First of all, you can generally get a much better kit used than buying new. It's often a very wise decision to look for used kits. Whether buying used or new there are things to consider. There are a lot of marketing tricks that companies use to try to make their drums look like the best deal. Be careful! I'm going to share some things to beware of that effect the price, sound and quality of the drum.

Many drum sets do not come with the needed hardware. Hardware includes cymbal stands, bass drum pedal, hi hat stand and a drum throne. These are things that you will need. By not including these things companies can show a price tag that is lower than others'. Find out if the drum set you are buying includes the necessary hardware because if it does not, you will need to purchase these separately increasing your total cost.

*Necessary Hardware: bass drum pedal, hi hat stand, cymbal stand (one for each cymbal you will have), snare stand and drum throne (seat).

Another thing that you must consider are cymbals. You will need cymbals, no question about it. Many drummers do fine beginning with a set of hi hat cymbals and a crash cymbal. Although, adding a ride cymbal to that list is ideal. Many drum sets today are sold with "cymbals included," but be aware that this is mostly for marketing. The cymbals that these kits come with are most often of very poor quality, will bend and crack and need to be replaced within a year to two. Given your goals for this drum set, these kind of cymbals may or may not work for you. If you plan on keeping these cymbals for awhile, it pays to invest in better quality cymbals separately. Don't forget to save money from the amount you're willing to spend in order to purchase cymbals separately, if needed.

Also, look at the kit's hardware. If stands are included, are they double braced? Do they look thick and sturdy? The thing that breaks most often on the hardware are the adjustable joints. If they are weak and thin, they will break quickly! (The adjustable joints usually have a wingnut to tighten and loosen). Check out the bass mount tom arms (the one or two metal bars that stick out of the bass drum holding the toms) to make sure they seem sturdy. Use your judgment as to whether they will last. It's rather easy to judge the quality. Realize that if you want this kit to last long, the hardware needs to be sturdy.

The drum heads are also an important thing to consider. The drum heads that come on new drums are usually not good. Companies can put a lower price tag on a drum if they put low quality heads on it. Drum heads greatly influence the sound of your drums. Not only that, low quality heads dent and break very quickly. Replacing the drum heads is not cheap. Re-heading your kit with heads that sound good and last can cost anywhere from $100-$150. Unfortunately, it's difficult to tell whether a drum head is good or not. I recommend asking to see an Evans g2 Genera drum head or a Remo Pinstripe and comparing it to the drum heads of the kit you're going to buy. Make sure you have them take the drum head off of the drum so that you can compare the thickness and the feel. If the head sounds "papery" when you move it, that's a sign that the head is low quality. Again, use your judgment as to the quality of the head by your comparison. Also, know that if you are eventually going to take this drum to play out on gigs, you will need new drum heads for gigging. A "factory head" (the head that new drums come with) will not do.

Another thing that affects the price of the drum is the size of the drum. Drums come in different sizes. Companies have begun to sell smaller drums because smaller drums take less material to make, and they can place a lower price tag on their kit. For a first kit, I recommend that the bass drum be at least 22", especially if you're looking to play rock music. A lot of kits today are "Fusion" kits, which basically means that they are smaller. The toms on a "Fusion" kit usually come in these sizes: 10", 12" and 14". Remember that the smaller the drum, the higher the pitch. If you're planning on playing rock music, rock music often has deeper, lower sounding toms. When it comes to tom size, it's your personal preference. You know the sound you're looking for and the type of music you're into. The size of the tom does not effect quality; it only effects the sound.