FAQs

FAQs + Advice

I'm buying a drum kit for someone else and I haven't got a clue what to look for. Where should I begin?

Ok. Well don't worry because you're not the first. There's a very wide range of drum kits and other products available out there and we know it's confusing at first. The best thing to do is to ask us. You can give us a call on 0191 221 0301 or email us at team@newcastledrum.co.uk and we'll give you honest advice because we're nice people here. There are a few pointers below though:

• Drum kits and cymbals are usually bought separately. If you get free cymbals with a kit then they're going to be fairly low quality. They'll do fine for practicing at home but that's about it. A set of proper basic cymbals should cost you £100+. If at all possible it's best to try these out in store if you can as the difference is staggering. There's a section further below on choosing cymbals, which hopefully will help even more.
• A basic drum kit will usually consist of 5 Drums, hardware and cymbals. If there are fewer drums, it's either because it's a more expensive gigging or custom kit, or because it's a very cheap kit that will break quickly. A Bass drum will normally be 20" or 22" and a snare drum will usually be 14". The tom-toms can vary in size, but 12", 13" and 16" is most common. If you're looking at a kit, which has much smaller sizes, it's going to be very small and only intended for a very young player (3-7 years or so depending on height). A full size kit can be moved about a lot and will accommodate a young player well into their late teens, at which point they should go and get a job and save up for their own gear!
• Most kids will ask for branded gear like a Pearl Joey Jordison Signature kit with black cymbals or something of the like. There are one or two things to consider here. Branded gear (like Pearl, Yamaha, Tama, Mapex etc…) is always very good. You might pay a bit more for it, but it will last you well and perform to a high standard. You can of course obtain very similar equipment by cheaper brands that will often do for younger players if the kit is only going to be used for practicing. If you get in touch and tell us what has been requested of you, we can usually recommend a better value alternative.
• Good advice when choosing a kit is to inspect all of the parts that are likely to break. Don't worry too much about shells on a drum kit that's under £350 or so, as they're often very similar (except for the finish of course). They'll generally be made from Basswood, which is easier to construct drum shells with. The bits that make a kit cost more at this price range are hardware and fittings. This usually includes;
  • Any moving parts (clamps, bolts, holders etc…),
  • Lugs These are the metal bits that hold the rims and bolts to the shells. Although the lugs on different kits will often look very similar, named brands will often use a much better casting process which offers much a much more long-lasting kit.
  • Pedals and stands These will probably break first, so the sturdier the better. Branded hardware is noticeably better.

I want to order a kit but get it delivered closer to Christmas. Is that possible?

Yes, and we encourage it completely. Get in touch with us directly and we can allocate your goods in our warehouse and you can arrange delivery or collection whenever is best for you. We've had to pretend to be Santa occasionally for years now, so we're good at keeping secrets!

Electronic or Acoustic?

Both are good and both have their benefits. Acoustic drums give you the real feel obviously, so they're more fun from that point of view. If there is scope for the kit to played in a band, you'll probably need an acoustic one as electronic kits (under about £1000 anyway) don't tend to be designed for that kind of thing.

Acoustic kits are cheaper also! They are however very noisy. You can get silencer pads, which will reduce the noise considerably while practicing. If noise is a big issue, then electronic kits are perfect as you can use them with headphones. They do cost more, but they have a lot of cool features, which will work in tandem with the kind of things that tutors will cover in lessons (play-along songs, metronomes etc…). The sound quality of a decent electronic kit is brilliant also.

Yamaha and Roland's kits sound brilliant and are much better than a budget electronic kit, or those things you saw on Top of The Pops in 1982. If you're still unsure, get in touch and ask us directly. We've had these kinds of issues a hundred times, so we're well placed to answer any of your questions.

I'm not sure if this is just a passing whim or if they're serious about taking up the drums. Any advice?

Again, this isn't uncommon! More often than not, young people stick with the drums if they can play them often, because to be fair they're a lot of fun to play. Spending too much unnecessarily is never advised, but if you spend too little and get the wrong thing, then that can be worse in the long run. Most tutors would advise getting a practice pad and a set of sticks in the first instance. It's a basic thing that everyone uses and will help them to study some basic rudiments and patterns.

If they're keen to get a kit, then you could consider an electronic one. You can plug the headphones in and they can blast away to their hearts content. They also have many more features, which will support the basic techniques learnt through tuition. See above for advice on electronic kits versus acoustic kits.

The best thing to keep them interested is to invest in some lessons. If you live in the North East, we can point you in the direction of some local tutors. If not, ask your school or local music service. We can point you in the direction of your local music service, just get in touch.

If you're unsure, you can always ask us and we'll offer our advice. We never want people to go away from us with things they don't need, or having spent money they don't really need to. We'd rather you went away from us, satisfied with your purchase and the advice you got. We know that if we're nice to you, you'll probably come back to us in the future.

Why did they take up the drums?! Why not the flute or something normal?

Drums are more fun, that's why! Easy. Next question!

How much should I spend?

Beginner kits start at about £250 and go up to about £500. You shouldn't really have to spend any more than £500 to get a decent starter set up. Indeed, you can get a basic one for about half of that. If you're upgrading to a gigging or performance kit, there's a lot of choice. A decent kit with hardware will set you back anywhere between £500 and £1100 really, although you can easily spend much more. Cymbal packs cost from about £250 - £600 at this kind of level. If you're planning on spending money on a decent kit like this, it's always worth getting in touch and asking us about it. There are often special deals on kits at this level, so ask us and grab a bargain.