firth 5a sticks to get started. They are the same sticks I have used basically my entire professional life. They are the best in every way shape and form and they are on Amazon for $13.99 here. I will include links to other drum stick manufacturers, which may be slightly cheaper:
TIP NUMBER 5:
Last, but certainly not least...drum heads. There are so many drum heads on the market at the moment. It can be difficult to know which drum heads will work best for you, let alone how to install it once you've made your purchase. Lucky for you, there is so much content online for exactly this scenario and I'll include a link here to help you install and change your drum heads.
My go to drum head company is Remo, I recently changed to Remo because...well...all my favourite drummers use them and I love their sound.
Drum heads can get very expensive, you are talking at least $60 for a good bass drum head.. So, shop in stages over a few months. First stage: Get a snare drum head. Remo has many great options, like this here.
Second stage: Toms. You have coated or clear heads, for beginners I recommend clear, like the Remo Ambassador. Third stage: Bass drum head....In my opinion the classic Pinstripe coated is the best bass drum head on the market. Here are a few other links to drum head companies:
Thank you for reading this blog, if you have any questions or topic suggestions, please feel free to contact me via email, benmontgomerydrums@gmail.com.
Thank you.