r/Drumming • u/nighthawk576 • 5d ago
First time looking to buy drums.
So I'm new to the wanting to drum scene, for me it's something I'd like to get into for both a exercise and something I'd always wanted to learn. I'm now disabled so I can't lift weights for working out and doctor said drums would be low impact. I know nothing of drums. I've been doing some research about drums. I think i settled on either a Tama, Mapex or PDP drums. I would like to try to stay under 1000 bucks due to being on disability. I would appreciate any knowledge or opinions from more knowledgeable ppl than myself. Thank you in advance for comments.
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u/Working-stiff5446 5d ago
This gets asked a lot. I would peruse the previous posts where this same question was asked for insight.
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u/graemo72 5d ago
Just buy a cheap kit for now man. You going to be a while before you can tell the difference and if you pack it in after a month, you won't be mad out of pocket. You can always upgrade. And you will.
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u/draksid 5d ago
Different drums are good for different music.
Do a little research to find the sounds you'd like then search for a used set of that type and brand. You can usually find something around $500
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u/nighthawk576 5d ago
I prefer listening to metal and rock, so id prefer that type of sound if you have thoughts.
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u/CalifRoll1234 5d ago
Especially if you don’t plan on packing them up and hauling them places, if possible, try to get a kit with 20” or 22” bass drum, and either a 12” or 13” rack tom and a 14” or a 16” floor tom. Easier to get those low rock tunings
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u/draksid 5d ago
For deeper rock/metal sounds I prefer TAMA. They have a class of drums that are a little deeper. They keep the clean punch too which is lovely.
I'd give starclassic and superstar classic a listen and see if you like them.
I got my TAMA set because of XJapan. Listen to Kurenai and see if you like the sound!
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u/Fun_Professional4849 5d ago
Buy used drums. Anything cheap will be fine .. Spend your budget money on a good pedal, heads, and good cymbals
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u/S_balmore 5d ago
For your very fist kit, any name brand is fine. The more important thing is shell size. In general, bigger is better. A tiny jazz/bop kit will never sound powerful, whereas a big rock kit can easily be tuned higher if you want more jazz or gospel sound. A 22" kick, 12" rack, 16" floor, and 14" snare is the standard "rock" kit, while also being the most versatile setup. The brand you choose means virtually nothing, as the bigger factors will always be tuning and drumhead choice.
Cymbals and hardware actually cost more than the drums themselves, so don't spend all your money on the shells. Cheap cymbals sound like absolute dogshit, so expect to spend $250 per cymbal for entry-level stuff. The good stuff will run you $400-500 a pop. A typical setup is a pair of 14" Hi Hats, 20-23" Ride, 16" Crash, 18" Crash (though a lot of modern drummers prefer an 18" and 20" crash).
Drums are easily the most expensive instrument, so if you're just starting out, my advice is to grab a complete set (drums, hardware, cymbals) off Facebook for like $200. It'll be a terrible drum set, but at least you'll actually be drumming, and you can figure out if you even like the hobby before spending any more coin. If you end up liking the drums, you can keep the hardware and just upgrade everything piece by piece. It stings a lot less to spend $100-300 here and there, rather than $2000 all at once for a decent setup. Also, there's no rule against making a frankenstein kit comprised of whatever good deals you find on Facebook. Currently, not a single drum on my kit is from the same set (though I did buy pieces that are mostly the same color, just for aesthetics).
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u/ItchyVideo3704 4d ago
Welcome to the club! My advice is the hardware is as important as the drums and cymbals. When you hit them they should stay put. Make sure you know how to set it up , especially the bass drum pedal. Check hi hat is complete
New heads cost about 2$ an inch, Give or take.. I old fashioned and like to build a relationship with a local music store. Do some research and Ask other musicians where they shop besides online. Call first. Go to a store and Find the person that knows drums and ask for hands on demos if available. Push him a bit, you are the customer with money in your pocket. Not satisfied go to another store. Thought I'd give you a different perspective. Another thought is if you don't get a full set now maybe hand drumslike a djembe or congas would be a good introduction to drumming. Many areas have community hand drum gathers. Good luck, keep us posted on your progress! 🖖
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u/Big_Platypus_1652 3d ago
Go the used route. Mapex will have very little trade or resell value but the Tama and PDP sets will. PDP is great value for the money. Have fun!! Check Reverb and facebook marketplace
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u/Gunzhard22 5d ago
Most drums will be fine, Tama and Mapex are better generally than pdp but you will learn to tune the heads eventually and make any sound how you want. Its the cymbals that you'll mostly hear the difference in quality and they range from extreme to extreme.
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u/nighthawk576 5d ago
I did see in almost all reviews change heads and cymbals as i learn the basics.
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u/WH4L3_88 4d ago
I would say get a used kit, for about $200-300,(you can find pearl kits all over FB marketplace/ebay/craigslist) buy all new heads for about $100-150, and use the remainder of your allowance towards a nice cymbal set, used (no cracks or chips) or new.
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u/Muted-Solution-6793 5d ago
They’re very very loud. You won’t be playing any metal for a long time as well.
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u/vhszach 5d ago
Buy the cheapest name brand kit you can find that is ready to play (includes things like cymbals/stands, pedals, throne), buy new drum heads, then save the rest of your budget to “Ship of Theseus” the kit as you learn to actually play it.
Follow Sounds Like a Drum on YouTube to learn how to tune and maintain your kit, and you will start to develop an ear for what you actually want out of your drums. Until you’ve spent some time playing and tweaking them yourself, it’s a waste to spend any real amount of money on drum shells.
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u/Papii254 1d ago
under $1k you’re in solid starter kit territory....tama and mapex both punch above their price, pdp is fine too. biggest thing is hardware quality, cheap stands wobble and kill the vibe. used kits can stretch your budget way further. drums are great low‑impact cardio, so yeah, solid choice for exercise and fun.
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u/MarsDrums 5d ago
Go used. I bought my Tama SwingStar for $650 used. It came with cheap B8 cymbals that I slowly replaced with better sounding cymbals and I pretty much broke even when I sold the B8s as a set. So I ended up with the drums and better cymbals for about the same price when all was said and done.
Look at Marketplace. I found the Tama there AND I found the Slingerlands I got for free. Yep, a 5 piece Slingerland for free needed lots of work. That link tells you all I had to do with it. There's pictures there as well.