The economy has taken a hit on the “extra spending” of most of us and that can make it even harder for new drummers trying to get into a band. This can also make hard for those who have the desire to learn to play to afford the equipment needed to learn.
After my 5 years away from playing drums I had no equipment aside from a couple of old broken drumsticks (kept because they had some sort of memory tied to them). At the time I started to play again the economy wasn’t that bad. However, I had just bought a new house and was preparing to get married within the next few months. Buying a new drumset was out of the question – Even if I wanted to buy it, my wife to be would have never let me hear the end of it (and rightfully so).
I was lucky enough that a friend of mine needed a drummer desperately and he had a drumset that I could use. As of right now, I’m still using this drumset. Over the past few years I’ve added some of my own bits and pieces to the kit – a new splash cymbal, a new snare drum, a new double bass pedal, and some other random bits an pieces. However, I’ve come to a point where the entry level drumset that I’m using just isn’t enough.
This has lead me to start thinking of ways to get a new drumset on the cheap. I personally follow the belief system of Dave Ramsey when it comes to money – I don’t do debt. I’m working as hard as I can to get rid of the debt that I had before finding Dave, and I don’t intend to add to that with a new drumset and I highly discourage any of you to go into debt just for a drumset (especially if you are new to drumming).
Here are some ways that I’ve come up with to help in getting a new (or new to me) drumset at the lowest cost possible.
1. Barter – There are a ton of music stores that don’t have websites or have horribly designed websites in my area. Web development is kinda my thing and I’m trying to build my portfolio anyway so offering a new website in exchange for a drumset works out twofold for me.
2. Craigslist – It’s no secret that you can find used items on craigslist. Occasionally you run into some diamonds in the sea of low end equipment (new drummers, you may even want to look into lower end equipment).
3. Ebay – Most drum manufacturers hate it, but you will see some great deals from actual music stores on ebay.
4. Musicians Friend – These guys run something called “Stupid Deal of The Day”. Keep an eye on the RSS feed for any new drumkits that pop up at a ridiculously low price.
If you are completely new to playing drums – I recommend you sit down with a practice pad for a little bit to see if you even find it remotely exciting. Playing on a practice pad can be very boring, so if you can find any fun in it then you will more then likely really enjoy playing a real drum (or drumset).
The most important things to remember when trying to get a new drumset for a low cost -
1. Have cash on hand… this makes it so much easier to negotiate
2. Be patient… you aren’t going to find the best deals immediately, give it some time and you will find that irresistible offer.
Do you have any suggestions for getting a drumset on the cheap? Let me know in the comments.
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