Opinions on my first drum set?

Hello there,

I apologize if this isn't the right place for this post but I couldn't find a better one myself.

I have lurked these forums for some time but finally decided to register and post because I am planning to buy my first drum set. I have looked at a number of forums, posts, and reviews and feel like the best set I can buy for the money I have is the Tama IE52C Imperialstar Drum Kit. I am just curious for any thought or opinions any of you may have. Would you buy this set starting out? Would you recommend a different set? Do any of you have any experience with the specific drum set?

Thanks in advance and I really enjoy this forum!

Welcome and thanks for joining.

From the description on the TAMA website, it looks like a good kit. Have you got a budget and have you decided on cymbals, drum throne, drum pedal or any other hardware you may want?

Not to mention, you'll probably want to get new heads at some point and well, ya gotta have sticks.

There's a lot of choices. I don't know your price point but if you haven't already, take a look at Yamaha Stage Customs. From personal experience, I haven't found a better value for a quality kit.

We have to know your budget, and what you need? Are you buying the whole complete kit, with cymbals, stands, bass drum pedal etc or just the drum set?

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Originally Posted by MDK

We have to know your budget, and what you need? Are you buying the whole complete kit, with cymbals, stands, bass drum pedal etc or just the drum set?

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I read a link on the TAMA website and it looks like it comes with everything for $700.00 according to some on line sites. I know the cymbals aren't great but for a first timer/ kit, it looks like a pretty good deal. Definitely something that can be built on or easily traded up at some point.

Thanks for the replies guys. It does come with the cymbals and hardware and throne. I know they aren't the best but I imagine they will do until I can afford some upgrades.

Welcome Cyberius! Your new kit is fine. Everyone has their own starting point and you are on your way. Now go have some fun.

Welcome to the forum. Try scouring your local craigslist or FB Marketplace for a used set as well. Many times you will find great deals on killer kits for the price of the Tama you are looking at. As Bish stated, Yamaha Stage Customs are a huge value. I picked up my whole first kit for $700 and it was a Stage Custom with full set of Zildjian ZBT (since traded up), hardware, throne, and drum bags. It may take a little searching, but you can usually find a great kit in your range.

A quick search of CL in Seattle, These would all be better options, Plus when your ready to upgrade you wont lose much if any money at all like you will with a new Tama Imp. star.

The imperial star is a fine kit. It will last you many years if you take care of it.

I would start with what you can afford and then upgrade later as your budget allows without breaking the bank. Most kits come with cheap cymbals and hardware just to make the kit complete. More expensive kits come only with shells and you have the option of buying your own hardware and cymbals if you can afford that route. Either way good luck and Tama are a great brand no doubt.

I would definitely explore used. It's a buyer's market and you can usually get good gear in great condition for about half of what it would cost new. A good set of cymbals often costs more than the shell pack, so if you can find a used kit that includes cymbals and hardware you'll be way ahead of the game. Do your research and narrow it down to a few kits that you'd like and you'll more than likely find someone with one for sale. BTW you can't go wrong with ANYTHING by TAMA IMHO.

Welcome to the forum. The Tama kit in question looks great. I think it would make a great starter kit. But as others have posted, the used market for drums and cymbals is a buyers market right now. The best time to look for great bargains on CL is July - September. As a beginner, you may not know the value of some of the gear out there but if you do some homework, you can see where the fair market value falls on a lot of the kits for sale.

Tama IE52C Imperialstar Drum Kit:

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