Drum Sets for Beginners | Best Acoustic Drums

When I started shopping for my first beginner drumset amongst the best acoustic drums, I had been playing snare drum and bass drum in my elementary school concert band with such enthusiasm that my parents saw it was time to get me my first drumset. They agreed to help me search, and were hoping I would find some best drumsets under $1000. Once I joined the middle school concert band, I couldn’t wait any longer. My parents and I got in the car and cruised down to Washington D.C. to Chuck Levins to view all the drums and hopefully pick my first beginner drum kit.  Unfortunately, none of us really knew what we were doing.

While the sales rep was very nice and informative, his more detailed knowledge went right over our heads and his insistence on seeing the more expensive drumsets made us question his motivations.  At the time, in 1994, the internet was not quite the robust source of eternal information that it has come to be and even less than volume of information was reputable and trust-worthy sites like Music Minds, to use for making expensive decisions.

Best Beginner Drum Sets In Detail

What Makes the Best Drum Kit?

Fortunately for me, my best friend’s father had been touring as the drummer for the Beach Boys and offered to take us to a music store and help us find the best drumset under 1000 dollars.  After hitting every drum as hard as we could, we came to the decision that we would compare the Pearl Export Series Drum Set vs. Yamaha Stage Custom Drum Set.

At the time the Yamaha Stage Custom was the more expensive of the two drumsets and without having a clear reason for wanting the more expensive drumset, my parents were steering me to the Pearl Export Drumset.  Then the Pearl Export Drumset was built with a combination of Birch and Maple wood which created a very nice warm tone from the birch with a nice punch from the maple that really spoke to my ear and helped set the Pearl Export Drumset apart from the all Maple Yamaha Stage Custom that I was considering.

In the end we decided on the Pearl Export Drumset which at the time was priced at $999 (Now there are several decent drumsets under $500) and did not include cymbals but did include the necessary hardware.  After purchasing a $500 dollar Sabian Cymbal pack, we were up and running for about $1500.

Finding The Best Drumset For You

I loved my drumset and grew into a professional drummer eventually upgrading my drumset significantly to a professional drumset that cost me quite a bit more.  In retrospect, there are a few things I would have done differently. Hopefully, I can help you make this decision so you don’t have any regrets.

First thing is first, as much as you can save money buying a cymbal kit, if you think at all that you or your child have the ability to hopefully one day grow into a professional drummer, purchasing high quality cymbals will not only make playing more enjoyable while learning but, cymbals, much like camera lenses, hold their value pretty well.

Longevity

Withstanding the test of time, Pearl Export Series Drumkits as well as Yamaha Stage Custom drumkits are still two of the best drumsets for beginners. As a matter of fact, in many music venues that provide backline drum sets for professional drummers, the Yamaha Stage Custom drumset is a common piece of gear that while not technically a professional drumset, gets the job done in a pinch.

Drum Shells

Certain types of wood are naturally more expensive than others. So how can you find an affordable wood shell for your drums that will sounds great and last a long time. Drum companies have been studying the longevity and quality of wood for years, working to perfect whats the most affordable for them to manufacture and what will give you the best sound from your drum.

Hardware

Some drumsets come with all the hardware you will need including a kick-drum pedal, snare drum stand, and even cymbal stands for a crash cymbal, ride cymbal and hi-hat cymbals. These all-inclusive packs make it easy to grab everything out of the box and setup your first drumkit. This doesn’t mean a drumset without hardware is not a good choice- some drumsets that even do include everything would have hardware that you may need to upgrade anyways. But more than likely, for beginners, you will be more than fine to use whichever hardware is included.

Drum Heads

Drum Heads can seem like a daunting task to switch out, but they are one of the most important elements in having great sound from your wooden shell drums. There are lots of great brands from varying prices, but considering if you will need drum heads right away, or if your drums come with heads you can use right away is important.

Cymbals

Cymbals are so much fun and such an essential element to the right sound overall from your full drumset. And there’s no way around it, great cymbals that will last a long time can be expensive. But its worth it. If you spend a little more upfront, you won’t have to keep re-purchasing more down the road. And there isn’t really any value in re-selling old used cymbals.

Sound

How your drumset sounds will ultimately be the most important thing to you. Of course, the cost and durability are a major part of the consideration, but for you to keep using your drumset and to be happy with your drumset- the most important thing to consider is how it sounds. Whats the quality of the wood in the shells, whats the quality of the manufacturer- have they been in business a long time? Do famous drummers use this brand?

Durability

When purchasing a Drumset for Beginners (or at any level), durability is quite a big component to consider because it lets you know how much time you will get as a return on investment. If you don’t have a lot of money and want a cheaper drumset just to get started, thats perfectly acceptable. Its always best to start somewhere than to not start at all- but if you can read reviews and find which drumsets will last you for years and years to come, it may be worth it to purchase that drumset even if it costs a little more than you had wanted to spend because you will use it longer and it will ultimately save you money down the road.

Level

Some drumsets are truly best just for beginners. There are some drumsets that are just best for kids (because of price and size), something they will eventually grow out. But then there are kits that can be used longer as you get better. So depending on what you are spending on your drumset, make sure to consider how long it will last you, as you get better and start to do more with your kit.

Look

Look is not just a vanity thing, it truly is important when choosing a drumset depending on what you plan on doing with your career. If you hope to be on stages, in concert halls, or even for music videos- you want something that looks professional and appealing.