Drums are expensive and there always seems to be no way around the price. I am going to walk you through drumming on the cheap and help you save some money and still get some of the things that you want in drumming.
I know that this has been somewhat covered before but these are the things that worked for me over the years. So read up and see if it helps you out.
Online
The world of computers has changed how business is done and has made it to the point where you don’t even need human contact to get things done.
This has hurt us in some ways because you can't go and haggle with some salesmen somewhere over trying to get what you want at the price you want to pay for it.
Well I have only one word that can help you out, EBay. EBay can be your best friend when it comes to getting drum equipment. There is a good chance that you can get something at a great price, and there is a good chance that you can haggle with the person selling the item.
To make sure you have the best experience trying to purchase things on eBay, always read the reviews (feedback) that other people have left about that person. You should be able to determine really quick if it is even worth dealing with the person.
Don't be afraid to go used
One thing I notice about almost every drummer on this site and other sites is that they are always looking to get some cymbal or pedal or something new and they want it at some great price. Well all I can say is to get it used. Most of the time there is nothing wrong with used gear and most of the time with drum equipment you can tell. If you are getting it online most of the time the person selling it will let you know if there is something wrong with it like a cymbal being cracked or something of that nature.
I am here to tell you that you can go out and for whatever money you are going to pay to get the box set of the cheap
Zildjians or whatever you prefer, that there is a good chance you can pick up a few cymbals of a high-end model used at close to the same price. You can get what you want instead of spending your money on what you really didn’t want in the first place just to get rid of them a few year later to buy what you wanted in the beginning.
Sometimes the same can be applied to drums themselves. I personally play on a used kit that I got off of eBay and I got it at a great price. It sounds great and you just have to do the research and be patient so you can find a great deal. They are definitely out there.
Sticks
Sticks are something that almost all drummers go through all the time. The solution that I found was not to be afraid to get some cheap sticks.
I go to the local guitar center and they sell bags of sticks for like $12.00 and it is 12 pairs in the bag. They aren’t the greatest sticks in the word but they will hold for a good while and can save you a lot of money spent on high end sticks.
I use them for practices and I keep high-end sticks like
ProMark around for gigs where I will need sticks that are a little more dependable. That is the only downfall of buying the cheap sticks. Sometimes they break a little more easily or there might be a couple bad ones in the set. I found that while they normally hold up for a good while, I would suggest staying away from the bargain bucket you see in some stores. I have personally had some very bad experience with those.
Drum Heads
Over the years I have found that drumheads can break the bank really quick when you are a heavy hitter or just use your toms more. The best thing I have found over the years is that unless you are playing gigs all the time or your are constantly in the studio, you really don’t need to replace them all that often. Yeah they might start sounding kind of rough after a while but if you are just playing at home or even at band practices you know what they are going to sound like when you replace the heads for a gig. Also when you replace those old heads don’t throw them out if they don’t have holes in them or if they're not completely busted. You never know when you are going to need that emergency backup set of heads just in case.
I have also seen a few music stores that sell old heads that are hardly used or heads that someone had sold back due to buying the wrong size. I don’t know if I would buy them but if you really need them sometimes you have to do what you have to do.
Conclusion
Deals are out there and you can find them. Most of the time you can get things at a great price but if not you should really consider getting used instead of new. For the beginning drummer, money is almost always an issue so trying to get things at a better price is always the priority. This applies to some older drummers as well.
There is nothing wrong with used and there is no shame in getting a lower grade product. Most of the time you can get what you want when you just take the time to hunt for the perfect deal.
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