How to pick out good used pieces? what to look for, brands to find or pass on?

[hangwire]

There is a possibility that I am going to join a band as their disco-punk percussion person. I play guitar and some synths, and in the past I played with just a hithats, snare, and floortom - which this band liked in a clip I sent them online...

 

I need to rebuy these 3 pieces if this does work out when we meet Thursday, so I am looking for tech advice on what to look for in each of the 3 pieces above, as I will have to work fast to get sometghing gig ready if needed.

 

I would appreciate all opinions... even brands to look for used, or avoid at all costs would be VERY helpful. How deep a snare, what to look for in the wood of the snare and floor tom, what to look for in a hithat stand, or in the cymbals themselves...

 

 

thanks!

[Darten]

Well... if it was me....

Iron cobra hi hat stand, grab some 15" Zildjian K's

grab a brass snare 5.5x14 or deeper the older the better.

and a 16 x 18 floor tom, Ludwig.

 

that would do the trick.

[Kabaalk]

Snare: Ludwig Acrolite

Floortom: Anything works.

Hihat Stand: Anything works.

Hihat: Personal preference. Listen to sound clips online to get an idea of what you want if you like, but definitely try them out in person. 14" Zildjian New Beats are a hard deal to beat.

[boxofrocks]

Using the floor tom as a kick?

If so go 18 inch.

If you need cheap but sounds good and takes a beating try Yamaha stage custom.

Cheap stands that take a beating, I've had some SP stands almost a year and they're still holding up just fine.

Hats, for punk zildjian A's are a good choice.

Snare, just about anything in the 100 range will do, just put good heads on it and tune it good.

[FitchFY]

Yeah, there's not a ton of stuff to work with based on your post. How about some more info on how you want it set up and some sound characteristics? Maybe some drummers you're trying to emulate?

 

To avoid? HQ Percussion, Royce Percussion, and Camco Cymbas are crap kiddee cymbals. Anything that spells it "symbols" should probably be avoided as well.

 

Cheap and good: Pacific makes great hardware for relatively low prices. Most Ludwig snares in the $100 range can be really nice, and for the money, the Sabian B8 Pros aren't bad. As mentioned, Yamaga Stage Custom drums are fantastic.

[twosticks]

 

Snare: Ludwig Acrolite Floortom: Anything works. Hihat Stand: Anything works. Hihat: Personal preference. Listen to sound clips online to get an idea of what you want if you like, but definitely try them out in person. 14" Zildjian New Beats are a hard deal to beat.

 

 

I would agree with this. Make sure all the drums are round and not warped, get a drum key, tighten and loosen all the lugs and make sure they work. If you can, take off the heads and check inside the drums and where the shell meets the head and see that it's fairly smooth. Adjust hi-hat stand up and down and make sure it works okay. Ludwig Acrolite is a good workhorse snare. and Used Sabian,Zildjian, Paiste should work fine. YOu can make okay drums sound good, is hard to make bad cymbals sound good. On used cymbals, look for any cracks and "keyholing" notches on the center hole.

[hangwire]

I had comments for everyone, so sory about the super long post

I would agree with this. Make sure all the drums are round and not warped, get a drum key, tighten and loosen all the lugs and make sure they work. If you can, take off the heads and check inside the drums and where the shell meets the head and see that it's fairly smooth. Adjust hi-hat stand up and down and make sure it works okay. Ludwig Acrolite is a good workhorse snare. and Used Sabian,Zildjian, Paiste should work fine. YOu can make okay drums sound good, is hard to make bad cymbals sound good. On used cymbals, look for any cracks and "keyholing" notches on the center hole.

 

keyholing would be wear at the center hole? this is a sign of a bad material made cymbal?

 

if the shell is not smooth where it meets the head, that is a sign of cheap materials as well or what?

 

 

 

 

THANKS everyone! This will help a lot this weekend if I decide to join this band... any answers, or more

kicking the tires" tips, or price ranges to stay under for used pieces for each type, or even more "these are usually great" / "these avoid" lists are awesome...

 

[D Carroll]

For the hats, I say of these:

http://www.vintagedrum.com/item/Wuhan-14-Traditional-Hi-Hat-Cymbals-UP-WUHH14

 

a 14'' floor of your choice

I recommend: http://www.drumsonsale.com/gretsch-catalina-club-mod-12x14-floor-tom-p-2232.html

 

hatstand of your choice

 

 

and for the snare:

http://www.vintagedrum.com/item/Ludwig-Acrolite-Metal-Snare-Drum-1960s-1970s-Vintage

 

An old ludwig in between your legs will take you far.

[hangwire]

new day bump

[hangwire]

bump?

[manoeuver]

hey man, cruise your local craigs and post a link or 2 to ads that interest you. we'll be able to give you much more practicable advice that way.

[hangwire]

 

hey man, cruise your local craigs and post a link or 2 to ads that interest you. we'll be able to give you much more practicable advice that way.

 

 

I'll find out Sunday if I will do this band, so I will do exactly this on Sunday or Monday in this thread

[hangwire]

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/search/msg?query=drum&minAsk=0&maxAsk=325

 

I tried to link indivdiual ones, it it was getting way to long as I included 90% of these adds... so I thought it woudl be easier to see teh headlines and know what was worth looking at...

 

I would like the best value for gigging.... and that is where my inexperience might lead me to buy something cheap that might be crap, rather then pick some good pieces at a good price used.

 

thanks!

 

PS, mainly just looking for hit hats, snare and floor tom... but if one of those electric drums might be able to be set up that way, it might be cool... there is that $100 broken one, but i am not sure if I coudl just "make" a tom a snare in programming

[hangwire]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rhythm-Art-Drum-Set-Youth_W0QQitemZ270323543365QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item270323543365&_trksid=p4011.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A4%7C65%3A15%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

 

how bad would this be

[manoeuver]

whoo boy.

[lossforgain]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rhythm-Art-Drum-Set-Youth_W0QQitemZ270323543365QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item270323543365&_trksid=p4011.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A4%7C65%3A15%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318 how bad would this be

 

Firewood.

 

And by that I mean, you'd hit it once and want to burn it.

 

I agree with people here on the Acrolite -- I've got one I could sell you cheap. I'll drop you a PM.

[Kabaalk]

For $50, might be worth your time, though the sound will lean to low quality with a super low quality set like that.

[Walt Disney]

I'd like to once again promote Sabian B8pro 13" hihats with a gloss finish.

Not B8. B8pro. High gloss finish.

Cost nothing. Sound incredible.

[Longfuse]

If you can find a bass drum pedal where the beater can be flipped to work the other way round, you could use your floor tom the right way up, like a cocktail kit. That way you can actually use it like a floor tom too.

 

Apologies if this is what you were intending. Just a thought (been thinking of doing this myself recently).

[hangwire]

how about this for $250 :

 

,5 piece set, 4 piece Tama rockstar dx.

Snare drum is a Premier Snare on a Selmer stand.

Also Including:

 

Drum Throne

Pearl Hi-Hat stand with 14" Zildjian Scimitar cymbals

Pearl Bass Drum Pedal

10" Sabian B8 Splash cymbal, w/ Danmar cymbal holder

Black Afro Cowbell

Yellow Plastic LP Woodblock

1 Drum Key

2 pairs of Sound Percussion drum Sticks, one pair never used

 

i would sell the bass drum and toms...

[manoeuver]

that looks pretty good, man. have at it!

[hangwire]

Cool thanks