What is The Perfect Kit?

After 30 years of drumming, I am buying a new kit for my new home studio. I have not bought one for 20 years and the excitement is building. I imporv rock and blues, and fiddle around with patriotic and broadway tunes. My kit will be permanently set-up, mic'd and hopefully around for my kids. Sonor and Yamaha seem to top the list, but I am also considering a D'Amico, Cooley & Noble, Lee or other custom kit. I would appreciate any suggestions, even though I know the responses will be highly subjective.

Just about any decent name set nowadays will be great; from beginner's Yamaha Rydeen all the way to the priciest DW or custom set they will sound good and play well and be versatile & stable in configuration and setup.

It falls to YOU to decide what you want to spend, and then which tom mount styles etc appeal most to you within that price range.

SUBJECTIVE RESPONSE: If you're going mid-line, Yamaha Stage Customs are as good as you can get for the $$$. Check 'em out!

Coyote kinda nailed it- you need a price line and style chosen; any of the big names (Yamaha, DW, Tama, Pearl, Mapex, Sonor, Gretsch, Ludwig, Slingerland) make nice high end sets. Some companies make outstanding middle line sets (I too am a huge fan of my Yamaha Stage Customs), and there are lots of good low ends.

I think it's great you want a good kit to have for your kids; now are you talking just drums? What's your price range? Do you know what type of wood you'd like (maple, birch, or other?)?

Sorry for all the questions, but you need to definte your search!

Tama Starclassic Bubinga. You can get the exotix if you can afford it for a better look.

One that tunes itself.

My recommendations in no particular order.

DW Classic Series

Tama EXOTIX Series

Yamaha Washi Drumset

Zickos Artistry Series

Given that Yamaha has always been a very strong and "go-to" kit in the studio for years now, I would definitely recommend checking out their current lineup of drums...You can get away with a gorgeous entry level kit with an enormous sound that will easily add to your studio with the Rydeens and mid-level Stage Customs...However, if you can afford to spend more, the higher end kits like the Tour, Maple, Studio, and Recording Custom lines are definitely what you'll want to set your studio of right

Best Of Luck!!! Keep us posted on how it goes, and be sure to post some pics when you find that new kit!!!

DAN

They are still blowing out Stage Customs at MF. 699.00 for an entire kit with hardware. I'm telling you this because I would like to pick up one really bad, but I no longer play any more (according to my other half) and I can't seem to convince her how GOOD a deal this is! "If you were gigging again, that's different"....how many of you have heard that before! Yammies (even though I've never owned a set (I used Tama and old Ludwig) are great in the studio. When I played on them when recording, they ALWAYS BROUGHT A SMILE TO MY FACE and made me feel like a monster...

There are a TON of good drums out there. But head selection and tuning will make as much or more of a difference. Leave enough budget to play around with different heads and learn how to tune well. Best of luck!

the perfect kit is whatever's in front of you.

+1

I get the exact opposite reaction from my wife. She's basically arrived at a point where I can get any music gear I want as long as I DO NOT start gigging regularly again! lol

Okay, first of all, I have a big head because I own a set of Stage Customs! Yamaha's mid-line set that is being phased out for Tour Customs. Stages have an outer layer of Birch and Tours are said to be all Maple but might be a lower grade of Maple than the Abosolute Maple.

Okay, MY thoughts if it was my home studio and it was permament and I wanted the PERFECT set????

A Yamaha Recording Custom or Absolute Birch with an Abosolute Maple Bass Drum. Recording Customs are 100% Birch as well with High Tension Lugs. Birch is nice to record because it has the "punch" or atack and quick decay and the maple bass would have the "warmth" that sounds nice recorded. Almost all new sets still need to have heads replaced.

But yes, tuning and head selction would matter as well.

A collectors DW set or high end Tama or the custom sets you mentioned would work nice as well. I would be happy to have those as well.

Also I think great mics, cables, consoles, etc will help bunches for a great sound as well. Just my two cents, hope this helps....

OK, you obviously are looking to spend money if you expect the kit to be around for your kids, and you're throwing around names of boutique drum companies for consideration. There are only 2 lines that stand above all else for me, Premier Birch, or Yamaha Birch Absolute. Put them up against any line in any setting any day. And yes, they'll last forever.