STARTING A BAND: Buying Drums

How to buy drums and get a kit ready for your first gig

Hopefully through the process of finding a drummer to join your rock band, you connect with a drummer who has a drum set.  A no-brainer, maybe, but if you are like me, your drum set is in working order, but not 100% for performing.  As you are starting a band, you will need to take inventory of the drums and ensure that when you book your first gig, you are prepared to play.  In this case, you need to look at more than the drums themselves, but the travel, the tuning and set-up, the sound quality, and have an emergency response plan.

Buy Drums From Scratch :

If you are starting this process from scratch, there is much research to be done.  The first rule for buying drums is to do some research.  The last thing that you want to do is buy a drum kit that sits and collects dust.  For an aspiring drummer with absolutely no experience, I recommend picking up a practice pad and a set of drum sticks before buying a new drum set - then register for some local drum lessons.  When I started to play the drums at age 10, my parents said that if I really wanted to play the drums, I would have to start with drum lessons and if I could show my commitment, the drum set would come… and it did.

With a developing practice routine, the research for your first drum kit can begin.  Pick up a subscription to a drumming magazine such as Modern Drummer and check out different types of kits and prices online at musiciansfriend.com.  Find out what your favorite drummers are using and research the brands and the different setups.

When it comes time to pick out a drum set, get some advice from your drum teacher or an experienced drummer.  In fact, take an experienced drummer with you to the music store when you plan to buy drums.  You absolutely must bang around on the drums and fall in love with them before you purchase.  Each drum set sounds different and regardless of the brand name will feel different.  I have had the same entry-level drum kit for the last 13 years and it is holding up just fine – a few upgrades, but the core is reliable as anything.

Budget yourself to about $500 for a full drum set that includes a bass drum, 3 tom-toms, snare drum, hi-hate, and crash/ride cymbal.  If you find a great deal, use the extra money to grab a cheap cymbal set, and accessories such as extra sticks, brushes, and zero rings.  While you may ultimately upgrade your set for higher quality sound, you want to have all the basics covered so that as you grow in experience you swap in better cymbals, hardware, etc.  A cheap used kit that allows you to creatively flow, musically unrestricted, is better than unloading $600 on a top of the line snare drum.

Check out this site for more tips on buying drums:

http://www.drumsdatabase.com/buying_a_drum_set.htm

Check out this Pacific Drums Kit:

Travelling with Drums:

Every time I put my drums in a vehicle and take to the road, something breaks and something gets lost.  If you are just playing a few local shows, you may be okay without cases, gig bags, and cymbal covers.  However, if you have a number of shows scheduled on a consistent basis, it is time to grab a set of drum cases.  You can spend anywhere from $100-500 for a set but it is well worth it.  Broken stands, ripped car seats, and hole-punched base drums can add up to much more in cost.

If money is tight, you should still find a way to properly travel with your kit.  Throw a few blankets around some drums and group your cymbals together.  Disassemble everything and throw the hardware in a duffle bag.  It may cost you some time in set up to put the heads back on each drum, but it will cost more time replacing a broken head that has a cymbal stand poking through it.

Check out this Drum Bag Set:

Check out this Cymbal Bag:

Check out this Drum Hardware Bag:

Drum Set-up and Tuning:

Every time your band gets a gig, there will be set-up, tuning, and teardown of your kit.  Spending some time to get your drum set ready for the wear and tear of this repetition can save you both time and money.  In preparation, disassemble your kit, reassemble it, and tune it.  Time yourself and take notes of the challenges and difficulties.

If your biggest hiccup is getting your set back in tune, it may be time to re-educate yourself on tuning techniques.  You can also consider buying a tension reading tuner that allows you to measure and accurately tune your drums consistently.  Bad tuning could also simply be a result of bad drum heads.  I found a great resource online at peelerdrumcenter.com that walks through Drum Tuning Tips.

Another challenge with set-up involves getting the cymbals and drums back in the right position.  With time, this will be natural, but try marking the positions on your drum floor mat.  If you don’t have a drum floor mat – get one or enjoy pulling your bad drum back to square one after each song.

Check out this Drum Tuner:

Check out this Drum Floor Mat:

Sound Quality:

Whether you are picking up a new drum kit or upgrading individual components, you are looking for a consistent sound that matches your preferences.  You will only get this from playing around at your local music store and researching different brands and models.  Metal drummers often have oversized tom-toms that can give deeper tones and sounds.  You may also be looking for a new snare drum that is crisp and penetrating or bright and poppy like a piccolo snare.

When it comes to cymbal selection, choose wisely if you are upgrading.  If you like the sound of your Crash/Ride combo, then keep it – this gives you freedom to find a very specific ride cymbal with excellent clarity or an epic and heavy crash that you may not otherwise be comfortable with.  The important thing to remember is to only buy and upgrade what you need to.  A drum kit may look more impressive with a million cymbals dangling around it, but a drummer who can be creative with just a few cymbals can have a greater impact on the band and save money too!

Check out this Cymbal Set:

Check out this Heavy Ride Cymbal:

Check out this Rock Solid Crash Cymbal:

Emergency Response Plan:

A gig can be ruined very easily if mid-show a drum breaks or hardware fails.  Build up your emergency response kit for the just-in-case situations.

Extra Drum Heads:  You need to be prepared for a broken drum head.  A drum kit without a snare is simply incomplete.

Extra Sticks: This is a no brainer, but sticks break and if you play hard, they break a lot

Extra Drum Key: I can’t count how many times I lost the little drum key.  Have an extra in your stick bag – just in case.

Duct Tape:  Grab a role – you never know… I would assume most venues would have duct tape handy, but again – you never know.

First Aid Kit: You don’t really need this because you have never accidently thrown a stick, hit yourself in the face or smashed your forehead off of a cymbal… and neither have I