This is pure junk. I play the drums for over 40 years now and please don’t but this trash. Go to a music store and buy a used set it will be so much better than this.
I would love to hear what these shells are made of. Particle board?
It actually has good reviews over at Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Drum-Complete-Adult-Cymbals-Black/dp/B008J1TEQ8
Having said that, I agree with the advise that you should spend a bit more and just buy a good, used drumset at your local shop.
So, who makes this WONDERFUL kit? Who makes the cymbals?
Based upon the low-res pictures and my memory of the first set I bought for my son, it LOOKS like the “Export” series from Pearl. But at 1/3 the going rate for that ($650 with hardware at a certain well-known musical instrument store/website), this may be a cheap knock-off and best avoided.
If it IS the Pearl Export, I wouldn’t say it’s “garbage” as another poster did. I WOULD day that if your drummer is “serious” and not just a hobbyist like my son, then I agree with spending a few bucks more and getting a better one.
It’s offered by Best Choice Products judging by the warranty. There’s no other name available.
This is diffidently no Pearl Export (the Export has long been a standard in entry-level kits).
What it is; a cheap, no-name kit, that’s basically one step above a “First Act” toy store drum set.
The up side is that you can easily upgrade the heads, and with some tuning work, get something playable. Unfortunately, the cymbals are going to be terrible, and there’s nothing you can do to improve on those (aside from just upgrading them, which can be many hundreds of dollars).
Credentials; 30+ years playing, college percussionist, spare bedroom full of drum gear (ok, it’s overflowing into other rooms…must eBay!)
old drummer here. Yes, it’s entry level. I would say get a used kit for a first timer EXCEPT. Any new drummer is going to have a hard time getting ANY kit to sound good without knowing how to tune them properly. This kit will sound decent with proper tuning and set up. As others have said, the cymbals however are surely pure garbage. I have an old Bradley made in Japan kit from the 60’s-70’s that people comment on the great sound all the time. Good heads and tuning is all it is.
I was a percussionist growing up in the 70’s. I have to agree the best way to go is a decent used set instead of garbage new stuff. This is the rule for any instrument, not just drums. There are parents out there that won’t blink an eye on spending $200+ on a pair of LeBron hightops for their kid yet they choose instead to scrimp on the instrument. Consider eBay, music shops, Craigslist. Maybe leasing or rent-to-own might be a place to start to see if your kid maintains interest first.
My first drum circa 1973:
I ordered a similar kit for my first setup when I was 14. I somehow ended up being shipped a better shell pack in my starter kit, but from what I remember, this looks similar to a Pulse kit. I can’t speak to that exact kit, but I’ll go out on a generalization limb and say this:
The shells are probably decent, but have a poorly done poly wrap finish. The cymbals, hardware, and heads are pretty much going to be trash; they lasted me all of 6 months before cymbals and heads all had a “hand-hammered” look from the stick tips (granted, I have a heavy stick technique).
Pure garbage. Don’t subject some poor drummer to this, not even as a gift.