DRUMMER CAFE

My son (8 years) is anxious to start on the drums.  I have already bought him a drum pad and rudiment book and will now be signing him up for lessons.  I played percussion since I was 10 all the way up through high school so I have "introduced" him to drums and helped him with the fundamentals.

I want to buy a drum set since he will be anxious to play the set along with the rudiment practice.  I also want to jump on the set  :-)

Should I consider electronic or traditional?  I think electronic may be a good option since it can be "quite", can take up a little less space and broken down easier, and ......   

What do you think?

Any recommendations on a starter set; electronic and/or traditional.  Thank you!

Electronic is great for quiet practicing, but it doesn't play like an acoustic kit where you get subtle differences as you change how and where you hit a cymbal or drum. So I agree. If noise is not a problem, then go acoustic.

I have played on an acoustic set forever and last week I picked up my first E-Drum kit, a Yamaha DTXPress III Special I was lucky enough to find used and in good shape.  

The first consideration has to be the noise factor.  There just isn't any way to practice on an acoustic set quietly.  The E-Drums through a set of headphones gives the drummer a full sounding set and the rest of the house hears the tapping of sticks on a practice pad.  What I like about the E-Drums could be beneficial for a new drummer.  Programmed into the module are a number of songs in different styles.  You can play along with the drums that are part of the song or mute the drums and play your own stuff and there is a metronome you can practice with.  I realize this will be different depending on the manufacture and quality of the set.  

As others have mentioned there is a difference between the two types and until I'd spent some time playing on mine I wouldn't have realized the extent of the difference.  The "feel" of the stick on the surfaces of an electronic set is very different from a drum head and the cymbals.  At first I was using a thin, light, wooden tipped hickory stick playing the E-Drums.  After a couple hours I noticed my hands, epecially the left one was getting a bit sore.  I was playing through headphones and realized I was hitting the snare harder than usual to get more sound.  I read somewhere maple stick transfer less vibrations than hickory but the only maple sticks I had were much thicker and nylon tipped.  They were much surprising easier to use and more comfortable.  Bottom line, I like the feel of hitting acoustic drums better.

With a good sound system the E-Drums will work while playing gigs and with friends, again the ability of adjusting the volume a good factor.  

I know this won't answer the question about what would be the best for a new drummer.  One thing you won't have to worry about at first is the hours one can spent learning how to tune acoustic drums, but that is a skill all drummers have to have at some time.  If you do get an electronic set for him to start on he'll need to practice on an acoustic to be comfortable on them also.

I wonder about the price . . .

I've seen prices all over the place from low to the sky's the limit on both acoustic and E-Drums.  Look for used stuff.  Even a cheap acoustic set, when purchased new can add up when you start adding cymbals and I don't think cheap cymbals sound very good.

Any new drummer (IMHO) shouldn't go for the lowest price stuff.  If you end up with crummy equipment it might affect how you feel about playing. 

When I was looking at E-Drums I found some new, that started about $350.  They had the programmed sounds, but the stands were flimsily and looked like the pads would be bouncing all over the place when played with any kind of exuberance.  The same with cheaper acoustic sets.  On both sets when you're looking at lower cost stuff it seems the hardware is where they cut the cost.

If you live near a larger city which Portland, Maine isn't, you might have good luck looking for used stuff.  I was lucky, here they don't have many of the nicer E-Drums traded in that would still be in good shape.

Yeah, could be.  I was assuming a higher level kit like the V-Drums with an amp etc, that will cost more than a decent acoustic kit IMHO.  I'd be very hesitant to buy an e-kit used due to the high risk of damage to the triggers and brain unit.  They DO wear out over time and can be costly to service.  Just my 2 cents.

I own both a "nicer" set of e-drums (Hart Dynamics) and an acoustic set. The edrums are great in their own time and place. The lower range ($350) edrums are not really meant to be used in any kind of live setting and are not really worth what you pay for them, unless of course you got something used. If you buy a set that will not wear out quickly, gigging and practicing, you will spend more for them than an acoustic set. The mesh heads last a lot longer, but they cost alot more to replace usually. It's all relative to what you want/need.

Thanks for all of the info

I found a pearl rhythm traveller for sale at $250.00.  This sounds like a great option since it can be quiet or you can change the heads and you have yourself a "small" acoustic set

Anyone have any other information on the traveller?  Good, Bad?

Haven't played it myself but as I said, it seems like a good deal. I know a gigging drummer in New York who changed the heads and uses it as his go to kit - it's small enough to through into a cab and he says it tunes up real nice. 

fill the drums with pillows and amp it