Buying equipment
What do you need?
In many circumstances, surprisingly, you probably don’t need a thing at first! [Can you hear the manufacturers howling in dismay?] Many children, for instance, who start to learn at school, will begin on school instruments and in school time. With beginners, it is essential in the early days to get a feel for the instrument. Is it really for you, or your little one? Children often get excited about something for a while then ditch it completely when the novelty wears off. Any parent will recognise this in the pile of discarded toys that were once – for a very short time – the most important object in the universe. It can be like that with music too. I would advise parents to play it cool until they are sure their little horror is hooked. Drum kits are quite expensive so don’t dive in and feed your child’s hunger for novelty. At first, all you need to provide – if school doesn’t - is a decent pair of sticks. I would let the child choose them, with advice from their teacher. Then, when the child shows enthusiasm and, more importantly, application and dedication to learning, a rubber practice pad.
Playing drums is essentially the movement, manipulation, coordination and independence of limbs in time. In the beginning a pupil can practice these movements on his knees, arms and torso and with his feet on the floor. He can transfer these to the drum kit when he gets to school. Rudiments, in the meantime can be practiced adequately on a pad for precision. If he is keen he will queue for music room time and begin to whine for something to play on at home. At this point you carefully judge whether more investment is necessary. Look for signs like your child tapping on his knees when the tv is on, playing along to music at home or in the car and showing signs of real progress with his teacher and on his practice pad. When you are sure, take the plunge but not before. Drum kits seldom sell for more than you paid for them. If you buy one too soon it will gather dust, take up a lot of space and lose money.
New or Second Hand?
New is beautiful and less risky but expensive.
A while ago I bought a dual Pearl drum pedal. It was ridiculously expensive but it is a thing of real beauty – well to me it is. Every nut and bolt has been located with intelligence and invention. All the bits you might need to adjust can be adjusted easily and extensively with the multiple key provided. It is wonderfully strong, verging on indestructible. The engineering is superb in every aspect. It comes in a very good looking carry case, which is fantastic if, like me you want to take your own pedal to play on someone else’s kit. Sticks and other bits fit in there too. It looks very professional indeed. With this pedal and my own sticks, I’m happy to play on any kit in the country. I’ve played on it every day since I bought it and I plan to use it for another 10 years or so. With all this in mind the ridiculous price is worth every penny. And that is the key. Price versus functionality. Will you get your money’s worth out of it?
I always think you get what you pay for. You just have to make sure you take a really good look (and listen) at what you are getting.
Listen to every drum set you can and get an idea of what a good one sounds like. You’ll know it when you hear it. Warmth and clarity. No nasty overtones. Booming bass. Sweet tom toms. Cutting snare. When you hear something you like a lot, start looking it over. Carefully. Pick the drums up. Feel the weight. Heavy is usually good; it suggests plenty of layers of wood and good metals. Next, do the drums look and feel well-made. Take a close look at the finishing on the wooden and metal parts. Do they look well-finished? Look for faults in castings and rough edges. Look inside the drums. Are they well varnished? Any signs of weakness or cracks? An expensive kit should be faultless. Check the snare drum mechanisms. They should be smooth and precise. Does the whole kit reek of quality to you? Are you going to love it?
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Budget.
You can make some allowances for a budget set. If you’re happy with what you see and hear, just think durability. Will it last as long as it needs to? If it looks strong and sounds great, it’s probably ok.
If you need to buy cheaply, go for the best sounding cymbals you can afford, then look at drums after. There are some great sounding cheap drums, but cheap cymbals can sound really bad! You need a Crash cymbal, a Ride cymbal and a pair of hi hats. Listen for sweet swishes and avoid cymbals that clang or ring too much. Crash cymbals should have lots of shhhhhh. Hi hats need to have a wide variety of good sounds. Ride cymbals should sound sweet and tingly. Listen to lots of them to get an idea. The last one I bought was not the most expensive cymbal in the shop. Just a good one with a sound I love.
Second Hand
Second Hand is wise, if you know what you’re looking for. Use all the guidance above for quality and sound but check more carefully for cracks and fittings that might have worn out a bit. And don’t rush. There’s often a bargain around the corner. Always check if cases are included. You often get a bargain here. They are expensive to buy new, but a second hand seller often throws them in free to make you happy. Similarly, with hardware. You often get extras thrown in for free – a couple of stands and some spare fittings, they all help. If you can’t get the price down lower, ask for a bit more kit. It often works.
Ebay is good if you know your stuff well enough to buy from a photo. The returns procedures are quite good. If you’re not happy you can usually send them back straight away - unless the ad says otherwise. Check.
I bought my Pearl Masters Studio kit on Ebay. And it was not as described. I went to London to collect and the seller had done a runner and left his girlfriend in to hand over. So I had a very good look at everything. The drums were really nice but the bass drum looked 20” instead of 22”. I thought of walking away but it sounded great and there was a lot more top quality hardware than I expected. So I handed over the money. And I’m glad I did. It is a superb kit. But be prepared for surprises.