Two main things I've done so far was fixing the sympathetic snare buzz by placing a flat tissue in between the snare wires and the resonating head....and replacing the throne with a taller bar stool which improved my ergonomics of extending my foot to use the bass drum pedal. I may eventually find better ways to mount my cowbells ...and maybe attach a drum stick holder.
You're absolutely on point with the upgrades that will make the biggest improvement in sound and playability. The methodical order you laid out for them was right on point too resulting in significant levels of improvement each time.
Nice job. The harsh truth is while entry level drums have improved greatly past few decades you’re getting sold a false sense of pricing as the heads and hardware are crap. Owning and maintaining a drum kit can be expensive but with care the improvements last a long long time. As far as cymbals go…quality cymbals are expensive and are instruments in their own right.
I think we're on the same page, I think companies have had the great fortune of developing and improving the quality of kits at lower price points, but there's also a higher emphasis on profit margins now, and how can we make this drum set for $10 less, and sell it for exactly the same price.
When upgrading cymbals try to find deals on used gear. My current set up is a Sabian AXX plosion crash, and XSR 20 ride and zildjian 15inch big beats, and all together this cost less than £350 so it’s worth checking ebay
I have been struggling with my kick drum pedal recently going faster speeds, I’m using the Yamaha hardware set that came with my kit. What kick drum pedal would you recommend that is the best option for me or do you think the Yamaha is good and just needs to be adjusted? Great video too I agree with all your points
I highly recommend the DW 5000 pedal: sweetwater.sjv.io/c/5015118/937020/11319?prodsku=DWCP5000AD4&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sweetwater.com%2Fstore%2Fdetail%2FDWCP5000AD4--dw-5000-series-accelerator-bass-drum-pedal&intsrc=APIG_7338
@@malonedrumthanks for the recommendation, but what is the difference from accelerator, accelerator single chain, and turbo? Those are the three options on sweetwater
0:30 THIS IS MY EXACT DRUMKIT!!!!! ;P;P;P Please help, my bigger tom keeps sagging due to use and those rubber ball clamps they have, I never seem to have my toms in the right postion either due to stand that attaches them ontop the kicker. am I doing sumthing wrong???? should i replace the tom stand with anything better??? anything you suggest?????
I'd always recommend second hand to save money, but even with some second hand options, as well as mid-priced stuff, you're going to need to buy a lot of these accessories like a throne, cymbals, and other hardware separately.
Totally agree with this. I give people the same advice when they're looking for their "first camera". ...they typically say, the just need something decent "to learn on", then they'll get a better camera. ...to which I explain, "If you buy a $500-$700 camera with a kit lens and crop sensor to learn on, then go out and buy a better camera afterwards, rather than just buying the better camera now, you're wasting $500-$700 on the first camera - as the resale value will be minimal, if any. ...You CAN learn on a better camera that you'll get more out of long term, plus be worth more if you need to resell it later -- plus plus, you won't have to replace your cheap lenses with the newer camera". So when I decided to finally get my kiddos (read me), their drum set, I went with the Yamaha Custom Stage Birch and found some good deals on used Meinl tin. It's not the cheapest, but it's far from exceedingly expensive. If and when I do upgrade, or buy a second kit, I'm tempted to buy shells from Nordic (thanks for the tip Mike), and talk Mike into helping drill the holes in the shells. ...and he'll get a solid YT video out of it. LOL From one SE Wisconsinite to a NC Wisconsinite, I Love this channel.
Yeah, I've always liked the Roc N Soc thrones: sweetwater.sjv.io/c/5015118/937020/11319?prodsku=MSOK&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sweetwater.com%2Fstore%2Fdetail%2FMSOK--roc-n-soc-manual-spindle-drum-throne-original-saddle-black&intsrc=APIG_7338
I actually play a rouge drum set like that and I have to say the throne and pedals are very mid the pedal is a hollow base plate makes a bunch of noise and can’t be adjusted like at all the throne is uncomfortable after sitting on it for more that 5 minutes and mine had a deformed screw on the throne making it hard to sit still for long periods of time but aside from that it’s a really good beginners kit
Something that I think a lot of people either forget to or don't get for their kits is memory locks for floor tom legs and stands to keep them at the desired height. They won't have any impact on the sound of the kit BUT they will make set up and tear down much easier for gigs. It's a little thing but it can make a huge difference.
I think for a gigging drummer, memory locks can be helpful, but personally since my set up changes from time to time, I didn’t use them as much as other people.
@@malonedrum A quick tip for the cruddy hihat clutch, is to set it up upside down, the nut may loosen but it won't fall. As long as your wingnut is not too big that should not loosen.
Thanks for the tips. Some people prefer to buy a brand new economy kit. I have read repeatedly from other drummers that it is best to buy a 3-piece used mid-range kit instead of buying a brand new all-piece economy kit. Use the saved money to buy a better snare drum and cymbals. With prices going up each year, this type of purchase will last for a long time, for both practice as well as live gigs. As always your mileage may vary.
I always recommend used to my families in lessons, but sometimes the market doesn’t always have something available or families get too set in their ways of buying on Amazon.
Great minds think alike! I think the hardest one to justify to families is easily the throne, especially with how crazy the prices are on that stuff, but the rest I think most people would agree on.
@@malonedrum Agreed. Especially for a bigger dude like myself, those stock thrones are next to impossible to sit on. For families, having your kid comfortable while playing will encourage them to keep coming back to the drums.
I took drumming lessons as a kid, but then stopped at age 13 or so. Now I've returned, and set up my drum kit again. I hadn't replaced anything when I was little, but now that I'm older and understand what things should sound like, I've started replacing stuff. The first thing I replaced is the throne. I would say a good throne is the first thing to upgrade. I got a roc-n-soc throne, and honestly, a good throne doesn't just add comfort. It encourages better posture, and allows for more free movement of your legs. Both things that will definitely affect sound a lot. I'm currently trying to convince my School to replace their wobbly broken throne, because it causes pain after an hour and a half of sitting in it, and forces me to slouch. After the throne, new snare and bass drum heads. Toms can wait. the snare and bass drum are the most used. Then, I'd upgrade the ride cymbal if you are doing a lot of jazz/stuff with the ride cymbal. I just upgraded mine from a Zildjian ZBT Crash Ride, to a used Sabian HHX Evolution Ride that I got from guitar center. I'm probably next going to upgrade my tom heads, because my toms do sound pretty dead, and then get a boom cymbal stand, because my drum set only has straight stands, and because one of my toms is connected to a cymbal stand, I can't get my ride into a place that is comfortable to hit, and doesn't interfere with the tom. I guess after that, I'll upgrade pedals and the rest of my cymbals. I would like to note, upgrade the cymbals first if they are those ones that are made by the drum company and sound like tin cans.
I agree on cymbals and heads. The throne in my opinion shouldnt be bought if it is not comfortable. Many (brand) beginner sets do not even come with them so you should already have looked into a throne beforehand. I strongly disagree on the pedal before the snare though. Both are not that important as the rest, but you can absolutely tune a cheap pedal to almost feel like a premium pedal (if it has not some other major mechanical flaw), and you can do that way before you developed the skill to really need a new pedal. Also it basically does not really influence the sound. Snaredrumsound though is a cornerstone of your playing and you should pay attention to that from the first time you hold a stick. You can make a cheap snare sound awesome with good heads, decent wires and some experience in tuning, but good quality snare drums hold that tuning longer, tune up nicer and have a wider range of tunings that sound good on the same drum, where as cheap drums typically have their sweetspot somewhere in the high tuning range. The only exception I can think of right now is going double pedal early on.
I appreciate your lengthy comment and your thoughts on this, but I think I still feel differently than you. Although I think considering “sonic enhancements” is a great thought, I just personally feel that whatever could make it most comfortable for somebody to sit and practice longer (a comfortable seat) could make a huge impact in their enjoyment of playing drums, and sure the “you should have bought a nice one to begin with” argument is certainly something you can say, I think it goes against the spirit of this video and my intention is find a balance of cost and impact off the gear often distributed with beginner kits, or the bare bones equipment which is on par with entry level kits. Still appreciate you watching my video and providing your input though.
For some reason I don't like the sound of the replaced cymbals. Surely it just a beginner set but an improvement means at least get it to intermediate level that could last a couple of years with proper hand technique. The first and cheapest improvement is by far changing the drumheads to Pinstripes or Hydraulics
I feel like we have stark contrast in taste for cymbals and drum heads, but luckily there's plenty of options out there in the marketplace for you and I to both find what we're looking for.
i think i’d swap 3 & 4 but other than that, great vid 😎 i may be biased though because i’ve never found my throne uncomfortable, but i’ve also never felt a higher end one 😅
love the vid and reasoning behind your choices , but here is my take: 1 & 2: great advice 3 Because not everbody is as fat as an American and snare sound is very important, I would change that to your nr. 5 advice (snare upgrade) 4 Yes! I would definitely do the same 5 If you are from the USA, buy the biggest and sturdiest throne you can afford. (Maybe use concrete) Anyone from the rest of the world: upgrade to a comforbable one with a spindle
@@malonedrum Yes! I have been using it for 3-4 years and I really think it's a great first pedal, never gave me any problems and I plan to keep it but I really want to upgrade it
Before all else, learn to get the best out of what you have. Learn to tune and set up your kit and get it sounding and playing as good as it possibly can before you spend any money. It makes it much easier to narrow down what the problem areas (actually) are.
I think that’s a fair a point, but I don’t have a problem suggesting a practical order of things I think can make a difference. This video was inspired by my students who typically begin with very entry level drum equipment, and I believe if you chose to make an upgrade in hopes of seeing meaningful results, this is the order I’d go with!
@@malonedrum Oh I absolutely agree. I definitely meant it as a step 0. When I was a kid I was asking my parents for new heads every two weeks because there were so many different built-in muffling/thickness/material options, I thought I just chose the wrong ones for my style. Turns out I just couldn't tune a drum to save my life 😂
How would you improve your first drum kit? Let me know below in the comments!
i guess hoops Better heads and hardware
Drum throne is practically number 1. Most underrated piece of a drum kit.
I agree that the significance is major, but I feel like if I was trying to convince a students parent, it’d be a bit tricky to sell them on it.
Two main things I've done so far was fixing the sympathetic snare buzz by placing a flat tissue in between the snare wires and the resonating head....and replacing the throne with a taller bar stool which improved my ergonomics of extending my foot to use the bass drum pedal. I may eventually find better ways to mount my cowbells ...and maybe attach a drum stick holder.
Making improvements slowly but surely is the way to go!
You're absolutely on point with the upgrades that will make the biggest improvement in sound and playability. The methodical order you laid out for them was right on point too resulting in significant levels of improvement each time.
Thanks!
Nice job. The harsh truth is while entry level drums have improved greatly past few decades you’re getting sold a false sense of pricing as the heads and hardware are crap. Owning and maintaining a drum kit can be expensive but with care the improvements last a long long time.
As far as cymbals go…quality cymbals are expensive and are instruments in their own right.
I think we're on the same page, I think companies have had the great fortune of developing and improving the quality of kits at lower price points, but there's also a higher emphasis on profit margins now, and how can we make this drum set for $10 less, and sell it for exactly the same price.
When upgrading cymbals try to find deals on used gear. My current set up is a Sabian AXX plosion crash, and XSR 20 ride and zildjian 15inch big beats, and all together this cost less than £350 so it’s worth checking ebay
Always a proponent for used, but you're definitely left to what's available at the time, your area, and comfort on how to assess used gear.
I have been struggling with my kick drum pedal recently going faster speeds, I’m using the Yamaha hardware set that came with my kit. What kick drum pedal would you recommend that is the best option for me or do you think the Yamaha is good and just needs to be adjusted? Great video too I agree with all your points
I highly recommend the DW 5000 pedal: sweetwater.sjv.io/c/5015118/937020/11319?prodsku=DWCP5000AD4&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sweetwater.com%2Fstore%2Fdetail%2FDWCP5000AD4--dw-5000-series-accelerator-bass-drum-pedal&intsrc=APIG_7338
@@malonedrumthanks for the recommendation, but what is the difference from accelerator, accelerator single chain, and turbo? Those are the three options on sweetwater
@@Chase.hunter There's probably much better explanation on DW's website or google, than what I can offer from my experience so I'd defer to that.
0:30 THIS IS MY EXACT DRUMKIT!!!!! ;P;P;P Please help, my bigger tom keeps sagging due to use and those rubber ball clamps they have, I never seem to have my toms in the right postion either due to stand that attaches them ontop the kicker. am I doing sumthing wrong???? should i replace the tom stand with anything better??? anything you suggest?????
Hard to say, but start by trying to tighten the wing nuts securing the mounts in place.
In a nutshell, you should buy a middle-priced kit and/or second hand kit, on the long run it makes you save a lot of money.
I'd always recommend second hand to save money, but even with some second hand options, as well as mid-priced stuff, you're going to need to buy a lot of these accessories like a throne, cymbals, and other hardware separately.
@@malonedrum true.
Totally agree with this. I give people the same advice when they're looking for their "first camera". ...they typically say, the just need something decent "to learn on", then they'll get a better camera. ...to which I explain, "If you buy a $500-$700 camera with a kit lens and crop sensor to learn on, then go out and buy a better camera afterwards, rather than just buying the better camera now, you're wasting $500-$700 on the first camera - as the resale value will be minimal, if any. ...You CAN learn on a better camera that you'll get more out of long term, plus be worth more if you need to resell it later -- plus plus, you won't have to replace your cheap lenses with the newer camera".
So when I decided to finally get my kiddos (read me), their drum set, I went with the Yamaha Custom Stage Birch and found some good deals on used Meinl tin. It's not the cheapest, but it's far from exceedingly expensive. If and when I do upgrade, or buy a second kit, I'm tempted to buy shells from Nordic (thanks for the tip Mike), and talk Mike into helping drill the holes in the shells. ...and he'll get a solid YT video out of it. LOL
From one SE Wisconsinite to a NC Wisconsinite, I Love this channel.
I’d go
1. Bass pedal or throne (depends on throne quality)
2. Remaining upgrade from #1
3. Cymbals
4. Heads
5. Hi-hat stand
Yeah, I can easily see this. I think it all depends what comes with your kit to begin with.
What ride cymbal do you use?
In this video: a 20” Bosphorus syncopation ride
Great video. Do you have a specific throne to recommend for a larger size person?
Yeah, I've always liked the Roc N Soc thrones: sweetwater.sjv.io/c/5015118/937020/11319?prodsku=MSOK&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sweetwater.com%2Fstore%2Fdetail%2FMSOK--roc-n-soc-manual-spindle-drum-throne-original-saddle-black&intsrc=APIG_7338
I actually play a rouge drum set like that and I have to say the throne and pedals are very mid the pedal is a hollow base plate makes a bunch of noise and can’t be adjusted like at all the throne is uncomfortable after sitting on it for more that 5 minutes and mine had a deformed screw on the throne making it hard to sit still for long periods of time but aside from that it’s a really good beginners kit
I totally agree, you can get by with those kits if you just make a few smart upgrades like those you mentioned.
Excellent video, very useful for beginners!
Thanks Tobias!
well, for tip 2, , keep the old crappy cymbals to make nice effect stack ;;-) .
Fun idea!
Something that I think a lot of people either forget to or don't get for their kits is memory locks for floor tom legs and stands to keep them at the desired height. They won't have any impact on the sound of the kit BUT they will make set up and tear down much easier for gigs. It's a little thing but it can make a huge difference.
I think for a gigging drummer, memory locks can be helpful, but personally since my set up changes from time to time, I didn’t use them as much as other people.
I would recommend upgrading the hi hat clutch. The worst thing is when that damned nut on the bottom unscrews on you during a rehearsal or gig.
That's a great point. I think I was looking at something a bit larger, but I've down the same road with cheap hi hat clutches.
@@malonedrum A quick tip for the cruddy hihat clutch, is to set it up upside down, the nut may loosen but it won't fall. As long as your wingnut is not too big that should not loosen.
Thanks for the tips. Some people prefer to buy a brand new economy kit. I have read repeatedly from other drummers that it is best to buy a 3-piece used mid-range kit instead of buying a brand new all-piece economy kit. Use the saved money to buy a better snare drum and cymbals. With prices going up each year, this type of purchase will last for a long time, for both practice as well as live gigs. As always your mileage may vary.
I always recommend used to my families in lessons, but sometimes the market doesn’t always have something available or families get too set in their ways of buying on Amazon.
You hit all my suggestions! Great video!
Great minds think alike! I think the hardest one to justify to families is easily the throne, especially with how crazy the prices are on that stuff, but the rest I think most people would agree on.
@@malonedrum Agreed. Especially for a bigger dude like myself, those stock thrones are next to impossible to sit on. For families, having your kid comfortable while playing will encourage them to keep coming back to the drums.
I took drumming lessons as a kid, but then stopped at age 13 or so. Now I've returned, and set up my drum kit again. I hadn't replaced anything when I was little, but now that I'm older and understand what things should sound like, I've started replacing stuff. The first thing I replaced is the throne. I would say a good throne is the first thing to upgrade. I got a roc-n-soc throne, and honestly, a good throne doesn't just add comfort. It encourages better posture, and allows for more free movement of your legs. Both things that will definitely affect sound a lot. I'm currently trying to convince my School to replace their wobbly broken throne, because it causes pain after an hour and a half of sitting in it, and forces me to slouch. After the throne, new snare and bass drum heads. Toms can wait. the snare and bass drum are the most used. Then, I'd upgrade the ride cymbal if you are doing a lot of jazz/stuff with the ride cymbal. I just upgraded mine from a Zildjian ZBT Crash Ride, to a used Sabian HHX Evolution Ride that I got from guitar center. I'm probably next going to upgrade my tom heads, because my toms do sound pretty dead, and then get a boom cymbal stand, because my drum set only has straight stands, and because one of my toms is connected to a cymbal stand, I can't get my ride into a place that is comfortable to hit, and doesn't interfere with the tom. I guess after that, I'll upgrade pedals and the rest of my cymbals. I would like to note, upgrade the cymbals first if they are those ones that are made by the drum company and sound like tin cans.
Sounds like you've made great steps in helping your first kit achieve new life and potential!
Bro why did this actually help a lot- thank u stranger 🙏🙏
I agree on cymbals and heads. The throne in my opinion shouldnt be bought if it is not comfortable. Many (brand) beginner sets do not even come with them so you should already have looked into a throne beforehand. I strongly disagree on the pedal before the snare though. Both are not that important as the rest, but you can absolutely tune a cheap pedal to almost feel like a premium pedal (if it has not some other major mechanical flaw), and you can do that way before you developed the skill to really need a new pedal. Also it basically does not really influence the sound. Snaredrumsound though is a cornerstone of your playing and you should pay attention to that from the first time you hold a stick. You can make a cheap snare sound awesome with good heads, decent wires and some experience in tuning, but good quality snare drums hold that tuning longer, tune up nicer and have a wider range of tunings that sound good on the same drum, where as cheap drums typically have their sweetspot somewhere in the high tuning range. The only exception I can think of right now is going double pedal early on.
I appreciate your lengthy comment and your thoughts on this, but I think I still feel differently than you. Although I think considering “sonic enhancements” is a great thought, I just personally feel that whatever could make it most comfortable for somebody to sit and practice longer (a comfortable seat) could make a huge impact in their enjoyment of playing drums, and sure the “you should have bought a nice one to begin with” argument is certainly something you can say, I think it goes against the spirit of this video and my intention is find a balance of cost and impact off the gear often distributed with beginner kits, or the bare bones equipment which is on par with entry level kits.
Still appreciate you watching my video and providing your input though.
For some reason I don't like the sound of the replaced cymbals. Surely it just a beginner set but an improvement means at least get it to intermediate level that could last a couple of years with proper hand technique. The first and cheapest improvement is by far changing the drumheads to Pinstripes or Hydraulics
I feel like we have stark contrast in taste for cymbals and drum heads, but luckily there's plenty of options out there in the marketplace for you and I to both find what we're looking for.
i think i’d swap 3 & 4 but other than that, great vid 😎 i may be biased though because i’ve never found my throne uncomfortable, but i’ve also never felt a higher end one 😅
Fair enough!
What were the cymbals you used in this video
14" Bosphorus Master Hi Hats
18" Bosphorus Antique Crash
20" Bosphorus Syncopation Ride
love the vid and reasoning behind your choices , but here is my take:
1 & 2: great advice
3 Because not everbody is as fat as an American and snare sound is very important, I would change that to your nr. 5 advice (snare upgrade)
4 Yes! I would definitely do the same
5 If you are from the USA, buy the biggest and sturdiest throne you can afford. (Maybe use concrete)
Anyone from the rest of the world: upgrade to a comforbable one with a spindle
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🏈🏈🇺🇸🇺🇸💵💵
@@malonedrum thank you for being kind to my rude comment
Never have understood why people let themselves go. I'm 58 and still at my high school weight
cool video... i'm not a drummer,,, but my brother are
Thanks for watching!
I have that same cheap yamaha pedal that you showed and my next purchase is probably a DW 5000 lol. Great advice Mike!
That pedal ain’t bad! I obviously still own one, but you can definitely see the difference when you have something much more stable and sturdy.
@@malonedrum Yes! I have been using it for 3-4 years and I really think it's a great first pedal, never gave me any problems and I plan to keep it but I really want to upgrade it
Before all else, learn to get the best out of what you have. Learn to tune and set up your kit and get it sounding and playing as good as it possibly can before you spend any money. It makes it much easier to narrow down what the problem areas (actually) are.
I think that’s a fair a point, but I don’t have a problem suggesting a practical order of things I think can make a difference. This video was inspired by my students who typically begin with very entry level drum equipment, and I believe if you chose to make an upgrade in hopes of seeing meaningful results, this is the order I’d go with!
@@malonedrum Oh I absolutely agree. I definitely meant it as a step 0. When I was a kid I was asking my parents for new heads every two weeks because there were so many different built-in muffling/thickness/material options, I thought I just chose the wrong ones for my style. Turns out I just couldn't tune a drum to save my life 😂
@@remurdereht I also wanted to try everything I saw in drum magazines as a kid.
informative and well made video
Thanks!
nice job
Thanks Bruce!
The cymbals are a huge piece of making a great kit. I also think great drum heads / tuning will help any shells sound nice. Great video
I totally agree!