Drum.InstrumentalLive.com

great kit!
Aside from the stock heads being lousy this kit is pretty good. I bought this set about 5 months ago, fitted it with Evans Hydraulic heads, an Emad bass head and I haven't looked back! One word to the wise, before you assemble your kit, go and tighten every screw on the hardware before you put the heads on. I've found 3 screws that fell out after only a short time which becomes a pain when you have everything tuned just right. I've since added the accent 8" and 10" tom expansion pack and now I have a kit that blows my mind! definitely a good buy for the price!

Great beginner kit - can be easily upgraded to pro kit
This is a solid kit that will serve the beginning-to-intermediate drummer well. The hardware is solid and stable, and the tonal quality of each drum is excellent with minimal ringing. The two critical hardware features - hi-hat stand and bass pedal - are sufficient for beginning and intermediate drummers, but are a bit unresponsive for pros. To complete this kit I recommend getting good cymbals. Any of the following cymbal packs will give this kit all of the cymbal power most drummers will need at the same value point as the drum kit itself: Sabian B8 Performance Set With Bag (ASIN B0002L54TE), Paiste 302 Plus Standard Cymbal Set (ASIN B0002D0NU2), or the Zildjian ZBT Series Basic Set Up 4 Pack (ASIN B0002CZXXA).

The best kept secret, though, is how easy it is to upgrade this kit to a professional quality kit that even a seasoned drummer will appreciate. Just replace the heads, which are OK for less experienced drummers, but too thin and unresponsive for professionals, with the Remo Emperor Standard ProPack (ASIN B0002F514I) and Remo Weatherking bass head (ASIN B0002E57G6), carefully tune them, and you will have a kit that sounds and plays like a high-end Ludwig kit. I also recommend that any experienced drummer select the hi-hat stand and bass pedal of their choice to bring this kit to professional standards. I use the Pearl H70W hi hat stand and P70 bass drum pedal from my Pearl Rhythm Traveler kit (ASIN B0002FO4R8).

Once this kit has been upgraded as described above you will have a great five-piece drum kit that should meet your every need, and at an incredible price. While I prefer the smaller Pearl Rhythm Traveler, there are times when a full-size kit is best and this one allowed me to economically acquire a pro grade kit with minor modifications to the kit and minimum additional investment.

If you are a beginner this is an outstanding kit with which to learn. The Ludwig quality is apparent, and the sound is great. You will also find a lot of flexibility in setting up your drums to meet just about any need. I appreciate the tom tom brackets that allowed me to get my toms exactly where I wanted them and at the optimum angle - this is not always easy with some kits.

If you are a pro and are considering a higher-end kit, take the time to look at this one and consider the cost of upgrading the heads to whichever brand you prefer, as well as upgrading the hi-hat stand and bass pedal (or using your favorites from another kit). You could save a bundle.