drum set... where to start?

my second cousin will be having her quinceanera in 2016. i've asked her mom for ideas on gifts. i was told she wants drums and books galore.

i would love to buy her a drum set. gotta love a girl who can rock!!!

the thing is i have NO IDEA where to start looking or what to look for.

i'm in no hurry, but want to start understanding what i'll be shopping for and roughly how much i'll need to budget.

thanks in advance for any and all info.

drum set... where to start?

Pearl jam chick drums, right? I only remember that cuz I think it's awesome!

Maybe FM her :)
What a neat gift !

Re: drum set... where to start?

Re: drum set... where to start?

DH drums.
He said start with Guitar Center. The techs there are very helpful.

There are starter sets, that may work best. There is a Sabian b8 cymbal starter pack which is not that expensive.

Drumsticks go by weight. 5A are the standard; the number is a specific style of stick, and the letter is how heavy they are. A is lighter than B and so on. No need for a brand name with stick to begin with.

No idea on price nowadays as he's had his drums for a long while.

if you have any other questions, i'll gladly ask, but like others said, pearl jam chick has all the answers =)

p.s. you are an awesome relative to buy such a big gift!

drum set... where to start?

you guys ALWAYS come through.

Mags1227, thank you so much for asking your DH. that's great info to get started.

i will reach out to Pearl Jam Chick!

thanks

Re: drum set... where to start?

I think that's awesome that you want to get her such a great gift!

I've played for a few years now. I bought my kit used off of Craigslist but I did a good amount of research before I chose mine.

First - I'm assuming her parents are okay with a drumset since they told you that's what she wants. Do they live in a house? If they do, then IMO you have more options. If they live in an apartment, then generally speaking I feel like - although I don't love them - an electronic kit is the best bet. She can play with headphones whenever she wants and not disturb anyone.

But if she's in a house, go for a real set. They are beasts, they have WAY more sound than electric sets and it's so damn great to beat the hell out of them.

Guitar Center has good techs and salespeople, for the most part - and the often have great sales. Right now they have two kits that IMO would be pretty great for her: a Yamaha Gigmaker 5-piece for $599 and a Pearl Roadshow 4-piece jazz kit for $379. The Pearl includes a couple of cymbals; the Yamaha does not. Cymbals are expensive! I paid a pretty penny for one of mine but it was SO WORTH IT. The ones included with the Pearl kit probably aren't that great but it'll give her an idea of what sound she wants to go for, how to move around the kit, and when it's time to buy more cymbals, what sizes/darkness/brightness/weight she will want. If you go with the Yamaha (which is a badass kit but more $$$), she will still need cymbals. The downfall of the Pearl is that the bass drum is on the smaller side at 18" - still a good kit to learn on though. My bass drum is small as well - 20" - but a good bass pedal gives me the sound I want. The Pearl also includes a throne (yes, the drummer's seat is called a throne because WE RULE ALL) which is nice. Those aren't terribly pricey but having a lot of things included is good.

She'll get to a point where she will want to change things up - get a better throne, a different bass pedal, new cymbal stands, whatever. She'll mix and match and trade with people...this is common and is really how a person develops their sound.

I also agree with a PP about the Sabian cymbal set - it's a nice good starter set, reasonably priced. I'm a Sabian girl myself :)

Other things to consider - you'll want her to have a drum mat. It will keep her drums from slipping around, which they will definitely do on hardwood/tile and they will even move around on a carpet/area rug. Sticks - yeah, pick up a few pairs. 5A are standard, that's my tried-and-true weight. I have them in different colors just because. Get her a good-quality drum key too. Tuning is something she'll need to learn and having a nice key makes it easier.

Has she played at all? She would probably benefit from a few lessons. I learn a lot via YouTube videos; honestly one of my favorite people to watch on there to learn techniques is Chad Smith from the Chili Peppers. He's great and interesting and has some fun techniques.

If you find that the cost of all of this is prohibitive, what about rallying a few family members together and everyone can chip in a bit? Or someone can take care of signing her up for a few lessons? This is a big expense for one person to take on...if you can do it, that's awesome! But if not, then I'm sure you can get a few other people involved to make it happen for her.

She's going to love it, that's for sure!!!

Re: drum set... where to start?

thank you so much for all the great info!!!!

she's been taking lessons at school this year and she LOVES IT. she's already gathered christmas money to buy a drum component.

i'll be having a few conversations with her parents to see what is best for me to get her.

her birthday and quinceanera is in october, so i have a little time to save up for it

she's an amazing kid and i would love for her to get something her heart is really into. and i might ask my sister to help chip in.

again, thanks!!