new drummer incoming!

[velvetrevolver]

ok guys, having been on the guitar for about a decade, i've decided to pick up the drums. so here i am with some questions. i found its better off asking someone, as google does not always provide first-hand experience. so i hope you guys welcome me into the world of drumming by helping me out with some silly questions.

where do you guys get your gears? for example - sticks and stick bags? its best if can get all from one single shop, so as to avoid shop-hopping, but well that doesnt really matter, cos im super duper in the mood for drumming and shopping for drum basic necessities now! its not always im in such a mood (must be my recent retrenchment taking its toll on my head)

anyone uses drumstick wax? does any shop sell em here? a few friends have given conflicting views. one says it does help alot, but a couple more said its sticky and messy, and it might stain clothes. i dont know, but from the looks and sounds of it, it seems kinda cool to me. i would try it out if i could get my hands on some.

as a "welcome" gift, a friend gifted me a new pair of drumsticks. it's a 5B. i've done some research online bout sticks, so i guess i can skip this part. metal sticks sounds kinda cool to me, as i heard one can replace the tips on the stick.

just so you know, i will try to go the 'self-taught' way, just like how i did on my guitar. my influences are like the rock stuff from the 80s. metallica, gnr, skid row etc... i do not own a drumset, and most likely wont in the near future, cos i'm living in a HDB flat and have a good rapport with my neighbours (wouldn't wanna ruin it). however, i might be willing to invest in those electric ones (see, im so noob i dont even know what it's called). would be great to hear from you guys who own these sets too. prob a rough figure for a beginner, 5-piece set....

anyways, i'll most likely i'll head down to a drum studio to practice for the time being. some research has led me to anaki records, where they charge $10/hour (for weekdays before 6pm, $12 after that) and its got amps in case u wanna practice along with a bassist/guitarist. if you guys know of any more such studios and would like to recommend, i'd be glad to hear u out.

i hope i wont piss anyone off with such noob questions!
thanks in advance guys!

 

[Composer of Requiems]

I would say you should take a look at sweelee first simply because it's the biggest around. If you go around bugis area, you'll see most of the shops around singapore. Drop by sweelee at bras basah, then go opposite to Ranking. Go to near the Raffles Hospital for Drums Resources, and then finally drop by Peninsula Plaza. If you're still in the mood and can't find what you want, go give Yamaha at PS a try.

Sticks is really a personal preference. I used to get all from sweelee, but they jacked up the price of the VFs recently. I like Tama sticks, but the stock is pretty limited. Just started trying the 3-a-pairs at Drums Resources, so far they're pretty nice and affordable too.

I don't really see the point of drumstick wax, whenever I'm worried I wax my hair before performing and leave the wax on my hands =P

The Metal Sticks you talk about probably are Aheads. The feeling is a bit odd, and the price is around 3x-4x that of wood. They just don't flex and bounce like wood does. Again, personal preference, but I personally wouldn't use them.

Electronic sets... you'll probably want to take a look at the ones at Yamaha first. And look around this forum, every now and then very good deals on 2nd hand elec sets come up. Do note that even though they're electric, hitting the pads does make an annoying sound.

You could try getting a small acoustic set (they do sound "smaller") and sound shields. RLA here on the forum has really nice shields that do a pretty good job. You can pick up shields from Drums Resources, I think it's under $2000 if I remember right.

Good luck!