Help buying drums?

Question:I'm buying my first drum set and would like to invest in a good set that will last me a while. I am not sure how to get the most for my money.
Does anyone have suggestions of a good drum set that would include cymbals and hardeware for under $700?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I'm buying my first drum set and would like to invest in a good set that will last me a while. I am not sure how to get the most for my money.
Does anyone have suggestions of a good drum set that would include cymbals and hardeware for under $700?

That depends a lot on which country you're in. Anyway, as a drummer who's had cheap drumkits, expensive ones, and ones pieced together from all over the place, I think the best way to get a good-quality drumkit for cheap is to buy one second-hand, and do it up if need be.

The shells and hardware don't really matter that much, they're pretty similar in most drumkits, and they just have to be functional, they don't contribute to the sound of your kit. What matters is that you have good quality skins and cymbals, because these are what will make your drumkit sound good and last well.

With my drumkit, I bought an old Stage kit (not the greatest brand ever) and put new Remo skins on it (goooood skins, which I actually bought new but for second-hand prices in a drum shop because the package was ripped).

As for cymbals, they can cost a fortune on their own. If you can't afford a good brand like Zildjian (in my opinion they are the best ones) then a cheaper brand can still sound good. The important thing is to make sure you get cymbals that are hand-made, not machine-pressed. Zildjian make a cheap set of cymbals, called Z-series or something - do not buy them! They're machine made and will sound like tin. (that's the problem you'll find with the cymbals on most cheap drumkits). I bought a set of cymbals called Stagg, which were the same price as the Zildjian ($300 in Australia) but they're hand-made so they sound a million times better and will last longer. Try to get your cymbals new if you can, or check them out very carefully if you're getting second hand because even a small crack will render the thing worthless.

Remember, you can always keep doing up your drums later, replacing parts as you want, or adding more pieces.