Tasodrums
Tips for buying drum gear
In this post we'll go through:
Part 1: When it's good to buy new and when you get better value for your money buying used
Part 2: Where to buy gear and how much it usually costs
Many of these also have their own separate post that tells you more about each item, so check out the other blog posts too!
Part 1: When to buy new and when to buy used
1. Drum kit
A drum kit bought new often isn't the best possible investment. New is always new, but especially on a smaller budget, a quality kit bought used is a smarter choice than a lower-quality kit bought new. -> Both kits might cost the same, but there's probably a big difference in quality.
An acoustic drum kit doesn't wear out much with use, unless the drums have been hauled around a lot (especially without cases), spent gig nights in a trailer in freezing weather or otherwise just been handled badly. You'll see when you're buying how the drums have been treated.
If the kit looks like it's been handled with care, put new heads on the used kit and you'll get a great new sound.
E-drum kits are pretty expensive if you want a good one. That's why it might make more sense to buy your first kit used. When the kit is in one piece and well looked after, it also keeps its resale value. Look especially at Roland's TD series models, which come in many different price ranges.
If you want to play it safe, though, new is better, because you get the option to return it and a warranty.
When buying used, Google the kit's model and consider its original price and current condition, so you can judge the value for money better. This also makes sure you don't pay almost the same for a used kit as for a new one. Carefully check that all the connections and cables work. Electrical faults are expensive and sometimes impossible to fix.
Test an electronic kit especially carefully before buying. Don't buy blind.
Read more: Drum Kit for Beginners
2. Snare
Good snare drums are really valuable and stay good for a long time, so buying used will probably get you a really good snare for less than a new one. Do understand the difference in quality between a 100 euro and a 600 euro snare, though. When you buy a snare, changing the heads makes even an old drum feel like new.
In this case too, if you buy used, ask the seller for the exact brand and model and look up online what it costs new.
Read more: Snare Drum – How Do You Know What to Buy?
3. Cymbals
With cymbals, the patina that comes with age doesn't matter, and you can polish them with cleaners made for that if you want. Cymbals are valuable and hardly lose any value with use, so the better option is often to get a good, intact cymbal used.
Check, though, that there aren't even small cracks in them, since cracks spread easily.
Read more: Cymbals 101: The Basic Cymbals of a Drum Kit
4. Bass drum pedal
Pedals are fine to buy new or used. Beaters, springs and double pedal drive shafts can be replaced, and pedals in general usually last a really long time. Again, when buying used, check what the pedals cost new so you don't pay too much.
Read more: Drum Technique 3: Pedal Technique
5. Drumsticks
Sticks wear out and break with use, so when buying used, make sure they're in one piece. If you find good sticks at a good price used, sure, go for it. New sticks cost about 10-20 euros on average. Basically, sticks are the gear that wears out and gets replaced the most in drumming, so find the sticks that suit you best and buy new or used as needed, so that you always have a few pairs on hand.
Read more: Start Playing Drums
6. Drumheads
Always buy heads new. A used head is a used head. Saving five euros isn't worth the trouble. Once a head has been put on a drum and tuned, either right or wrong, and played, it stretches and wears and never goes back to how it was.
New heads cost about 10-40 euros depending on the size and the head (bass drum heads a bit more), so they're not the biggest investment in the hobby. Especially if you've bought a new kit, swapping the factory heads for new ones is the first thing you should do. The only purpose of factory heads is to make the kit “complete” for shipping to the customer. They're not meant to be played for any longer than that.
NOTE! When you buy new heads, replace both the batter and resonant heads at the same time! The resonant head affects the final sound a lot, and people forget this way too often.
- top head = batting head = batter head
- bottom head = reso head = resonant head
There's also a longer post about drumheads, and you can read it here.
7. Hardware
Hardware, meaning the stands, can also be bought used. Quality hardware lasts a long time, so there's no need to buy it new.
Read more: Stands 101: What Stands Does a Drum Kit Need
8. Recording gear
Microphones and cables are worth buying new. A new product always comes with some kind of warranty, which protects you after the purchase. You can find great deals used too, but used electronics always carry a risk that comes with age and use. Same as with electronic drums: if the gear is fairly new and you can see it's been well looked after, you can buy these used too.
Mixers and stands are fine to buy used. Don't buy a pig in a poke, and test before buying if you can.
Read more: Recording Drums 1: Record Drums on a Budget
