Re: Beginners Guide - Buying your FIRST drumset
Originally Posted by
ThePloughman
I am still of the mind that the whole shell pack marketing routine is a rip off. When was the last time you bought a car and had to have it towed home because it doesnt come with rims and tires? And yet, drummers accept that. I bought my first drumset after playing for 5 years. I also bought used, pro level, and complete. Drums, hardware, cases, and cymbals, all from the same guy. My drums were two years old, and looked like new. Price? I paid half what they cost new. And that was still a lot more than any "entry" set would have been. It was a lot less than constantly upgrading crap equipment would have been. If you are truly decided you are going to drum and stick with it, (getting super good, or famous doesnt matter), ..... then skip the entry routine. Save up, buy the good stuff right out of the gate.
And I still play them. Thirty four years later.
Thank you for mentioning this, it points to the other side of the coin. The point of buying a beginner shell pack, is to see if your into drums or not? I know lots of people who have started something (not just instruments, but usually instruments) and lost interest. That's the whole reason I decided to buy this.
Let me put it another way:
One one side, you have the convenience and lower price of buying a complete set, crap cymbals and all, just to see if your into it. On the other side, you have the option of buying a pro level shell pack, or just building your setup from scratch. This gets somewhere in the middle. I think you really shouldn't spend extra to get included stuff, that will be upgraded the future, but it's still ideal for a beginner to buy a shell pack in my opinion.
Besides, where is the fun in buying one set you'll use your whole life? That would just make G.A.S. worse. Because if you sort of take it one step at a time, you'd be buying a set every decade, treating GAS for a relatively long time
In the extreme: Would a six month drummer have a giant setup, crashes, chinas, splashes, ride(s) hi hat(s) two kick drums, and a dozen or so toms? Probably not.
Maybe that's just me though :/
Originally Posted by
Dad3353
I think I would advise having a more experienced, and trustworthy, acquaintance select a used complete kit for a first-time buy. There are loads of second-hand kits out there; many in very good order, and much less expensive than their equivalent, new.
If the buddy has a clear idea on your budget, and some idea of your tastes/aspirations, there is little risk, and some invaluable assistance in setting it up (tom placement/angle, tuning etc...) will give a decent result quickly.
Of course, I did things the hard way, all those years ago, and found out from experience how to waste a fair sum of hard-to-find money. If only DC had existed in the '60's..!
Hope this helps...
Not everyone has an experienced drummer as a friend
5 Piece Pearl kit 12" 13" 16" toms, 14" snare.
16" Sabian XS20 Rock Crash
20" Sabian XS20 Medium Ride
14" Sabian AAX-Celerator Hi-Hats
18" Sabian AAX-Plosion Crash
19" Sabian AAX-Treme Chinese - pending
Pearl Power Stroke Eliminator X Double kick pedal
"The things that are worth knowing, cannot be taught." -Oscar Wilde
"If you think you can or you think you can't, either way, you're right!." -Henry Ford
Bookmarks