Hey Matt, I'm sorry that this seems to have been posted here for so long without a response!
You're asking questions that really have no answer, since it's all based in opinion. Most drummers try out a bunch of different stuff, and over time start to like certain brands or types of wood better. So, I'm going to do my best to answer your questions factually, even though it's all completely subjective.
Neither brand is better! PDP (Which is a subsidiary of DW) and Gretsch both make excellent drums. Get whichever one you can afford and think is cooler. Won't matter in the long run, because as everyone on DrumChat can attest, if you get hooked on drumming you eventually buy it all anyways.
Most drums tend to be made from maple or birch, although you will also find drums made from all sorts of crazy things - bubinga, fiberglass, melted down cymbals (it's happened), concrete, wood that was sunk underwater for 100 years (also happened), so at the end of the day it's all about whether or not you like the way it sounds! Arguably, maple is more rounded and versatile, birch tends to be more of a rock and roll kind of sound. Again, everything I just said is subjective and debatable.
Regarding the fiberglass (clear plastic) drums that you asked about, they do sound and look cool, but they're not very common because they're expensive and fragile. If you end up buying fiberglass drums, make sure to also buy a case for each drum otherwise you'll drop one and crack it when you take the drums over to your buddy's house and get pretty mad about it.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you should buy an acoustic kit to learn on. In my personal opinion, most entry-level electronic kits have pads made of hard plastic and they don't feel like normal drums, so learning technique and dynamics on one is a little different from learning on a traditional acoustic kit. The high end electronic kits have mesh heads that feel like drums and metal cymbal pads that feel like cymbals, so I think learning on that kind of electronic kit would be fine, but that's thousands of dollars to buy.
Welcome to Drumchat, and have fun learning! When you make a decision about what to buy make sure you post a picture for us.
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