upgrade my drum (budget is around 1.5k)

[rong]

hi . i wanna upgrade my drum.currently im using a rhythmn traveller.
my budget is around 1.5k .here are the drums i can currently think about

Tama Superstar
PDP FS series
Pearl Export
Mapex M Birch
Peace DNA
Yamaha Stage Custom

i need advise ! thanks

 

[danial]

if i were u i would get the pdp fs series

 

[Freakae2]

Quick quick. there is a yamaha tour custom on 50% sale at yamaha clementi. full maple kit. would fall in your budget

 

[danial]

yeah they have the oak custom i saw there

 

[marcdadrummer]

yeah i dunno about yamaha but an all maple or oak kit would be great...

but if i we're u, i'd get the all maple kit CX series from PDP...

alternatively the peace dna is quite good... mapex i dunno but i think the one with the basswood...

go for pdp lah, or the yamaha set.. but do remember it's display set, dunno how long put there, how many people tried and all that.. so yeah do consider...

 

[drumbum]

Personally I wld go with Tama superstar, esp if its made in japan. Some may not like the birch and basswood shells as compared to maple, but I believe in tama's quality of the bearing edges and hardware, coupled with new heads and good tuning should make the drums sound good. Btw superstar is > $1.5k if im not wrong.

I saw the oak custom at the yamaha clementi sale, its used and not properly tuned. Not sure about price tho.

All the best with your kit purchase!

 

[weckl-x]

It was listed at $2400 after discount.

It's interesting, the fact that they only have used kits (events, showroom) for sale, means that Yamaha has no problems selling its drums.

 

[blurred]

dun get any equipment, spend the money on private lessons with the best teacher u can find, going to watch gd drummers play local and international and on books and instuctional videos.
its more rewarding in the long run man.
if ur equipment works and u can prac on it comfortably dun spend it on new equip but on improving urself as a drummer.
it's just my opinion by the way not trying to tellu wat to do

 

[phantompong]

I'd go for the Mapex, but the Tama Superstar has excellent hardware. The Pearl Export also has excellent hardware but poplar shells are really offputting. The Yamaha is a pretty good all rounder as well.

Basically, IMHO, it depends on what you believe it more important - I think the Mapex is the best value, the Superstar has excellent hardware and the Yamaha is slightly above average on all counts.

 

[rong]

thanks for the advise guys!
hmm..can u guys elaborate more on why u chose the set instead of others and state its pros/cons? thanks alot!

 

[marcdadrummer]

tama are only well known for their starclassic, other than that, their wood base is not really that good... since it uses cheaper wood and such...

to the post who said"tama are well known for their bearing edged"

FYI: every drum company emphasize on their bearing edges and what makes tama oh so special from the rest of them???

personally as i said before, go for the pdp, it's darn good value for money...

ALL maple shells,
ALL PRO FEATURES from DW,
A PLETHORA of choices of finishes.
and such.

with that kind of money, go for mid-range kit and not low-end entry level kits..

really now worth ur money.

How Will You Use Your Drum Set?

Just because a drum set looks great and is endorsed by a popular artist does not mean it's the best kit suited for your needs. Pay attention here: Needs not Wants. What benefit is to spend hundreds or thousands more for a set if you only plan to use it for practice?


Maybe you need one kit for practice and then need another for performing? If so, check this out...

P R A C T I C E ? ludwig accent cheap drum set picture

The set to the right is made by Ludwig (Accent Series). Roughly $350 new. Add set of student cymbals and you've spent somewhere around $500 for the whole kit.


A mounting bracket for one of the toms is broken, so it's used as a 4 piece it. Several drummers use this kit, so the cymbals, kick pedal, and drum throne gets changed a lot.


The picture shows it with my Zildjian Custom A hi hat, 16" crash, and a 10" splash. The ride is a Paiste 502 series.


Despite the arrangment of cymbals, toms, or hardware, this kit is fun to play and would do fine in a live setting (if tuned properly of course).

P E R F O R M I N G ?

The set to the left is made by Pacific Drums and Percussion (PDP), a division of Drum Workshop (DW). This "LX" Series 2002 year model ran about $1,200 with hardware.


A set of cast bronze cymbals adds about $1,000 to the mix. Include a throne and a few extra cymbal stands and your looking at about $2,500.


The sound of this kit truly inspires me. BUT can the audience tell that much of difference between it and a cheap drum set? Probably not.


If you're like most people. One drum set is all you want or need. With this in mind, let's start looking for the best "one size fits all" kit. To do so, we'll have to consider several areas. Starting with...

What Is It Made Of?

It is important to make a choice you'll be happy with. That's why you need to "know" about how drum kits are made and the sound you can expect from different woods. Learning about the drum shell will be priceless in this search.


Drum set advertisements have limited space to explain what type of wood is in the shell. They may simply say "hardwood" or something like "maple/basswood". With this limited info, you need to have an idea if the price is on target.


Then there's that PLY thing thing. Is it better to have 7-ply or 9-ply wood? Does ply have anything to do with thickness of the shell? Well how do these relate to the tone or pitch of the drum? (Is your head hurting too?)


Why don't we clairfy some of these questions and take a look at Drum Shells.

Production Methods

How a drum set is made has as much to do with the price as the materials used. They can be produced on a large scale with a cookie cutter approach or a one on one approach.


The concept of mass production came about in the early 1900's when Henry Ford used this to make his Model T. Drum companies can use a limited number of woods, finishes, and hardware to create affordable drum sets. Quality can vary between the companies and even within a company. If you're just starting out and hesitant to spend a lot of money, check out the discussion on Cheap Drum Sets.


The "one on one" approach reflects a method where materials and craftmanship are at their best. The drum maker is hands on with every part of the kit to ensure quality. So if you've been playing for a while and have a thick wallet, you may be considering something personalized to your exacting standards. Here are some tips on what to look for in a Custom Drum Set company.

Breaking Down the Pieces

Proceed with this section ONLY if you have reviewed all pages referenced in the previous sections!! This way you'll be familiar with shells, construction types, and levels of drumset quality. The goal of this section is to gain a deeper knowledge the various drums (not stands or cymbals) that make up a drumset.


The first is the snare drum. Snares can be considered the center piece or core of a drumset. There are many different sizes used today for primary and secondary snares. The full discussion on snare drums can be found HERE.


.......Pages on other drums will be added soon, so please check back!

SOURCE: http://www.drumjunction.com/site_map.html

 

[drumbum]

I agree with blurred that improving oneself as a drummer is more impt than upgrading your equipment.

btw my comments on Tama's bearing edge and hardware quality is only based on my own personal opinion after using the rockstar for 3 years + starclassic snare. Of cos some may beg to differ but I certainly did not say that Tama is well known for its bearing edge quality. Just wanted to clarify that.

Also, not every drum company is capable of making the same quality of bearing edges, else all drum shells of the same materials and dimensions, ceteris peribus, should theoretically sound the same. At the end of the day, it all boils down to personal preference - if you like it, buy it. Who cares if its branded or not, as long as you like the sound of the kit.

Cheers!

 

[weckl-x]

if ur equipment works and u can prac on it comfortably dun spend it on new equip but on improving urself as a drummer.

Couldn't agree more, this happens to be my motto for 2007.
Stop buying. Play more.

It's really helps if you have a clear idea of what you're looking for, but if you're not, you might fall into a "gear-quest", where you spend more time looking for new/used gear to try, than actual time developing yourself on your instrument.

I've been guilty of that at times

All the best in your search for a kit!

Btw, IMO, in this era of drum manufacturing, the QC has been beefed up to the point that the manufacturing quality that comes out from the 'brand-name' guys in their entry level lines is really pretty decent.

What would make the most difference in the bearing edges, would be the edge angles. Anyway, it's easy to lightly fine-sand your bearing edges if they aren't as smooth as you'd like, from the factory.

http://www.smddrums.com/bearing_edges.htm