Quote:
|
Originally Posted by skinslapper I'd have to disagree. While you maybe can get a better series kit for less cash, you must remember, this instrument is made to be whacked. Like cars, they can hide a lot of underlying problems that you may not look for unless you're pretty savvy. |
Perhaps, but I'd respectfully submit that drums are nowhere near as complex as cars.
If our original poster, as a guitarist, lacks confidence about being able to determine the quality of a given instrument - new
or used, for that matter - I'd suggest bringing along a drummer friend to check out the instrument in question prior to the actual purchase. Buy him lunch for his troubles - it'll be money well spent.
Quote:
|
If I were you, I'd go new and make sure you get what you pay for.
|
When buying something brand new off the showroom floor, they're also paying for the depreciation that takes place whenever one buys
anything brand new. You mentioned cars. Go buy a brand new $20,000 car, and the moment you drive it off the lot, it loses several thousand dollars in value, simply because it is no longer "new." You've only driven it 1/4 mile, but good luck trying to sell it for the same price you paid just minutes before. That depreciation has taken place at your expense - it's no longer "new." On a smaller scale, the same holds true for drums. One can get greater value for one's money, by letting someone else eat the cost of depreciation.
In my experience, for the "street value new" of these entry-level kits, that same money can often buy a semi-pro or professional-level kit.
I haven't played the
Gretsch kits in question (outside of very brief playing in music stores), so I won't comment on them. I played in the house band for a jazz jam session for several weeks earlier this summer, and the house kit was a
Ludwig Accent. It was OK. The tom mounts were a bit wobbly, but other than that it seemed fairly secure. In terms of the sound, it showed the same tendencies I've noticed from most entry-level kits: the bass drum sounded very good, the toms sounded OK, and the snare drum was useable, but not anything special.
If our original poster does indeed go with a new entry-level kit, the good news is that the general quality of kits in this price range - in terms of both sound and sturdiness - has improved markedly over the past twenty five years or so. Back when I was in high school, an "entry level" kit was something that you bought expecting it to sound lousy and fall apart within the year. Nowadays, this same price range has some drums that will sound very good (with good heads and tuning), and which have fairly good hardware.
Based on some of the drum sets my students have bought, I'd say that while the Accents are good, I think that in terms of new kits in that price range I like the
Tama "Superstar" and Premier "Cabria" lines better, in terms of sound and the hardware. One caveat: that comment is based on how the drums sound, look, and seem to be designed, right out of the box. These kits were bought about a year ago by my students, and thus far, I haven't had them come into their lessons reporting problems with the drums, but in fairness I haven't checked out the instruments after a year of use.
Quote:
|
Of your options, I'd deffinately go grestch. Birch sucks.
|
Gretsch is fine.
Birch does not inherently "suck."
Linear Mode
