The 4 Best Drum Set Brands – Reviews 2023

best drum set brands

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Drums are an important part of a rock band and are incidentally also one of the coolest instruments that anyone can learn. However, there is some basic knowledge that you will need before you can buy your very own kit, basic knowledge that pertains to what makes a good drum set sound good.

The first thing you need to check is to see what kind of skins have been used, the skins being the membrane stretched across the hollow chamber of the drums which is struck in order to make the percussive sound. The skin must be of a good quality, and only certain brands offer this quality. Additionally, the wood with which the actual hollow chamber of the drums is built must be, ideally, maple. This is because maple facilitates optimal vibration, and makes the sound of the tom toms especially become warm and vibrant, as well as rich and full sounding. Alder is also a good option if you are looking to purchase drums that have a more energetic and expansive sound. Whereas maple wood drums sound warm and rounded, alder wood drums sound sharper and more explosive.

Additionally, you will need to be careful about what material the beater of your kick pedal is made of. A plastic beater will result in a cheaper overall drum kit but it sounds absolutely awful. The best beaters are always made of felt, which gives the kick drum a solid, meaty sound. This is especially important when you are starting out, because once you get used to the flat thump of a plastic beater you won’t be able to play a felt beater kick properly because of the vastly different response you would be getting.

Here are our recommendations for the 4 best drum set brands on the market:

Pearl Roadshow 5 Piece Export Standard Kit

When one buys something as expensive as a drum kit, one is generally looking for a combination of durability and quality. Pearl provides both, and this is among the best Pearl drum sets. Often considered as a top contender for best drum set brand, Pearl is widely known for its versatility, allowing the user to play a variety of different styles ranging from jazz all the way to metal. The best thing about Pearl is that its overall sound is so standard—it can be applied to virtually any musical situation that you can think of. One of the best aspects of Pearl drum sets is that a Pearl snare does not lose its tuning easily, and the same goes for the tom toms as well to some extent. This allows players to play aggressively without having to worry about tuning their kit time and time again in the middle of a gig.

Mendini 5 Piece Full Sized Kit

There is hardly a brand of drum sets out there that is as iconic as the Mendini brand. The name Mendini has now become synonymous with good quality drum sets and for good reason. A Mendini drum sets tom toms are extremely versatile, able to reach incredibly low tunings without losing the solidity of the hit whilst simultaneously providing a sound that is thick and rich and can really help fill up a recording if the rest of the instruments have been scaled down in order to facilitate a drum solo. In fact, out of all of the brands of drum sets that are available today, perhaps no other brand is as expressive or as secure as the Mendini brand, making it the perfect kit for a drummer that wants to stand out and play a drum solo or two. This is one of the best drum set brands period.

Gammon Percussion 5 Piece Drum Set

Rounding off the big three of drum set brands is a brand that is famed for its heavy sound. When using Pearl, one often finds that the sound of the kit is too subtle to suit a band that requires the drums to exceed a certain level of loudness. Mendini allows a certain level of loudness but it requires the drummer to play very aggressively, which means that the delicate dynamics that come from a professional drummer’s unique style will invariably be lost.

The great thing about Gammon Percussion is that it allows drummers to play loudly without having to ruin their dynamics by pounding on their drums. Even delicate drumming styles can get a much louder sound if a Gammon Percussion drum set is used. This makes Gammon Percussion drum sets especially useful in situations where the musical style is similar to jazz or reggae. The common trait shared by both of these styles of drumming is that they require a delicate touch, with the tiniest shift in dynamics possessing the ability to alter the entire feel of the song. In live situations, using a Gammon Percussion kit allows drummers to be loud and take advantage of room acoustics while being subtle with their dynamics at the same time.

Full Sized Adult Drumkit with All Amenities Included

One common problem that a lot of people face while attempting to purchase a drum kit has to do with how expensive drum kits are. This drum kit, priced as it is, is an excellent drum kit in and of itself. The main feature that makes this drum kit great is that the tom toms, snare and kick are made of excellent wood, something that you already know will help give the sound of a drum kit a real lushness and richness. The high quality wood used also helps make this drum kit last longer. One of the best aspects of this drum kit is that the skins used are very responsive, which means that while playing you will get a wonderful bounce back response allowing you to really control your dynamics. This is one of the best drum set for beginners, especially if you’re on a budget.

Conclusion

By following the aforementioned guidelines and purchasing one of the suggested drum sets you can hit the ground running as you start to improve on your basic skills and become an increasingly competent drummer. As time goes on, you can even increase your repertoire by purchasing specially made snare drums in order to mold your kit to sound the way you want it to, and you can upgrade your cymbals to become more versatile. We hope you’ve found the best drum set brands here for your tastes. Good luck!

  • Micah Johnson started playing music in high school, when he taught himself the bass to join his friend’s band. He added guitar and drums during his twenties playing in local clubs, and along the way, he picked up unique, hands-on experience from hand drums to studio mixers. On Song Simian, he aims to share this knowledge from 20+ years playing and recording music. When not in gearhead mode, he enjoys photography and travel.

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