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Q - What should I look for if I want to buy a drum set
http://www.americandrumschool.com/howtobuy.html - Dave Bedrock
I know what you‚re thinking, Should I get 6 lugs or
only 5? What the heck is a lug anyway? I will explain
it all!
This is called a five-piece set. By tradition only drums are counted in the description (5 piece set). Cymbals are considered separate and a standard package is:
The remaining components are called hardware which are made up of stands and
pedals and a standard package is:
This is the description of the standard five-piece
drum set with cymbals and hardware. There are many
variations and I often use a four piece set that has
only one mounted tom.
My cymbal set-up varies but I usually use a ride, hihats and 2 crashes plus a
small splash. I will explain in more detail how all these parts are constructed
below.
A drum is nothing more than a resonating cylinder or "shell" (the first ones
were hollowed out logs) with membranes or "head" stretched over the opening. The
quality of sound is determined by the quality of the shell and the head. What
this means is the drum will produce the best sound if it is perfectly round and
has a flat edge where the head comes in contact with the shell. This edge is
called the "bearing" edge. If it is smooth and even it will sound good.
DRUM SHELLS
The type and quality of material that the shell is constructed of has a definite
effect on the cost of the drum and the quality of the tone. Many different
materials such as fiberglass, steel, plastic and high tech composites are also
common. They are also used in less expensive drum sets because all of these
materials are easier than wood to shape in to the correct dimensions and to make
perfectly round. They also hold their shape better than wood, which has a
tendency to warp, especially when wet. Each material has a unique sound with
wood, especially maple being the one most desired and also the most expensive.
Without going into too much detail, the thickness of the drum is important also
and you will find less expensive drums sold as 3, 5 and 9 "plys" or layers of
many different types of wood. Each ply is a thin sheet of wood that is cemented
together and formed around a mold. The manufacturer does not usually identify
the types of wood and they are given generic names such as "hardwood" because
many inexpensive woods are used. Obviously, 3 or 5 ply hardwood shells are
thinner than 9 ply. The 9-ply shell is stronger and is my preference in the less
expensive drum sets. However, there are differing opinions about the more
expensive maple shells with some people preferring 3 or 5 ply over 9 ply maple.
The most exclusive drums are made of a single thick ply and require many hours
of processing to be formed into a perfectly round shell.
LUGS
Next we have another important consideration. Each drum shell will have a head
and a counter hoop by which tension is exerted on the head for tuning purposes.
Tension is controlled by tension rods and lugs (also called tension casings) and
the number of lugs on the shell is important because the more lugs that the
shell has the more control there is in tuning the head. The snare drum requires
more lugs than most of the other drums to tune well and sound good. Eight lugs
on top and bottom is a good minimum for the snare drum though there are many
inexpensive snare drums with only six. I recommend eight lugs to my private
students. I personally use a ten-lug snare drum and a twelve-lug snare drum,
which sound great. On a snare drum more is better!
On the small tom toms six is the minimum though you will see drums with only
four. On the larger toms eight is preferable but you will see drums with six.
The bass drum eight is minimum with some drums having only six.
DRUM HEADS
At one time all drumheads were made of animal hides. Today plastic is the
preferred material and heads come in a variety of thickness and plys. Single ply
heads are one layer of Mylar and double ply heads have two layers of Mylar. The
single ply heads have more complex tones and are the choice of some people.
Thicker double ply heads have more controlled deeper tones and produce more of a
"thud" which I like in my toms and bass drum. My preference on the snare drum is
a thin single ply white coated head. The entry-level drum sets typically come
with very thin single ply heads. I personally recommend name brand heads such as
Remo and encourage my students to use them.
FINISHES
The term finishes refers to the appearance of the drums. Some drums are finished
with coverings suchas vinyl and come in a variety of colors. The more expensive
drums are polished, stained and lacquered natural wood. Though the argument can
be made that natural wood shells without covering sound better, less expensive
entry-level drums can sound good with a vinyl finish.
HARDWARE
The term "hardware" refers to the bass drum pedal and hi hat stand, the snare
and cymbal stands and the mount for the tom toms. Most of what is available is
fine though there are definite differences in the durability and ease of use
from one manufacturer to another. It is typically divided into single and double
braced categories and double braced is very sturdy though I find good single
braced hardware completely acceptable for my use. All the hardware that I sell
is very serviceable and a perfectly good choice for most players...
SUMMARY
My recommendations for a first drum set:
A five piece 9-ply wood drum set with a vinyl finish
including:
8 lug snare drum
6 lug-mounted toms
6-8-lug floor tom
Remo drumheads on all drums
3 or 4 cymbal package including 16 or 18-inch crash-ride
Two 13 or 14 inch hihat cymbals
Hardware package including bass drum pedal, hi hat stand, snare drum and cymbal stands, tom mounts and drum throne.
These sets are available for very reasonable prices
and have everything the new player needs to get
started.
Cannon has great beginner and
professional level drum sets - see the Jamm V for a great starter set!
BEGINNERS GUIDE TO CYMBAL SELECTION
When I got my first drum set I didn't care what it was (it was a used Tempro with Krut cymbals). I was thrilled and excited to have a drum set to play! It is more important to have the drums and get started playing than to agonize over whether you are buying the perfect drum set. I encourage first time buyers to get something good but not too expensive in the $300-400 range.
It takes many years of experience to understand cymbals and make
the choices that are right for you. It is because of this that I suggest
beginning with any cymbal and let the learning happen in it's own time.
Cymbals made by drum companies and included in drum set packages are usually
practice cymbals of inferior quality. They are thin plates stamped out of a
metal sheet and formed into the shape of a traditional cymbal. They can be used
for practice but not much else. They have a hard metallic clank sound when hit
with a drumstick.
A quality cymbal made by a cymbal company has a fine musical tone. It has a
complex sound. They have several metal ingredients formed by hammering and
lathing some of which may be done by hand. This, of course, makes them quite
expensive though a good cymbal can last a lifetime and improve with age.
Basically, cymbals fall into two categories, one for playing sustained rhythms including ride cymbals and hihat cymbals and another for playing accents called crash cymbals.
RIDE CYMBALS
Ride cymbals are typically 18-20 inches in diameter
and occasionally larger. They are usually fairly thick
and used to play steady sustained rhythms though some of them are thin enough to
use for accents (called crashing).
CRASH CYMBALS
Crash cymbals range from 14 ˆ18 inches in diamenter
and vary in thickness from thick and heavy to very
thin. Thinner cymbals are usually higher in pitch and
respond very quickly to a stroke from the drum stick.
HIHAT CYMBALS
Hihat cymbals are 13-14 inches in diameter and mounted one on top of the other
on a stand and controlled by a pedal. They also vary in thickness.
SPLASH CYMBALS
Splash cymbals range from 8-12 inches and are very
thin with a bell like sound. They are used for special
effects and should be used sparingly. They are not
usually included in less expensive cymbal packages.
SUMMARY
A cymbal package should include:
When included in the price of the drumset they will be for practice only. A
package of student model entry-level cymbals should include the same as above
but will increase the price by $200-300 dollars. These include cymbals by
Meinl,Paiste, Sabian,
Wuhan
or Zildjian.
Professional quality cymbals by the same manufacturersas those listed above
could total well over $1000. It is usually possible to get substantial
discounts, as much as 40 percent off or more. I play a great cymbal called
Istanbul. Most of the sets carried by American Drum School have cymbal sets that
are included in the purchase price though I offer a cymbal upgrade by
Wuhan
for under $200.