...drum tips
Buying Your First Drum Set
Well, you are about to
make a purchase that you have been waiting to make for quite a
while. Buying your first drum set is quite an exciting
experience. It can also be a bit unnerving if you have never done
it before.
I recommend that you get a 5 piece drum set. 5 pieces means 5
drums. Those drums would be the bass drum, snare drum, two
mounted tom toms and a floor tom.
You should also get a 20” ride cymbal, a 16” crash
cymbal and a pair of 14” hi hat cymbals. You can get what is
called a “cymbal pre pack”. All 4 of the above
mentioned cymbals are included in the pack. (Be aware that some
pre packs have only 3 cymbals. Get the 4 cymbal pre pack). Stay
away from cymbals that are called “crash/ride” as one
cymbal cannot effectively take the place of 2 cymbals. The pre
packs are student line cymbals, not the top of the line
professional cymbals. However, the pre packs are made by the same
manufacturers as the pro cymbals. I would recommend a Zildjian,
Sabian or Paiste cymbal pre pack. Camber also, makes a pre pack.
The sounds of these cymbals are adequate. The durability is
wonderful and that is what you need at this point. Later on you
can add pro cymbals to your kit.
You will need hardware for the kit, also. Hardware refers to the
stands and the pedals. YOU WILL NEED AT LEAST A MEDIUM TO PRO
QUALITY BASS DRUM PEDAL. A lot of the student line kits have
pedals that are not very good. If you are buying from a store
that I recommended to you, please ask the salesperson about the
quality of the pedal and if it is not good, ask for an upgrade.
It will cost you less money to do it now, rather than having to
pay for another pedal later.
You will also need the following hardware: snare drum stand, tom
tom mounts (which usually come with the drums), hi hat stand,
bass drum pedal, two cymbal stands and a drum throne (seat).
You have options and I will go over each of them for you. Your
first option is to buy used set thru the newspapers, from the
internet or from an acquaintance. Most of you do not know what to
look for. It is hard to tell you if you are getting a good deal
or not without having the set in my presence. If drum heads are
worn, they can be easily replaced. Drum heads are reasonably
priced. You don’t want any hardware that is not working or
drum shells that are cracked, etc. etc. But then again, if
someone is selling a set for like one or two hundred dollars,
there will be things wrong with it.
Once in a while you can get a real deal. Students of mine who are
upgrading their sets will sometimes let me sell their old ones. I
make sure that the price is good for the seller and the buyer.
So, if you get a set thru me, you will be OK, ‘cos if there
is a problem I know that I will be the one taking care of it.
Please stay with recognized drum names like Pearl, DW, Ludwig,
Yamaha, Tama, Slingerland, Gretsch, etc.
In your student handbook I recommend several places for you to
shop. I recommend these places because of their reputation for
taking care of my students. You are welcome to purchase a set
from anyone you want, but I warn you that if you are not careful
you can pay more money and end up with an inferior drum set.
There are salesmen who have that “used car” mentality.
I do not want my students getting burned by any salesman which is
why I send students to specific places, and, to specific
salespeople.
The first place that I recommend for new drum sets is Gelb Music
in Redwood City. The Drum Manager is Don Frank, an old friend of
mine. It is a bit of a drive, but every student that I have sent
there has been extremely satisfied. Most of the time he will
either match or beat Guitar Center’s price on drums, cymbals
and accessories. Don is a professional player and a very
professional, low pressure salesman. He will answer your
questions.
Please tell Don that I sent you.
The second place is Guitar Center on Stevens Creek Blvd. The Drum
Manager is Sid Thompson. I have also known Sid for many years. He
used to manage Lemmon Percussion and Guitar Showcase before that.
He is also very knowledgeable and has a large inventory of
equipment. Please tell Sid that I sent you.
Oh, by the way, I do not receive any “kickback” or
“compensation” from any of the stores that I recommend.
The third place for both new and used equipment is Starving
Musician on El Camino Real in Santa Clara. They have the best
selection of used drums and cymbals in the area. It has been a
while since I have been there, but I believe the Drum Manager
there is Dave. He may not be there any more, but still, the store
has a good reputation.
Another option is renting a drum set. I am not personally wild
about this as you will usually pay a fee based on the full retail
price of the set. If you are not sure if your child will stick
with it, then renting for 2 or 3 months is not a bad idea. If you
rent for longer than this, you really will be wasting your money.
I think that Starving Musician and Guitar Showcase (in Campbell)
rent drum sets. So, please try there if you are looking to rent.
Hopefully, this has answered some of your questions. If you need
more assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
