ok, i've been around music my entire life.  i consider it one of my three loves in life.  also, all my friends either play an instrument or are otherwise involved in music (managers, techs, sound guys) and i've finally decided to take up something myself...that being drums.

now's where i'm in need of some help.  i've been looking through different starter kits to get and at first i decided on pearl forums.  i talked to my friends (the drumming ones) and they said that they're decent sets for beginners but that i'll need to replace the heads and cymbals and that they're not practical if i'm serious about getting into drumming, which i am.  so i went to guitar center and talked to some of their employees and some guys just shopping around about what i should look into.  

anyway, i came across a set by PDP (Pacific Drum and Percussion) which supposedly is a subcompany of Drum Workshop...and i've heard theyre really good.  so, including all drums, hardware and a set of sabian cymbals the cost comes to $1247.74.

ok, so really i'm looking for help on whether or not PDP makes good quality drumsets considering that i want to keep it for a while, and be able to learn on it.  or if there are other things i should be concerned about.  really, i'm ok with that price so if anyone knows of anything that costs that much, including cymbals, stands, and...yeah...thats better than what i'm looking at, please share.  otherwise, any opinions?

oh...and any suggestions on how to get started and what to practice and everything would be greatly appreciated too.  thanks everyone.

nice, thanks.  that was pretty quick.

lol and thanks for the good luck...i'll need it.

they're great drums but a lot of people have been telling me that their hardware sucks.

hey skin beater...

my advice, take your time and buy and read this book "The Drum Handbook" by Geoff Nichols...you can get it at any borders or barnes and noble / or amazon...only $17 dollars and is an excellent guide to buying drums and offers all kinds of insight...will help you tremendously.  Take my advice the $17 dollar investment will serve you very well !!

forget the pearl forum kit...no good.  i would go with buying something used, after you read the book !!!, or get something like the Gretsch Catalina Birch kit, from Interstate music, nice starter/medium kit, you will be pleased.

keep these items in mind:
1 - snare is most important, never skimp, pay a little more, play as many as you can, shop around.
2 - most entry level kits can be improved with better heads, ask drum store owners + other drummers.
3 - buy hardware used [ ebay ] or interstate has some inexpensive Sonor hardware, great prices
4 - Ride Cymbal, Hi Hat stand and bass pedal are next of importance to snare drum, don't go cheap here either.
5 - buy cymbals used, to save money

These shops offer great catalogs and info:
InterstateMusic.com  1 800 462 2263
Drums ETC. 800 922 3786
call request FREE helpful catalogs...

buy the book [ also check Rough Guide Drums by Hugo Pinksterboer only 10 dollars, helpful guide ]
talk to drum store owners + drummers and play as much as you can and THEN slowly buy something...

good luck

lets us know what you decide on.....BUY THE BOOK !!!! I AM TELLING YA...will help you tons !!!!!!

Beater, I have just two thoughts to offer here:

You seem to have a bit more budgetted for this purchase than most beginners your age who post here.  If you spend that budget wisely, you can come up with a really good kit that will serve you for years.  

Secondly, you seem to be one of the most serious and intelligent beginners as well, by which I mean serious and intelligent about doing your research before taking the leap.  

Good luck to you.

 

Well, that little mongrel kit will give you a great chance to experiment.  won't it?  LOL  Actually, with decent heads, that kit might not sound too bad at all.  Plenty of drummers started off with worse!!!

I just noticed that I had misunderstood part of your first post.  My mistake.  I just naturally thought you were talking about Pearl Exports, since they would be more comparable to the Pacifics.  @$%#, you can do alot better than FORUMS for what you're talking about spending.  ALOT better. I would NOT consider Forums to be in the same class with Pacifics at all.  But keep shopping around.

Again, good luck.  And let us know what you end up with, ok?


 

This is wrong.  The heads will need to be replaced as stock heads are generally made in a poor fashion, but the shells themselves are just fine.  With top-quality heads, these drums can sound great.

i got that set in my avitar for $1000. with all cymbals, stands etc. -- off ebay.

It's a TAMA Starclassic Performer birch with a matching maple snare. I love it.

Take your time and spend wisely.

The pacifics should suit you well, although I have one suggestion. Before you take the plunge on a brand new mid-level kit, look around to see if you can find anything used. Often, you can find bargains on older kits like pearl MLX, BLX, yamaha 80's-90's recording customs, etc., that all are fully professional and wonderful sounding. If taken care of, these drums will still be in great condition and will last many more years, and you'll end up with a better sounding and more rugged kit for the same or less money. So I'd just suggest that you take a look around at what used deals you can find, if any, and then ask around on the cafe to see if they look good or not. The pacifics would be a great choice as well though, and like said before, pretty much any kit can sound great with good heads and tuning. Good luck!

skin beater, i am your saviour. ; ) ...or at least helping you with some good advice, i am 35 have been drumming for 16 years, and learned a lot over the years, only wish there was someone to guide me years ago and this internet cafe help board thing helps enourmously...

hey mate, hold off on anything until you get the InterstateMusic catalog !!, it will open your eyes.
i did some research and you have many choices to get a new kit w/new hardware in the 550 to 900 price range, actually many, many choices, obviously you can use the cymbals you already have, but you might want to get something else if it catches your ears...following prices from Interstate.

Least expensive : Sonor Force 2003 kit  9 ply maple/basswood shells [ the satin amber finish is very nice ] 5 piece studio drumset  suspension mounts on toms 20x17,10x9,12x10 toms,14x14 Floor, 14x5.5 steel snare [ probably could sell if no good, if you are just starting to play i would recommend a wood drum ] tom holder, BD pedal, snare stand, hi hat stand, cymbal stand and mini boom arm stand + hardware to attach 14 tom to stand if you want: $ 549 dollars !!!

Premier Cabria Drums - mahogany shells, warm and friendly, suspension mounts on tomsCabria 5 piece Jazz kit, 20x16,10,12,14 toms, 14x5.5 snare, tom holder, bd pedal, snare stand, hi hat stand, 2 boom/straight cymbal stands,..[ i have heard these drums many times at my friends studio, entry level for premier, but surprisingly great sound with right heads, A+ recommendation. you have two choices with finish - Wrapped  all above for $ 597 or very nice Lacquer Finish for $779 [ my friends was the lacquer rosewood and was gorgeous ! ]

Mapex all maple M series - 8 ply all maple shells ! Fusion kit, 5 p. 18x22 [ ask to substitute  the 20x 16 !! instead , bigger is not better, trust me....] 10x9,12x10,14x12 toms, 14x5.5 snare. + mapex 550 hardware + throne, snare stand,hi hat, cymbal stand, boom stand + pedal...$ 717.00

Sonor Force 3003 kit 9 ply maple/basswood/maple shells [ maple on the outside + inside, basswood filler ] this kit got a killer review in Modern Drummer or Drum  ! [ i forget which ] said it was an outstanding kit all around...killer for money. suspension mounts on toms 5 piece studio drumset 20x17.5,10x9,12x10 toms,14x14 Floor, 14x5.5 steel snare [ probably could sell if no good, if you are just starting to play i would recommend a wood drum ] tom holder, BD pedal, snare stand, hi hat stand, cymbal stand and mini boom arm stand + hardware to attach 14 tom to stand if you want  a step up in quality because of the extra maple in shell...super finish + craftmanship...all that for $ 769 !!

Yamaha Stage Custom Nouveau  shells of birch/mahogany [ some oak + birch outer shell finish ] got the new Nouveau lug - go to yamaha.com and read - 5 piece jazz set. 20x17 BD,10x8,12x9,14x14 FT, 14x5.5 steel snare, tom holder, bd pedal, snare stand, hi hat stand and two boom stands -$ 849

Gretsch Catalina Birch Kit - Jazz 5 p 16x20,8x10,12x9,14x14 FT, 5x14 wood snare ! snare stand, hi hat, boom stand, straight stand,+ bass pedal.  super nice finish on drums, but check edges and bass drum, some people have gotten kits with the plys not properly glued ! all that for $849

Yamaha Stage Custom Advantage - normal lugs, which i prefer, the natural finish on this model is awesome, great drums...5 piece jazz set. 20x17 BD,10x8,12x9,14x14 FT, 14x5.5 steel snare, tom holder, bd pedal, snare stand, hi hat stand and two boom stands , hardware is a little better, finish on drums is A+ -$ 899

if you select any one of the above you are golden and will be happy for years to come, everyone makes good kits, drums are not complicated things, so it really comes down to sound, features, price and most importantly....sound !!!!

when you check all the drums, visually inspect the bearing edges, check your new book for info !! make sure seams and finish are perfect, never accept less, haggle with salesman to get better batter heads on toms, kick + snare, most of all trust your own ears when playing, and have someone who can play sit on the kit and play while you stand back and listen...will help you hear both perspectives.

i hope this helps.  good luck.  you said you had trouble finding a drum store near you besides, the home depot of music stores Guitar Center....bloodclaat!...where do you live ?? what kind of music do you play ??

later UnseenGuest

just a quick update...i visited my friend at sam ash and he can get me the PDP set i talked about before with a Zildjian ZBT 4-piece cymbal set and hardware for everything for $800.

lol i'm not rushing things don't worry...i'm actually being patient for once about something.  ok so not technically patient...but this is about as patient as i get so it'll have to do lol.

anyway, this sounded like a pretty good deal to me, especially since guitar center would give me everything for right around $1250.  and yeah, i know not to compare prices with GC's...but i did anyway lol.

don't worry...i haven't bought anything yet...possibly this thursday though...

thanks again guys.  especially unseenguest lol.  i really do appreciate all that youve done dude...thanks a ton.  

really?  i heard the exact opposite actually...that the ZBTs were far superior to the B8s.  i thought i heard that from two of my friends who are drummers and who tried both, but only one is coming to mind, so maybe i only heard it from one person and maybe he just said it twice.  either way, how were they disappointing?  if you dont mind me asking

thanks for your help

With 4 Mapex kits, I can vouch for the quality of the Mapex shells.  The hardware is very impressive too, especially from the Pro-M level on up.  Excellent value across the board.  I had thought that the M-series (as opposed to Pro-M series) bass drums were all 16" deep, not 18", but I could be wrong.  And, yes, they went to 100% maple this year (2003 was maple/basswood).  An awesome value.