Giving a drum set as a gift

September 18, 2022 6:52 PM

Mr Corpse has requested a drum set for his birthday. I have no idea what to get. Please advise.

He was a drummer in punk bands decades ago but those drums disappeared. I think an electronic set with headphones might make sense than duplicating his old one, so he doesn't drive the rest of us in the house insane, and he agrees with this. I don't have a budget yet, because I have no idea how much drums cost. I'd like to at least make a gift certificate showing what I would like to get him, for him to approve or not; he doesn't know what's out there now, either, so doing some research could be a good gift. We're in the US.

posted by The corpse in the library to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

Best answer: There are a lot of "best electronic drum set" posts online that should give you a sense of what's out there. Here's one from Music Radar; Drumming Review; Sweetwater (retailer).

This will be a great gift, though I think you've got your budgeting backwards. What do you want to pay? There are clear tiers, and you will get what you pay for.

I have a hand-me-down Alesis Nitro Mesh that is a lot of fun, and was less than $500 new. However, it certainly leaves a fair amount to be desired, and given that Mr. Corpse is/was an accomplished player, he might not accept its shortcomings. The mesh heads don't react like real drums, the snare pad is tiny, the hi hat pedal is not reactive like a real hi hat, it's rickety (I bet he hits hard) etc. I was gifted it when its original owner outgrew it (probably 12-18 months of lessons) and got a basic Roland set. I plan to do the same soon.

Quiet is good--I play the drums late at night myself--and you'll want to avoid the sets that are acoustic/electric, as they'll make noise. Given he used to play acoustic drums, I think getting a bigger snare and a better hi hat would be worthwhile. And, as I said, I bet he hits hard--he might want to prioritize sets that has the snare on a stand rather than an arm off of the frame. I have to stop at least a couple of times a night to stop the snare from falling on the floor.

He should go play some kits first and make his own assessments.

You might want to look for used, though I personally have no idea how to assess whether a used electronic drum set is in good shape. I think my two friends with Roland kits have this one. I want this one.
Roland has a less expensive one, too. I'd probably avoid the Nitro Mesh one I have.

Don't forget to budget for a throne and stands/pedals/kick beater for some of these, though you can pick that stuff up used--it doesn't need to be specific to your electronic kit.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:36 PM on September 18, 2022 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Admiral Haddock has good advice--there aren't that many players in this space, so you probably want Roland, unless you want Alesis, unless you want Yamaha. Sounds like you've already decided on full-electronic rather than an electronic/acoustic mix, so you probably just need a preferred brand and a preferred price point. You might also budget for a rug/mat of some kind--electronic drums are much quieter than acoustic drums, but they're not silent.

I have several friends who are aging punk/metal/etc. drummers, and most of the ones that have electronic drums have ones from Roland.
posted by box at 5:30 AM on September 19, 2022 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Yeah, unfortunately the Roland kits really do feel better to play than others, but they are super pricey. I think this is a situation where he might want to go to your nearest music megastore and try a few for feel to gauge whether an electronic kit will work for him. Outside the best kits (again, Roland), they really don't feel anything like real drums and can be kind of a bummer to play.

electronic drums are much quieter than acoustic drums, but they're not silent.

For sure. Especially if they're played in a room above another room. If you've got a basement, expect to put the kit there.
posted by uncleozzy at 6:13 AM on September 19, 2022 [1 favorite]

Best answer: For better or worse, electronic drums have a lot of piecemeal upgrades, so you don't have to get it 100% right at the start.

I think the best advice in this thread is for Mr. Corpse to try out some kits at the friendly local retailer, if that's a possibility for you. Electronic drums are quite like acoustic drums, but are not 100% faithful, especially when it comes to low-end cymbals. You can spend more money to get closer to acoustic feel but costs escalate quickly.

Also, while Mr. Corpse is playing around, take that opportunity to judge the noise factor for yourself. Vdrums are far from silent, especially with a hard hitting punk drummer pounding them, double especially if he's playing the cheaper rubber pads. Also, the kick pedal can make life unpleasant for those below it. I have definitely pissed off apartment neighbors with my vdrums.

Nowadays I keep them in our attached garage and they don't disturb Mrs. Sauce in there.
posted by Sauce Trough at 6:32 AM on September 19, 2022

(vdrums is the Roland brand name for electronic drums. I use the term like kleenex or xerox.)
posted by Sauce Trough at 6:59 AM on September 19, 2022

Response by poster: Thank you! I'm much less adrift.
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:03 AM on September 19, 2022 [1 favorite]