Choosing a beginner drum kit: The best beginner acoustic drum kits
Three shells, four shells, five shells? When it comes to choosing a beginner drum kit, there are quite a few things to consider. With price being the most obvious one, it might also matter who inspired you to play and what genre is your favourite. Let’s take a look at the best beginner acoustic drum kits!
Choosing a beginner drum kit: What to consider
So, you’ve made the choice: drums it is! But where to begin? These kits are huge! And how in the world are you expected to know which size and what type of wood are the right one? And then, how many shells is the right number of shells?
Ask yourself what or who made you want to play the drums in the first place. What type of kit does that drummer play? If it’s more a song or a whole genre, research what type of kits drummers in popular bands of said genre play.
Do they play more compact four-shell kits like many do in Punk Rock or Funk? Do they play bigger shells for a bigger sound as is usual in Rock or Pop music? Or even gigantic kit monsters like some drummers use in Metal subgenres. Oh, and one more thing: the size of the kit also depends on your age. For example, full-sized drum kits might be a bit too big for younger aspiring drummers as the shells are too far apart.
Millenium Youngster Drum Set Azure
Small kit, big sound, reasonable price – that just about sums it up for the Millenium Youngster Drum Set. It’s the first entry to our list of the best beginner acoustic drum kits, and it’s available in four colors. With its 16-inch bass drum, 8-inch tom, and 10-inch snare drum, it packs more than enough punch to start rocking.
![Choosing a beginner drum kit: Millenium Youngster](https://cdn.gearnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/MilleniumAzure.jpg)
As it is a complete set aimed at young beginner drummers, there are also cymbals, a bass drum pedal and a hi-hat stand, a drum throne, and a pair of sticks included – everything youngsters need to get going! The Millenium Youngster Drum Set is available at Thomann.
![Millenium Youngster Drum Set Azure](https://thumbs.static-thomann.de/thumb/nethumb140x40/pics/herstlogos/millenium.gif)
![Millenium Youngster Drum Set Azure](https://thumbs.static-thomann.de/thumb/orig/pics/prod/467180.jpg)
Startone Star Drum Set Standard -BK
When it comes to choosing a beginner drum kit, Millennium is hard to beat – but StarTone is right behind it! Those five poplar shells, with the 22-inch bass drum at their centre, will get you plenty of BANG for the buck. Additionally, you get a 13-inch hi-hat and a 15-inch ride cymbal for all your jazz and funk desires.
![StarTone Star Drums](https://cdn.gearnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/StarToneDrums.jpg)
There is also all the necessary hardware included, such as a snare stand, a drum throne, hi-hat stand, bass drum pedals, and cymbal stands. The Star Drum Set from StarTone is one of the best beginner acoustic drum kits, and you can get it at Thomann.
![Startone Star Drum Set Standard -BK](https://thumbs.static-thomann.de/thumb/nethumb140x40/pics/herstlogos/startone.gif)
![Startone Star Drum Set Standard -BK](https://thumbs.static-thomann.de/thumb/orig/pics/prod/266131.jpg)
Mapex TND5044TC Tornado Studio -DR
You can’t go wrong with Mapex. You’ll get a premium sound at a budget price point with this kit. Drum kits from this manufacturer are used by professional drummers all over the world. However, you might not know that Mapex also offers some incredible beginner drums.
![Choosing a beginner drum kit: Mapex Tornado](https://cdn.gearnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/MapexTornado.jpg)
With the Mapex TND5044TC Tornado Studio, you get five shells in a lovely Dark Red finish, two cymbals, and all the necessary hardware to get going right away. And you get the super punchy, in-your-face but extremely defined Mapex sound with it. The Tornado Studio can be had at Thomann.
![Mapex TND5044TC Tornado Studio -DR](https://thumbs.static-thomann.de/thumb/nethumb140x40/pics/herstlogos/mapex.gif)
![Mapex TND5044TC Tornado Studio -DR](https://thumbs.static-thomann.de/thumb/orig/pics/prod/345794.jpg)
Choosing a beginner drum kit: Pearl Roadshow 18″ Red Wine
Undoubtedly Pearl is one of the biggest brands in the world of drum kits. Pearl offers a huge range of drum kits with various wood types, configurations, and shell sizes. The Roadshow series is Pearl’s entry into the beginner side of drums.
![Pearl Roadshow 18-inch](https://cdn.gearnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PearlRoadshow.jpg)
There’s a lot of bang for your buck with this 5 piece drum kit. All necessary hardware parts, even a stick bag and drumsticks are included. This compact version comes with an 18-inch bass drum and a 13-inch snare at its core. The Pearl Roadshow drum kit is best suited for aggressive high-tuned drumming genres such as: Punk, Funk, or even Reggae. The Pearl Roadshow 18″ Red Wine is available at Thomann (Affiliate).
![Pearl Roadshow 18](https://thumbs.static-thomann.de/thumb/nethumb140x40/pics/herstlogos/pearl.gif)
![Pearl Roadshow 18](https://thumbs.static-thomann.de/thumb/orig/pics/prod/521820.jpg)
DrumCraft Series 3 Double Bass Set Black – The best beginner acoustic drum kit for Metal
It doesn’t get much bigger than this Series 3 kit from DrumCraft when it comes to choosing a beginner drum kit. It’s under a grand and you get two bass drums, two toms, two floor toms, and a cracking snare – get ready to Metal. Just make sure you have the space to set it up.
![DrumCraft Series 3](https://cdn.gearnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/DrumCraftSeries3.jpg)
And while you need to add the necessary cymbals and a drum stool to the set, this kit will enable you to play double-bass rolls, do endless variations of THAT fill from “In the Air tonight” and so much more. You can order the DrumCraft Series 3 Double Bass Set Black at Thomann (Affiliate) right now.
- More on DrumCraft
- Product page
Conclusions on choosing a beginner drum kit
“It all depends” is probably the last thing you want to hear if you have made it this far in our guide. But as we’ve shown in the beginning, there are a lot of factors at play when choosing a beginner kit. However, there are beginner kits here to suit all ages and styles.
If you’ve read this guide because you’re looking to make someone else in your life happy who has always wanted to play drums – good on you! Just make sure the person has the room and the acoustic setup to be able to play it.
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One response to “Choosing a beginner drum kit: The best beginner acoustic drum kits”
Thank you for providing valuable insights and guidance for new drummers in the often confusing world of choosing their first drum set. It is well written, informative and useful, contributing greatly to the discussion.