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I was expecting bad cymbals, but I didn't think about the difficulty of assembly or the possibility of breaking things in the process. Thank you for your insight. I don't have a good sense of who's who in the drum manufacturing world. As of 2013, the OP says, "Popular manufacturers include Ddrum, DW, Gretsch, Ludwig, Mapex, Pacific, Pearl, Sonor, and Yamaha." Is this still accurate? if you would like to browse listings with me, the zip code is redact. right, its hard to offload cheap garbage that no one wants to play. this is certainly true in the guitar world, and i should not be surprised that it's true in the drum world too. Helianthus Annuus fucked around with this message at 14:49 on May 26, 2023 |
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May 18, 2022 15:21
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CB and Granite are other brands you'll see that's entry level but not horrible. Pearl, Mapex, and Ludwig make really great starter kits. DW, Ddrum, Sonor, and Gretsch tend to be on the pricier side as they are premium brands. I'm not sure about now but back in the day DW didn't even sell kits, you had to buy each drum on its own. Like others have said, make sure you get a good set of shells. Drum heads, hardware, cymbals, all of those can be upgraded and tweaked, but lovely shells are lovely shells.
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May 18, 2022 16:22
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Helianthus Annuus posted:if you would like to browse listings with me, the zip code is 61801. i’m legit surprised there’s nothing nearby, but if you have a car/can travel, same price range as that terrible amazon kit: https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/msg/d/brownsburg-pearl-roadshow-piece/7483329909.html a bit closer but more expensive (could haggle to lower citing above listing): https://tippecanoe.craigslist.org/msg/d/lafayette-pearl-roadshow-drum-kit-like/7485040509.html solid kit. good hats and crash: https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/msg/d/brownsburg-tama-rockstar-5pc-drum-set/7482927702.html great kit, but no cymbals/hardware so extra work finding those: https://springfieldil.craigslist.org/msg/d/springfield-yamaha-stage-cusom/7483945569.html honestly if you can make it up to chicago that really opens up your options
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May 20, 2022 05:58
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Helianthus Annuus posted:I was expecting bad cymbals, but I didn't think about the difficulty of assembly or the possibility of breaking things in the process. Thank you for your insight. Very roughly I would advise cheaping out on the drums themselves and prioritizing a decent throne and not-garbage cymbals. Almost any shell, with decent heads and proper tuning, can be made to sound OK, certainly good enough to learn/practice with. Cymbals don't have nearly as many options to consistently adjust their sound, for the most part they sound how they sound and if you want better sound you gotta buy better cymbals. And ain't nobody going to want to practice OR play if their rear end goes numb from sitting on a cheap stool for 15 minutes. I haven't looked at the stuff available in your area, but for a complete kit I'd be immediately suspicious of anything less than a grand. If I could go back in time to buying my first acoustic kit, I'd look for a used kit or entry level shell pack for a couple hundred bux and spend the rest of my budget on mid-entry level cymbals from a decent manufacturer (I like Zildjian and Sabian) and set aside about $100 for a nice quality throne (I've only ever used a basic round Pork Pie that I bought almost 10 years ago and it's still holding strong). Looking at the stuff Jazz found: https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/msg/d/brownsburg-pearl-roadshow-piece/7483329909.html Good shells and hardware, cymbals and throne look trash and would need to be upgraded. https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/msg/d/brownsburg-tama-rockstar-5pc-drum-set/7482927702.html This is the only complete kit I would consider rolling the dice on being able to use everything.
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May 20, 2022 07:34
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Everyone's first drum kit is a Jet set. Universal law. You can go to Just Drumz on Route 76 and buy their most expensive kit and the label will say Jet Set before you get home. I don't make the rules.
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May 20, 2022 12:45
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Jazz Marimba posted:
Louisville is an option too
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May 20, 2022 14:49
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Thank you everyone for the helpful posts -- especially assessing which sets are so-so, good, or great. Some of these listings are pretty far away, factoring in the cost of gasoline both ways, its 50 - 150 bux on top of the cost of the drums. Ever used reverb to find used drums? I found this post not too far away -- is this one any good / priced favorably? https://reverb.com/item/47975602-tama-swingstar-drum-set-made-in-japan-refinished EDIT: I suppose it's not a good idea to ship already-assembled drums, is that right? Meaning, I should either do local-pickup or buy it from a store? Helianthus Annuus fucked around with this message at 17:51 on May 21, 2022 |
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May 21, 2022 17:48
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I've bought snare drums from overseas, with a full kit it'll be either you or the shipper eating a ton of shipping fees at which point you might as well buy a new kit locally.
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May 21, 2022 22:50
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Helianthus Annuus posted:Thank you everyone for the helpful posts -- especially assessing which sets are so-so, good, or great. Some of these listings are pretty far away, factoring in the cost of gasoline both ways, its 50 - 150 bux on top of the cost of the drums. Tama used the name Swingstar for a number of different entry level sets, sometimes without using the Tama name. That particular set has obvious damage to the bass and floor tom that arent mentioned anywhere in the text, which is a red flag. Being made in Japan is generally considered a good thing with drums but there is no way to prove it. Those drums also appear to have been painted. Drums generally aren't painted. Instead a wallpaper like substance called wrap is used. These are similar drums in your area: https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/msg/d/plainfield-tama-piece-complete-drum-set/7484013249.html The drums are nothing to write home about, but there is no obvious damage and they are set up correctly to play. Sellers obviously having no idea how drums works can go either way tbh. The heads are new. There is a throne.The cymbals are almost all actually cymbals. Most cymbals are made out of a bronze alloy with 20% tin. These are called B20, or bell bronze. (Of note bronze actually maxes out its tin content at like 18.9%, the sonic qualities desired in this metal come in part from the un-alloyed free tin floating as amalgam in the alloy. This is also why its so hard to make in industrial quantities. Its almost all made as small batches) The cymbals in this set, except the ride, are B8. Its still bronze but is much, much cheaper to manufacture as it can be basically "printed" by industrial machinery in China. B8s sound ok and you can 100% learn on them. They are still hammered and lathed (machine tools not people with their hands) like a real cymbal. That ride cymbal is brass and will sound like nails on a chalk broad. Brass cymbals exist entirely to sell drums sets "with cymbals". They are stamped and pressed and gross. Oddly all the cymbals have high end retaining clamp add ons. https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/msg/d/fishers-tama-royalstar-drum-set-with/7483024308.html - this one is similar, the shells are newer. All B8 cymbals, likely bought as a set. Better hardware too. I'd prob get this one unless you want 3 toms. edit - bonus cymbal making video. The Bosporus forge in suburban Istanbul. Many of the world's best cymbals are made in Turkey or were founded by Turkish(esp Armenian Ottoman) immigrants and their descendants. The skills being used in this video have been passed down through the same Zildjian lineage as almost all modern cymbal makers. The big modern makers like Sabian, Zildjian, etc all follow essentially the same process seen here, they've just automated a lot of the terribly manual parts, like the hammering. There is *some* hand hammering on high end cymbals in the big makers, but its rare and expensive. In Turkey its still very common. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiDrypPeb8k TURN THE SOUND DOWN. taters fucked around with this message at 02:09 on May 22, 2022 |
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May 22, 2022 02:01
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Dude's got a drat Popeye arm from swingin' that hammer all day  I've always liked that Zildjian is one of the oldest continuously operating companies, founded in Constantinople just shy of 400 years ago.
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May 22, 2022 02:30
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Thanks for the help browsing listings, drummers! I ended up paying 250 bux for this used Ludwig Accent CS Combo set from face book market place. Photo attached.
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May 26, 2022 03:59
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Cool! The fact that someone's gone to the trouble of replacing the stock heads with Evans feels like a good sign. Cymbals probably aren't up to much but at least Paiste feel ok enough about them to put their name on them (sort of.) Crash/ride cymbals are "interesting", work out which it does a better job as and keep an eye out for another cymbal stand and a half-decent second-hand cymbal to do the other job better as your first upgrade for sure. I'd probably go for a proper heavy ride with a nice ping to it and keep the big crash but it's very much a personal choice. And have fun! sebzilla fucked around with this message at 07:24 on May 26, 2022 |
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May 26, 2022 07:19
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Hello, I’m interested in buying an electric drum kit and looking for recs. Will use it for mainly rock/jazz/blues, would like something relatively small and simple, and durable enough that a kid messing around on it every now and then won’t break it. My daw is ableton if that makes any difference if this question has been asked and answered itt already just point me in the right direction
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May 26, 2022 17:11
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I really like my Roland TD-17 kit, but Alesis also makes some pretty decent stuff if you want to go cheaper. I'd definitely advise going for mesh heads on whatever you get.
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May 26, 2022 17:20
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Seconding TD-17, but try to get the TD-17KV at least, ideally the TD-17KVX. The KV has better drum heads for most of the drums while the KVX adds significantly better cymbals. You can add that stuff on later but it's way cheaper in the long run to buy the KVX. I wish I would have. That said, they all share the same drum brain, and the cheaper ones are OK.
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May 26, 2022 18:52
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I have the Alesis Strike Pro SE and I love it. Avoid the standard version of it as it has a host of problems that were all fixed with the SE.
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May 26, 2022 19:39
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now drooling over expensive cymbals while watching this Shawn Crowder video. It's fun to listen for the differences https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bttpeVXV2Y
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May 27, 2022 04:20
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Drum update: the last time I had access to a drum set, I was taught to use my right hand to cross over and play 16th notes on the hi hat while my left hand plays the back beats on the snare. But I've also seen some players use their left hand to play the hi-hat, and right hand to play the snare ("open handed" drumming) and this seems more ergonomic. So I went to go try it out. But the 16th notes coming from my left hand sound like poo poo! This is my non-dominant hand, so the timing is all over the place, and my stick control is clumsy compared to my right hand. Should I keep working on this? It seems bad to have only one hand able to do 16th notes, but maybe it's no big deal?
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May 29, 2022 15:29
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Do you really need to be able to play both right and left handed?
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May 29, 2022 15:56
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HappyCamperGL posted:Do you really need to be able to play both right and left handed? No but it's cool
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May 29, 2022 16:08
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Helianthus Annuus posted:Drum update: the last time I had access to a drum set, I was taught to use my right hand to cross over and play 16th notes on the hi hat while my left hand plays the back beats on the snare. But I've also seen some players use their left hand to play the hi-hat, and right hand to play the snare ("open handed" drumming) and this seems more ergonomic. So I went to go try it out. I think open handed is cool if you commit to it. are you doing the Moeller technique or some approximation of it?
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May 29, 2022 20:21
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Helianthus Annuus posted:It seems bad to have only one hand able to do 16th notes, but maybe it's no big deal? In general it's a good idea to practice any drum exercise with both hands (and feet!) because as you say, mo' coordination means mo' options. Having said that, outside of jazz the amount you'll really NEED to be able to keep up 16th notes with your left hand are pretty small, but if you were to say keep steady 16th ghost notes on the snare with your left and do some other cymbal or tom stuff with your right that usually sounds pretty cool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vQ1oZtrww8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7crDp4TK-rg&t=360s tl;dr: I wouldn't practice it to the exclusion of other exercises, but if it's something that you're interested in then absolutely nothing wrong with adding it to your menu.
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May 30, 2022 07:05
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AndrewP posted:I think open handed is cool if you commit to it. are you doing the Moeller technique or some approximation of it? i don't know what that is, so i assume this means i need to get drum lessons  Takes No Damage posted:In general it's a good idea to practice any drum exercise with both hands (and feet!) because as you say, mo' coordination means mo' options. Having said that, outside of jazz the amount you'll really NEED to be able to keep up 16th notes with your left hand are pretty small, but if you were to say keep steady 16th ghost notes on the snare with your left and do some other cymbal or tom stuff with your right that usually sounds pretty cool: I'm very interested in jazz drumming, but that seems hard, and i'm not very good yet. Today, i can only play a so-so rock beat with kick on beats 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4, eighth notes on the hi hat, and i usually remember to hit the crash on beat 1 of a new phrase. For jazz, the only relevant drumming skill I have is that I can do a 3:2 polyrhythm pretty easily (I learned how on guitar)! But yeah, I have a long road ahead.
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May 30, 2022 16:11
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DRUM UPDATE: yesterday, i had the opportunity to play drums with a bass player -- that was a treat for me! i just played "baby's first rock drum beat" (described above) and everyone was mostly happy with the results. But it's frustrating to have some rhythmic idea in mind, and when i go to execute, everything falls apart, so i have to quickly recover and go back to playing what i know. "When you think, you stink!" This is still week 1 with that drum set, so I'm not too discouraged. I will keep practicing with a metronome and try to learn how to keep focus better.
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May 30, 2022 16:20
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Helianthus Annuus posted:But it's frustrating to have some rhythmic idea in mind, and when i go to execute, everything falls apart, so i have to quickly recover and go back to playing what i know. "When you think, you stink!" This is still week 1 with that drum set, so I'm not too discouraged. I will keep practicing with a metronome and try to learn how to keep focus better. Check out Ted Reed's book progressive syncopation. The exercises (and that's all that's there- no hundred pages of philosophy) walk you from baby steps to advanced beginner and the rhythms work for either hands or feet and can be done in different variations to keep it exciting.
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May 30, 2022 17:59
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HappyCamperGL posted:Do you really need to be able to play both right and left handed? i thought about it, and i decided you're right -- the drum set isn't my main instrument, i didn't start drums as a kid, and i have barely any experience. before worrying about ambidexterity at all, i will try to first play the things i want to hear any way i can, which (today) means crossing over with the right hand to play the hi hat. NC Wyeth Death Cult posted:Check out Ted Reed's book progressive syncopation. The exercises (and that's all that's there- no hundred pages of philosophy) walk you from baby steps to advanced beginner and the rhythms work for either hands or feet and can be done in different variations to keep it exciting. thanks for showing me a path from where i am to where i want to go! i will check it out over the weekend.
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Jun 3, 2022 05:06
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AndrewP posted:I would honestly go to a local Guitar Center with a stick and bang on some cymbals to see what you like. Bonzo posted:I think a Zildjian K ride is the most versatile. I had a 22" (these days 20" should be enough) and used that in everything from jazz trios to metal cover bands. Thanks. I ended up getting a 18” Paiste Giant Beat from a local used listing. I think I am happy with it for now although it seems not to pack a huge punch as a rock ride.
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Jun 5, 2022 09:08
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An 18 generally isnt going to be a great main ride cymbal, 20 to 22 is the norm. If you only have 1 cymbal tho its pretty good as you can ride and crash it where most 20+ dont crash very well unless made specifically as a crash which makes them wash really hard. I have a 18 bosphorus master series i use as the only cymbal when i strip down to a 3 drum kit that works great. You have to manually mute it a lot as the wash after a crash needs dampened before you start riding again or it becomes a cymbal roll.
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Jun 5, 2022 16:58
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taters posted:An 18 generally isnt going to be a great main ride cymbal, 20 to 22 is the norm. If you only have 1 cymbal tho its pretty good as you can ride and crash it where most 20+ dont crash very well unless made specifically as a crash which makes them wash really hard. I have a 18 bosphorus master series i use as the only cymbal when i strip down to a 3 drum kit that works great. You have to manually mute it a lot as the wash after a crash needs dampened before you start riding again or it becomes a cymbal roll. I admit that I might have to get a bigger one, but for now I was happy with the sound. I am not sure if it's just the style that we play, or that the Giant Beat is just so much better than the janky rental practice space cymbals I used to fall back on using. The only thing I felt was missing was a resounding bell, which is something that I don't really aim for anyway in recent times. I am also kind of thinking that since my inspirations are mostly Can, Neu!, and other 70s krautrock groups, where the drummers were more jazz oriented than rock (pulling this out of my rear end as we speak), so this means the rides can be smaller, right?
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Jun 5, 2022 21:27
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NC Wyeth Death Cult posted:Check out Ted Reed's book progressive syncopation. The exercises (and that's all that's there- no hundred pages of philosophy) walk you from baby steps to advanced beginner and the rhythms work for either hands or feet and can be done in different variations to keep it exciting. How am I meant to apply this book on the drum set? I have been playing the lower notes on the staff with the kick drum and the higher notes on the snare with my left hand, using my right hand to just play eighth notes on the hi hat (not notated in the music, I'm just doing it because it seems like a good thing to practice). But I think I'm supposed to just play the snare with both hands, like it shows on the cover? I'm not in marching band or anything, so I won't ever be playing a snare drum by itself, away from the rest of the drums in the kit.
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Jun 9, 2022 23:01
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Helianthus Annuus posted:How am I meant to apply this book on the drum set? I have been playing the lower notes on the staff with the kick drum and the higher notes on the snare with my left hand, using my right hand to just play eighth notes on the hi hat (not notated in the music, I'm just doing it because it seems like a good thing to practice). But I think I'm supposed to just play the snare with both hands, like it shows on the cover? I do the same thing with getting the bass and hihat going and then play around the kit using the snare rhythm as a guide (even going as far as dropping notes down to the bass pedal). I notated out some possibilities with the first measure being the initial rhythm. Second is with a tom + floor tom. Third with too much floor tom. Fourth with part of the snare rhythm moved to the bass.
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Jun 10, 2022 02:27
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I came here from a recommendation in the music theory thread. I'm looking for a book on general drum music theory from the perspective of composing music and without too much interest in actually learning to play the drums. When I was a lot younger, I'd play around with stuff in trackers and I was absolutely garbage when it came to drums. I'm simultaneously looking for general music theory stuff (got a recommendation already) but I don't expect that drums are covered in particular detail there. Is there anything that would particularly help me here? I'd like something with exercises that I could try out day-by-day in some MIDI-based editor.
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Jun 10, 2022 05:18
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I've been on a bit of a cymbal video kick (rabbitholed from once again daydreaming about building my dream kit) and now I'm on gongs. Gongs are dope. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL2r6E1E7sM
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Jun 12, 2022 22:54
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What's the best latin for drumkit lesson book out there these days?
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Jun 25, 2022 19:47
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untzthatshit posted:What's the best latin for drumkit lesson book out there these days? Conversations In Clave by Horatio Hernández
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Jun 25, 2022 23:50
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Perfect! Already ordered and delivered. Gonna dig into it this weekend.
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Jun 28, 2022 13:51
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Hi Thread, I have an acoustic kit up in the attic I haven't played in years. I've had the itch recently so I think I'm going to set it up in the basement. Does anyone have any recommendations for headphones to wear while playing along to songs on my iPhone? I would like something that allows me to listen to tunes, but is also very protective of my hearing. I already have a small amount of tinnitus from playing in bands during high school/college and don't want to cause any further damage. Bonus: I'm thinking about picking up some edrums so all the better if the headphones work for those too, but not a requirement.  Thanks!
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Jul 3, 2022 20:18
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I use the massdrop plus IEMs, any one of the Shure earphones would probably give you the same experience. With a good fit it should isolate enough that you aren't destroying your hearing or having to turn the music way up but still letting a little bit through so you can hear yourself play.
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Jul 3, 2022 20:47
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I've been playing in the garage off and on for two years now. It'd be cool to try playing with other people. Any recommendations on how to find folks to just try and play with, even for beginners that suck? CL seems to have a lot more jam bands that are gigging a few times a month and I'm definitely not ready for that.
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Jul 4, 2022 01:09
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Any recommendations on a good drum pad? I don't need/want all the synth sounds or am I going to be a DJ. I just want a grid of 8-10 pads with decent drum sounds and the ability to use it to trigger a superior drummer type software in a DAW setting. The ability to use sticks and foot triggers is a big plus.
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Jul 4, 2022 20:25
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