Best Starter Drum Kits

Honest Beginner Drum Set Review: Top 4 Best Starter Drum Kits

It is a fun art that you can take as either a hobby or as a profession but getting into drumming is not as hard as most people may think. You only need to create time and perhaps find a drum coach or use an online drumming lessons platform like Drumeo and you’re good to go. However, the catch is that you may need to buy a drum set for starters, which you can use for your practice lessons as you continue to learn. But finding a good beginner drum set can be a daunting task! We’ve actually put together a list of items to consider before buying a drum set click here to read them.

Did I say daunting? Yes, of course, it can be complicated, considering the wide range of drum set brands and models available on the market. They are not all equal in terms of setup, sound quality, features, and even pricing. Yes, the price tag is important. As a matter of fact, most people seek to answer the major question of how much does a drum set cost.

Remember you want a cool drum set that you’ll find easy to work with, and may even continue using after you’ve mastered the basics of the art. You want one that won’t cost you a fortune and make your debut into drumming a nightmare. To make it a bit easier for you, we’ve analyzed a wide range of drumming sets and compiled a list of the top 4 best beginner drum sets you can find out there in the market. Here they are.

1. Pearl Roadshow

If you’re looking for a great affordable starter kit with a budget of under $500, then the Pearl Roadshow might just cut it. This is a full drum set kit that comes with pretty much everything you need to begin your drumming. The 5-piece set features a 22-inch kick drum along with two 10-inch and 12-inch toms plus a 16-inch floor tom and a 14-inch wood snare. It also includes two cymbals and other necessary hardware such as drumsticks, foot pedals, a throne, and double-braced stands.

The set is available in a variety of colors, you can pick from, including red, bronze, charcoal, and black. Its adorable sound comes from the 9mm poplar it is made from. The design is also pretty sturdy, durable, impressive, and looks quite professional that it can be used on the stage. Most importantly advanced production technologies from Pearl gives this 5-piece beginner drum set an advantage over most other models. Nevertheless, cheaper beginner alternatives are available on the market.

If you’re looking for a practicing drum set that you can also bring to the stage for live performance, this relatively affordable set can be a great choice.

PROS

  • Advanced tech
  • Professional design and look
  • Sounds great including cymbals

CONS

  • Less pricey alternatives exist
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2. Yamaha Gigmaker 5 Piece Drum Set

The Gigmaker may not be the basic drum set, not as basic as the fancy name may suggest. There is something about it that justifies its apparently high price tag. It is an awesome drum set that almost every beginner would appreciate owning. For one, Yamaha is one of the best drum set producers, in addition to being a giant company for equipment across a wide range of industries. This 5-piece drum set can be perfect for beginners for a number of reasons.

The kit includes a bass drum, 3 toms, and a snare, as well as a hi-hat, pretty much everything you need to get started in drumming. Even more interesting, it is available in a range of setup configuration. You can choose between a 16 X 20-inch or 16 X 22-inch bass drum, for instance, between 16X16-inch and 14X14-inch for floor toms. Mounted toms come in various sizes to choose from as well. Ride and hi-hat cymbals are also included in the set. It also comes in a variety of colors to choose from, meaning that you can easily select a custom color and configuration that suits your preferences. However, this one if the most expensive drum kit in this review article.

Despite being quite pricey, the Yamaha Gigmaker 5 Piece Drum Set can be an excellent choice for those who seek a quality drum kit that will offer more than just a few years of great drumming experience.

PROS

  • Everything you need included
  • Comes with a drum hoops
  • Mount system makes it adjustable and easy to use
  • Various color options
  • Various configurations

CONS

  • Quite pricey
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3. Ludwig Accent Drive 5 Piece Set

Next on, we have the Ludwig’s Accent Drive, a 5-piece drum set that comes in quite a strong contender on the list. If you know a bit about Ludwig, the brand is one of the most popular pioneer brands when it comes to musical instruments, especially electronic drum sets. The Ludwig accent, highly worth the mention, is the cheapest drum set for beginners you can find out there on the market.

Being a complete drum set with cymbals, you won’t have to hassle looking for additional pieces, like cymbals for instance. The complete drum set includes a bass kick drum (22-inch), two toms (10-inch and 12-inch), a snare (14-inch), and cymbals. The cymbals include 13-inch hi-hats and 16-inch crash/rides. This affordable complete drum set kit features drum shells that have been made using 8mm thick 9-ply poplar/basswood veneers, which assures you not only of a great-sounding drum kit but a long-lasting one as well.

Even though it costs a tiny bit higher than alternatives such as the gammon percussion 5-piece, you will definitely agree with me that this drum set for beginners is worth even much more, probably somewhere at the end of this post. The cymbals are also not really an issue for most drummers since they’re something you can easily replace. We can safely conclude that Ludwig Accent can be an excellent starter drumkit to go for.

PROS

  • Considerable pricing
  • Great value
  • Complete kit
  • Quality-sounding drum shells

CONS

  • Cymbals sound a bit off
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4. Gammon Percussion Battle Series Drum Set

Of all the products we’ve covered in this beginner drum set review, the gammon percussion is definitely the best beginner drum set for the money. It is definitely one of the best cheap drum sets for adults as well as young aspiring drummers on the entire market. There are, of course, various complete drum sets with cymbals you can consider, but the price makes this one quite attractive to many that seek a low-budget starter drumkit alternative.

The kit includes a 22-inch bass drum, a 14-inch snare drum, two mounted toms (12-inch and 13-inch) and a 16-inch floor tom, and cymbals (12-inch hi-hats, and 14-inch ride/crash). The cymbals come with stands, and there is a kick drum pedal as well. Other hardware that comes along with this kit includes a drummer’s key; drumsticks, a throne, and a setup guide to help you get started. This means you can start playing immediately as soon as you open the package. Remember, not every drum set out there comes with an assembly guide, especially not if it costs less than $300.

Despite being a bit low quality in terms of the way the cymbals sound and its performance in general, this product is a winning adult drum set for the price. Very few alternative beginner sets in the market will give you a complete drumkit that is durable for this price range. With the Gammon percussion, you get a complete kit for an amount that you would have probably spent on a 3 piece drum set.

PROS

  • Decent price
  • Fairly durable

CONS

  • Lower quality
  • Cymbals may need an upgrade
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Other Notable Alternative Drum Sets

Although the Gammon percussion is the cheapest cheap on this list, the Mendini MDS80 complete 5 piece drum kit is a close competitor that you can probably get at an even lower price. If you’re looking for an alternative that is cheaper and even less complicated, you can get a 3 piece drum set such as the 3-Piece PPJR3BK percussion plus drum set. You may also be in search of a complete starter drum set for your kid. In this case, the pulse drum set, a 5-piece junior drum kit that is also quite budget-friendly can be an excellent choice. Even though it seems to be kind of a bit rare in the market nowadays, the CB5 5-piece drum set from CB Drums can be an excellent choice for kids and beginners just getting into drumming.

The Bottom-Line

There might not be a definite answer as to which beginner drum set is the absolute best. This is because of course; there are quite a number of factors to consider. However, from what we’ve discovered by now, the Gammon Percussion 5-piece drum set is your best budget alternative. On the other hand, the Yamaha Gigmaker seems to be on the high end but it’s the best in terms of quality and performance. In other words, it all depends on what your priorities are. The Ludwig accent is a great option for those in search of a medium budget drum kit that sounds great but may need some upgrades later, no wonder it’s among Amazon’s best sellers. Feel free to pick the Pearl Roadshow for a mid-budget quality-sounding drum set too.