Buying tips & guidelines

Drums - Buying tips & guidelines

Acoustic drum kit

An acoustic drum kit is a set of drums and cymbals designed to be played as one instrument. Most Drum kits are sold in five-piece configurations (the number of drums), which typically include

Bass drum and pedals
Snare drum and Stand
Two mounted Toms with mounting hardware
Floor Tom
Hi-hat Cymbals and Stand
Crash Cymbal
Ride Cymbal and Stand
Throne

Benefits:

Great for most acoustic styles of music; rock, pop, jazz, blues, funk etc.
Perfect for high volume/high energy playing.
Requires more skill to get a nice sound early on.
Responsive to your touch and feel.

Limitations:

Practice can be more difficult if you have neighbours nearby due to the loud natural response of acoustic drums (this volume can be reduced with silencing pads)
Often takes up more space.
Requires tuning, something which takes years of practice to be able to do well.
To get a decent sounding acoustic kit (especially cymbals) costs quite a lot of money.

Electric drum kit

An electric drum kit is essentially a collection of sample pads set up in the same way as an acoustic drum kit. The pads themselves are designed to produce little acoustic sound, other than the dead sound of the wooden drum sticks hitting rubber. The drum kit has to be plugged into an amplifier, speaker, or pair of headphones to be heard, which makes them ideal for practice when volume has to be kept to a minimum.

Benefits

Great for low/zero volume practice.
Pads are often smaller than acoustic drums so if space is a problem, electric kits can be a solution.
Electronic drum kits offer a wealth of drum kits straight out of the box, so you won’t have to spend money on extras as you start experimenting with new sounds.
Doesn’t require any tuning.
Doesn’t require knowledge of drum maintenance.

Limitations

Beginner electric drum kits have limited features. You are often stuck with a handful of presets and have no control over individual drum samples.
As digital technology is advancing so quickly you could buy a good quality electric drum kit and find that in 10 years it will have devalued significantly.
Many drummers who have only ever played electric drum kits end up with a lot of bad habits due to the fact that a sample pad reacts differently to being played than an acoustic drum or cymbal does. Some examples are;
- Not allowing the drum stick/bass drum beater to rebound. When playing an acoustic kit not allowing the stick to rebound will produce a choked sound, whereas this isn’t the case on an electric kit.
- Playing with poor dynamic balance between different parts of the kit. On an electric kit it’s easy just to turn the hi hat volume down if you think it’s too loud, rather than hitting the hi hat lighter. Many drummers who have played electric drums their whole lives play with an awkward, forced feel when playing acoustic drum kits.
- Playing too loud. The volume on an electric kit can simply be turned down. On an acoustic kit if you want to play quietly you need to develop the technique to allow you to do this.
- Doesn’t require any knowledge of drums to maintain. If you have only ever owned an electric kit you’ll be at a disadvantage whenever you have to play an acoustic drum kit.

If you want to take your drumming seriously, possibly make a career from it, and have no intention of playing electronic music then you need to buy an acoustic drum kit. If you are in this position and you end up buying an electric kit you could develop some really bad habits that take years to reverse.

If you are looking to learn the drums casually, won’t miss the power of an acoustic kit, or are totally certain that you only want to play electronic music, then an electric drum kit is for you. You can learn how to play an amazing instrument without having to worry about bothering neighbours.

Try before you buy

Before you invest in a new drum kit, make sure you play it. Any retailer worth their salt will encourage you to sit down behind a kit and experiment before committing. You’ll be spending a lot of time behind your new kit, so make sure you’re comfortable, and that the kit sounds right and most importantly, feels right. Getting the right sound is the most exciting part of buying and setting up your new drum kit. The physical size of your drums will affect the sound, as will the material that they’re made from. The size and shape of a cymbal, as well as the type of metal used, give the cymbal its signature sound, and there’s a huge variety of cymbals available – all with their own unique tone and feel.

Space considerations

A full-sized drum kit can take up a lot of space, and when you’re setting up be prepared for things to spread out a bit. You’ll be surprised how far a kick/bass drum can travel in one practice session. If you’re short on space, electronic kits can help. They have a smaller footprint than acoustic kits so they can easily squeeze into the corner of your room or your home studio. What’s more, they’re easy to assemble and dismantle so you can put them away and get your room back when you’re not rehearsing. They’re also easier to take out and about for band practice or gigs.

Selecting the right one

The choice of which instrument to select especially if it is your first depends on different factors including:

The level of your commitment to play the instrument
How much time you want to spend rehearsing playing the instrument
How much money you wish to spend on the instrument
The styles and genres you wish to play
The instrument type that best suits you and in case of the drum kit
The space available to practice playing, and
Noise considerations

Drum Kit Type
Dependent on the type of sound you want to play, how much you spend and the quality of the instrument you get is wide ranging. You can get a simple good working used instrument that is fully sufficient for your purposes or a new expensive instrument that may not necessarily be fit for your purposes. To ensure you receive the best opportunity as a player, it is best to take time to compare brands, price and customer reviews. Look for models that balance economy with good sound and play-ability.

It's always wise to read up on the reputation of the brand you wish to buy and find any reviews of the specific product you're looking at. Many manufacturers produce each kit they make in two different configurations, fusion and standard. Fusion kits have toms with smaller diameters that produce a sharp punchy tone. Standard kits have larger tom diameters, produce more volume and have a larger tone that mixes well with electric guitars and are therefore best for playing rock music.

For a starter drum kit a five piece kit with three cymbals gives you everything you’ll need to master the basics, across a variety of drumming styles. This will be made up of: -
Drums

Kick or Bass drum
Snare drum
Two rack toms
Floor tom

The drums do not usually come with any cymbals so they have to be acquired separately. The cymbals will be made up of: -
Cymbals

One hi-hat
One ride cymbal
One or more crash cymbals

For the acoustic drum kit, the size (diameter and shell depth) and type of wood used (Birch, Mahogany, Maple) in the construction of the instrument determines the type of sound produced.
In the case of Electric drum kits, you should be able to find one with many functions, including:-

Playing hundreds of drum sounds, covering maple, birch, metal kits and even more. The modules on electronic kits should come loaded with a variety of drum kits and sounds plus a metronome so you can change musical genres at the touch of button
Play along with songs or plug in your own MP3 player
Flexible enough to adjust the kit as you grow and develop, so that you can customise your kit without spending more money on a new kit

You should always seek help before you buy an instrument to know whether the quality of what you’re getting is worth the price. Soliciting the help of a drums teacher, a friend or someone who plays the instrument to go with you to test, feel, check the instrument before buying is always recommended. Where possible, it makes sense to check if you can lend a used instrument from a music school and buy later, lease or rent a new instrument from the music shop which can be bought later.

Do not rush the decision to get your instrument, take your time to ensure that you get the right thing. You can for example ask if you can take a kit home for a couple of days try out based on prior arrangement/agreement with the shop before making your decision.

If the dealer hasn't got the type of kit you want, you should ask them to show you the ones they have that is within your budget range to try out. Of course be aware that the acoustic drum kit will differ from the electric drum kit both in terms of quality, sound and cost. And even between acoustics, there will be differences dependent on the materials used in their construction especially the type of wood and in the case of electric, the differences will be in access to dedicated applications, with buttons that facilitate control and selection of functionalities and preset modes, with various connectivity types, useful for both experienced and beginner drummers.

To ensure you are buying an instrument fit for purpose, carefully check if anything is broken, scratched or cracked on your selected acoustic drums before you buy.

For an acoustic drum kit, you do this by checking the following : -

For an electric drum kit, you do this by checking the following : -

Shells

Critically inspect the shells for any cracks or missing hardware. With a reasonably healthy drum, little screws and nuts can be replaced. If you're however not getting a good deal for the drum, then it may not be worth replacing little parts. Used drums will need new heads and these are not difficult to change, but this will be an additional cost to consider.

Hardware

Ensure none of the pieces that tighten and loosen are stripped and none of the pieces that should be straight are bent. Cymbal stands should have two felt discs for the cymbal to sit between and a piece to hold it all in place on the stand. Usually the top fastener screws down on top of the upper piece of felt, though on some new designs you can just pinch to release.

Cymbals

With cymbals, every crack, no matter how small, will grow over time, a thorough inspection is therefore necessary. Little cracks along the circular grooves of a cymbal are sometimes difficult to identify, so look closely for that. If the hole at the center of the cymbal is not a perfect circle, it's a sign of stress on the cymbal probably due to not being fastened on the stand properly. Also look for little cracks around the centre hole as a sign of damage that will quickly lead to the cymbal sounding bad and being unusable.

Feel and tone

Feel and tone by striking each drum pad and cymbal from every angle, hard and soft, listening hard to establish the hardware can keep up with expressive, nuanced play, and that the tone feels full and authentic.

Flexibility and durability

Flexibility and durability of the drum stands to ensure its toughness for travel, ergonomics and its tweaking

Pads and Cymbals

Pads and cymbals have a quiet performance and the tap of your sticks do not create loud noises. You can do this by avoiding e-kits with layered-rubber pads, and instead go for noise-reducing V-Pads and mesh heads.

Features for learning

Coach, tutorial and metronome functions that come with the kit are good enough to support your ability to learn your hitting and fills rhythms.

Kit features

Kit has features that allows you to jam. A good sound module will have onboard backing songs and phrase loops, let you import your favourite songs as WAV/MP3 files, and playback tracks through a headphone from your CD/MP3 player.

Potential for upgrades

Potential for hardware upgrades by choosing an entry-level kit that allows you expansion of the hardware and other kit items

Buy vs Rent

As with any instrument for a beginner, there are a few considerations to be made before making the decision to buy or rent. In the case of a drum kit, the primary considerations are the budget, level of interest of your child, right size kit based on the age, sufficient space to set up the kit, kit type to get (acoustic or digital) and noise considerations.

To help the beginner master the basics of drumming, the suggestion will be to get a complete five piece set hardware and cymbals for a first kit. The cost of the drum kit can vary considerably from several hundred pounds to thousands – Note the set of drums is normally sold separately from the cymbals.

Renting the drum kit allows for financial flexibility while figuring out if the instrument is the right fit for the student (in terms of interest, configuration and sound) before splashing out on buying, especially as the student may probably be a child and the size of kit they need will change as they grow. This gives you the option to make changes to get the right fit or return the drums if the interest is just temporary. Most shops also have rent-to-own programs therefore what you pay towards your rental will at the end be deducted from the cost of the drum kit if you decide to buy.

If you however know exactly what size and type of drum kit the student needs, then it will make sense to buy a drum kit ensuring it is a quality drum kit that is great to play, suits the beginners needs and is flexible enough to grow with the player as they become a more experienced drummer.

If space and noise is an issue, then go for the digital drum kit. This gives you the option of hearing the drum sounds only through your headset with no external noise (quiet and silent practice). It also gives you the options to play varied sounds and genres. The whole set easily squeezes into small spaces and is easy to assemble and dismantle though it can usually be more expensive than the acoustic drum kit for beginners.

Many experienced drummers however prefer the natural sound and play-ability of an acoustic drum kit to the digital drum kit.

New vs Second hand

Buying a drum kit for a beginner or being a beginner yourself and not knowing how long the thrill and enthusiasm for playing the drums will last, it makes sense to get a second hand rather than a new kit. The used kit should also be acoustic rather than a digital drum kit as second hand digitals are not easily repairable when they break down. It therefore makes sense to buy a new digital drum kit if your option is to go digital.
You can find lots of second hand acoustic drum kits that have been hardly used and sold for reasonable amounts making them good value for your money.

Some knowledge of drum kits always comes handy to be able to buy a good second-hand drum kit, so if you choose that option, be prepared to carry out a little research or ask your drums teacher, a drummer friend or someone you know who plays the instrument to help you know how to figure out a good kit.

Used kits do offer substantial savings. You can sometimes find second-hand kits as good as new whilst new kits will offer warranties that may be a source of savings for the duration of the warranty

Visit the Skwiix outlet to see the price range of drum kits on offer. You may also find them in pawn shops, auctions, flea markets, classified ads, and online.

Here are the quick Skwiix tips to buying a Drum Kit:

Tip 1

Be sure there is some level of commitment to playing the ddrums. It doesn’t make sense to spend a considerable amount of money on an instrument you have no commitment to playing

Tip 2

Set your budget when deciding to buy a drum kit and whether you get an acoustic or electronic drum kit based on the noise and space factors within your environment

Tip 3

Decide on whether you want to get a new or secondhand instrument

Tip 4

Used drum kits will normally be less expensive that newer ones. Many music stores offer both new and used drum kits and can assist you in choosing the right fit for you or your child.

Tip 5

Although it may be convenient and sometimes even less expensive to buy your drum kit online, it is best to go to a shop that sells several brands and types of the instrument where you can actually get the look and feel the instrument. You can request detailed pictures of exactly what is included in the sale, visit a local music shop to match the picture parts of what you want to get, Try out several before you make your decision.

Tip 6

New acoustic kits are usually not sold with cymbals, sticks and thrones so confirm whether or not the kit you are buying is a “shell pack” (i.e. just the drums without cymbals, stands sticks or stool).

Tip 7

Get to know the brand names and familiarise yourself with the price range you’d expect to pay for the model of drum kit both new and second-hand.

Tip 8

Drum kits can often be available through private sellers. Before you buy a used drum kit, it is best to ensure that it is a workable instrument with no playing defects. If you specifically decide to get a second hand drum kit then do check if the : -

Drum kit is in a playable condition
Shells and hardware are in healthy condition
Environmental conditions in which the drum kit is kept is right (Damp, Dusty, Outside in a shed)
Damaged or missing pieces can be replaced or easily repaired
Reasoning for selling the drum kit

Tip 9

A new drum kit and most second hand should automatically come in casings.

Tip 10

Find and talk to drum playing friends, relatives for their insight or find a drum playing teacher whose insight you can pick

Tip 11

If visiting a shop to buy your instrument, arrange an appointment and if possible, go with a teacher or someone knowledgeable about the drums to play the instrument as a test, get their feedback before you buy it

Tip 12

Whether new or used, inquire about a warranty for the drum kit you intend to buy. Make sure the terms are spelled out clearly. It should include a time frame for returns or exchanges. It should also outline exactly what repairs will be made to the drums and for how long before charges would be incurred.

Tip 13

Make sure in addition to the drums you buy, you also have a case for each drum and a method book