Piece Drum
What is the smallest size drum heads on a good but cheap 5-piece drum set? Will it have a better sound?
I have a 5-piece FirstAct drum set and I want something smaller than I already have and has a better sound to it. I was going to sell my drum for about $250-$350. So I want something around $500 or under if neccessary. It can be any drum set with good sound. Thanks!
First of all, a smaller drum will not give you a better sound. The single most important contributing factor to the sound of your drums is the drumhead. Before you sell your drum set, you should try buying some really good heads and experimenting with the tuning a bit to see if you can come up with a sound that you like.
In response to your first question, the smallest size drum you could find would probably be an 8", but the smallest that I would suggest is a 10". Typically, when you buy a new five piece drum set, the toms will come either in a rock configuration (12", 14" and 16") or in a fusion configuration (10", 12" and 14"). I'm a really big fan of the fusion configuration, but it's all a matter of personal preference and it may depend on the type of music you will primarily be playing. I play a whole lot of jazz and funk, so the smaller sizes make more sense for my style of playing. If you play more rock or metal music, then you may want to go with the larger sizes.
Check this URL for a list of drum sets in the $300-$500 price range: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation/acoustic-drum-sets?N=100001+304764+10
In this price range, I would suggest the Pearl Forum or the Ddrum Diablo. I haven't personally heard the Diablo, but a friend of mine just purchased one and speaks very highly of it. Personally, I would shell out a few extra dollars at get a Pearl Export. In my opinion, the Export represents the best value for the money of any drum set on the market.
Just remember that drum heads matter! It doesn't make sense to buy a $500 set and put $5 heads on them. You can take the best drum set money can buy and put crappy heads on it and/or tune it poorly then it will sound like hell. Consequently, you can buy a relatively cheap set, put good heads on it and tune it well and it will sound pretty good. You should probably invest in a book or video that will teach you how to tune your drums. Just do a search on Amazon and you'll surely be able to find something.
Good luck, and happy drumming!
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