Drum upgrade questions

[blowery]

Hello,
Long winded post ahead...
My 7 yr old is playing drums now and doing quite awesome actually. He "jammed" with the parent band at school on a few songs I'm amazed at how quick he is picking things up,
He got a used Percussion Plus older set this past December which actually after I tuned doesn't sound bad at all. Needs new heads probably first. Our house is rocking pretty good most nights we have to make him take a break.

It has the following cymbals:
20 Zildjian ZBT ride,
Percussion Plus by Paiste 16" crash
Percussion Plus by Paiste Hi-hats
no name 14" crash (junk)
Paragon 10" Neil Pert Splash - Pawnshop find $19.00
Percussion Plus by Paiste hi-hats.
Wuhan China Crash - He bought with X-mas money

We got a DW-5000 kick pedal (old & cheap $19.99 single chain)
The rest is just stock for that set.

The cymbals Paiste cymbals are OK at best, The Zildjian is OK but rings forever, the Paragon is great and the Wuhan is just fun for him.

Whats the next logical step? Snare? We found a Pork Pie Lil' Squealer that sounded really nice for $130 (probably can get cheaper) but would like to make his budget work good. (7 yr old budget lol)

From what I can tell (guitarist for 20plus years, hack on drums) The shell pack should be the last thing to upgrade. Do you upgrade cymbals next? Snare? Any other advice?

thanks!

[No Me Metro]

A DW 5000 kick pedal is a solid pedal that can last a long time (great deal BTW).

I would recommend new heads all around. It would also provide the opportunity to practice tuning.

For a treat, I would look at the throne. Is he comfortable?

[Ricardo]

With the budget you describe, I would upgrade cymbals one at a time.

Used "A" Zildjians are a value-bargain...............make sure you see zero cracks on the outside edge.
With no abuse, they will last forever.

New heads and a comfortable throne are always good advice.

[blowery]

Thanks for the replies, the throne is a pretty standard throne, nothing fancy but sturdy, holds my 200lbs up. Longest he plays at a time is 30~45mins and I'm not sure at 7yrs old he could tell much difference although I could lol.

Definitely would be just 1 at a time cymbal upgrade after the heads. It's probably ok thats he's staring with some junk cymbals and not tearing up nice ones.

Are the "A" series the Avedis or are those different?

[Pearl MCX Man]

'A' are Avedis and the most popular used series in the drum eras of the 70's. Can't go wrong with them. I have and used them for over 40 years

[gdmoore28]

With the budget you describe, I would upgrade cymbals one at a time.

Used "A" Zildjians are a value-bargain...............make sure you see zero cracks on the outside edge.
With no abuse, they will last forever.

New heads and a comfortable throne are always good advice.

This. Go on ebay and Guitar Center and shop for used cymbals in the Zildjian "A" series. They are top quality, lifetime cymbals and in many cases can be had for a song compared to new. Get him the following, in the order listed, and you will never need to do it again (at least until he develops his own taste!) Prices are approximate:

Hi Hats: Zildjian A 14" New Beats, Quick Beats, or Mastersound $125

Ride Cymbal: Zildjian A 20-23" Medium, Ping, Rock, or Sweet Ride $125

Crash Cymbal: Zildjian A 16-18" Medium, Medium-thin, or Thin $85

Lifelong careers have been made on these cymbals. Can't go wrong.

Good going, Pops.

GeeDeeEmm

[Ricardo]

Are the "A" series the Avedis ?

Yes.

[SpazApproved]

I was also thinking new heads. Get a great tone and a set of heads that will last longer then the factory PP heads

[N2Bluz]

+1 on new heads. The drum shells may not be the best, but with new heads and good tuning they can be made to sound pretty nice. I would also start with the cymbals. Most any bronze (B8 or B20) would be an upgrade over the existing brass. Used A's would be a good choice. I bought new Wuhan crash cymbals for my practice kit and even gig with them on occasion. The Wuhan 14" and 16" medium crashes are dirt cheap (new) and sound acceptable in my opinion. I've even had a few compliments on their sound during gigs.

[blowery]

Thanks again for the great & fast replies...you guys are breaking the stereotype about drummers being late and unintelligible

I will be on the look out for some A's, I did find some K's for a decent price I will have to see if those are still around. If my research is correct they are a little darker than A's but similar quality?

I"m assuming that are similar to guitar strings in that it's personal preference mostly? I was looking at Evans G2 coated? There is one pinstripe on their right now but the toms in general seem pretty ringy/overtones. I have tuned them a little looser and put a little tape to dampen and thats helped them sound a chunk better.
Any thoughts on heads?
Also should I replace Batter & Reso or start with just batter?

Thanks again everyone! having a lot of fun with my son and this.

[late8]

First, new heads for sure, then upgrade the cymbals. Used cymbals make a great value.

[SunDog]

I think you're on the right track here. A decent snare before cymbals. When you do go for cymbals, probably hi hat first. Kick, snare, hi hat is the core of what we do on drums. After that, well hit us up again when you get to your next "what to buy" dilemma. GL to you and your son.

[blowery]

Thanks again for the thoughts. I posted a reply but it appears my post hasn't gone through? It's taking a long time for it to show up.


Evans G2 coated?
Remo Coated?

Any other ideas for heads for his kit?
Also should I do batter and reso or just start with batter?

thanks! Who says drummers are always late...or unintelligible or...