Jump to content

Buying new drums soon.. need suggestions!


Recommended Posts

Drummers, what do you suggest would be a good drum set up if I wanted to play music in the likes of math rock (old Mock Orange and No Knife)... and I guess beard punk (CSTVT)? I'd like something full sounding and warm toned. Sizes and models would really help me narrow down my options. This is a silly question to ask I think, I mean I have been drumming for almost 8 years but don't know a damn thing about drum specs or what would fit best with the music I'm into as pathetic as that sounds. I used to not give a shit up until now because the bands I played in were purely fast, noisy, and loud. But now I want something full of quality that is dependable in recording and playing shows. I'll be jamming with a few old friends soon. Help me out!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Email SJC Drums. I got a kit from them for basically $1200 exact. All maple shells, dark walnut stain. 22x20 kick, 12x9 rack, 16x16 floor. Sounds great and I play the latter of the two genres you're looking for. Great company to deal with.

If you want a better idea of what $1200 gets you, here's a link to what I got:

http://sjcdrums.com/kits/item/1161

Honestly, just send them an email, they're always down to help on a budget.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Email SJC Drums. I got a kit from them for basically $1200 exact. All maple shells, dark walnut stain. 22x20 kick, 12x9 rack, 16x16 floor. Sounds great and I play the latter of the two genres you're looking for. Great company to deal with.

If you want a better idea of what $1200 gets you, here's a link to what I got:

http://sjcdrums.com/kits/item/1161

Honestly, just send them an email, they're always down to help on a budget.

Dude, some of those kits look freaking awesome. I'm more into the Alternative/Indie (and some pop) music, but the ddrum Dios ( http://www.ddrum.com/dios_m.php ) has never dissatisfied me

Oh and since you're looking for a warm tone, I would suggest to keep maple and mahogany in mind when looking for shells

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Email SJC Drums. I got a kit from them for basically $1200 exact. All maple shells, dark walnut stain. 22x20 kick, 12x9 rack, 16x16 floor. Sounds great and I play the latter of the two genres you're looking for. Great company to deal with.

If you want a better idea of what $1200 gets you, here's a link to what I got:

http://sjcdrums.com/kits/item/1161

Honestly, just send them an email, they're always down to help on a budget.

If you get an SJC kit I can make it look snazzy:

http://www.sjcdrums.com/series/profile/22

If you're into that kind of stuff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd try IJ as an alternative to SJC. IJ is a guy named Iggy who quit building for SJC a few years back - From what I was told, SJC couldn't keep up quality standards and still fill orders (like a lot of bigger custom companies nowadays). I bought a fantastic kit from him a few years ago. Only thing is he builds privately.

I've got a bunch of stuff and really, I gravitate to early 2000's Ludwig Maple Classics and the IJ's. Most of all, you should actually PLAY different kits before you buy something. Everyone has different tastes. Only you can decide what you want.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know anything about drums, but I do know that SJC's always catch my eye. Definitely the slickest looking finishes that I've seen. If you're in a band, it might not hurt to email and ask if they would be down with giving you a discount for endorsing them. I'm not sure that it will work, but I have friends in two not super well known bands that have been approached by SJC for endorsement discounts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks guys. I looked into buying SJC a little over a year ago but never ended up pulled the trigger, they had all custom maple shells for like 1400 or something.But before I go the custom route, are there any particular models from Gretsch, Tama, or Ludwig that would suit my needs? I've played on a Ludwig Centennial last year for two weeks before I shipped it back. It was a very nice souding kit and all but it was previously used and arrived damaged on the bearing edges, and overall I don't think it was worth the price tag they've placed on it. My nearest Guitar Center is like an hour away but usually they don't have shit when I go up there... usually it's some exotic super kit crap with like 8 toms or something.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm the same way. I've been playing for about 11 years, but I don't know the really specific details of tuning drums, drum tones from different shells, etc. I was in a band that played indie/garage, then a folk-ish band, and then an electronic band and my drums sounded fine. I have Ludwig Accent Customs with Zildjian cymbals

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For popular name-brand drums, I'm Ludwig all the way. I have a kit of 2003 Ludwig Maple Classics that are beautiful and also a 1966 Ludwig Club Date kit that I got from Rob the drummer from Slapstick/Tuesday. I've used them in every setting, and with a little tweaking here and there, they've worked perfectly. You can usually find a real nice used set for anywhere from $300-$1500 (the Maple Customs were $1500, the Club Date $600). Remember, Craigslist is your friend. I don't buy anything drum-wise from people I don't know unless it's Craigslist. You can get some killer deals, too. I got a 100th anniversary 6.5x14 Black Beauty for $250.

I've attached a video of the 2003 kit live. For tuning, I follow what sounds best. Every drum has it's own golden pitch. I tune bottom heads tight, and semi-loose on the top. I read that in a Dave Grohl interview once.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×

AdBlock Detected

spacer.png

We noticed that you're using an adBlocker

Yes, I'll whitelist