Drums: Used vs New

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Jazzhead

Jazzhead

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Buying used is a good way to get a “better” set of drums at much lower price. However, people still buy brand new drums and sometimes lower tier but brand new!!!

Some people have the attitude of “why buy used when there are brand new drums out there?”

Well, I know someone has to buy the brand new kits so someone else can buy that set used lol everyone can’t just buy used kits.

Do you buy used or new mostly (assuming modern drums) and why?
 
I am currently shopping for a set. It will be my only set. I don’t have the room for more than one. I also don’t like buying a kit, selling a kit, buying a new kit etc, just to move up in quality. if you don’t believe me, look at the bikes in my garage.

Because of that, I am looking for a pretty nice set. Ludwig Classic Maple or Gretsch Brooklyn.

I have looked online for a used set, but they are all in rough shape, or are nearly the price of new, especially if you add shipping.

Theoretically, a new kit will be trouble free and not have any owner induced issues. If there are problems, the drum shop where I would buy from or the manufacturer should take care of me.

Because of that, I am currently focusing on new, but still have my eyes out on the used market.
 
I am perfectly happy to buy used when I can get the configuration and color I want. Sadly, that happens less often than I'd like, so after looking for used pieces for 4-6 months, I will cave and buy new or just give up or sometimes simply change my mind by then.
 
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Sully151 said:
I am currently shopping for a set. It will be my only set. I don’t have the room for more than one. I also don’t like buying a kit, selling a kit, buying a new kit etc, just to move up in quality. if you don’t believe me, look at the bikes in my garage.

Because of that, I am looking for a pretty nice set. Ludwig Classic Maple or Gretsch Brooklyn.

I have looked online for a used set, but they are all in rough shape, or are nearly the price of new, especially if you add shipping.

Theoretically, a new kit will be trouble free and not have any owner induced issues. If there are problems, the drum shop where I would buy from or the manufacturer should take care of me.

Because of that, I am currently focusing on new, but still have my eyes out on the used market.
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Fair enough!
Good luck with your search. Both of those drum sets are awesome but if weight is an issue or will be an issue take a hard look at both of those sets, they are not light at all. In fact, I know a great drummer that has a Tour custom set and a CM set and he much prefers the Tours over the CMs because of how light and easy to handle they are. However, the TCs don’t have the cool factor like CMs and Brooklyns for sure. Good luck!
 
Three of my five kits I got used. The other two were endorsement kits (N&C).
I have never bought a used kit that had issues. If it's a high end kit usually people have really looked after them.
Im not talking cosmetic issues, all of my used kits have cosmetic issues, but I don't care because they sound amazing and I saved a ton of money buying a high end kit used. Actual sound or performance issues? No.
 
Whitten said:
Three of my five kits I got used. The other two were endorsement kits (N&C).
I have never bought a used kit that had issues. If it's a high end kit usually people have really looked after them.
Im not talking cosmetic issues, all of my used kits have cosmetic issues, but I don't care because they sound amazing and I saved a ton of money buying a high end kit used. Actual sound or performance issues? No.
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"If it's a high end kit usually people have really looked after them."

This has been my experience, and I got both a Brooklyn kit and a USA Custom kit in used but practically showroom condition. I've been very fortunate to find collectors who really cherished their stuff but ultimately had too much and didn't make use of it. My USA custom kit was bought from a collector who essentially kept it as a piece of furniture and only played it once or twice, hence his reason for selling. I ended up getting a kit I would never be able to find or afford otherwise.
 
I bought a Yamaha Stage Custom and while I guess I would've bought used if my exact color and config was available in great condition from a local seller for $300 (no tax or shipping), the kit is so inexpensive that it's hard to get a low enough price to compensate for the ability to return (or exchange) the thing with no hassles, free shipping, full warranty, etc.

Used starts to make a lot more sense for expensive, high end kits. It also makes a lot more sense for folks who are flexible about either finish or dimensions.
 
I buy both. My kit is a mix of new and used. Most of my current snares are new. All of my Paistes are used. I even have new and used hardware purchases. I have no issue with buying used gear. My kit started as a 5 piece pawn shop buy and I have added additional drums to it since the model and finish are still in current production.
 
New = It's fun to get shiny new stuff that hopefully tick all your boxes. You generally pay for the privilege.

Used = Good move if you can find something that ticks MOST of your boxes that was owned by someone who really takes good care of their stuff. You'll save some money and if it's a really high end kit, you'll save the time it takes to take delivery for something that otherwise would need to be ordered.

There's really no right or wrong answer as it's your responsibility as a consumer to get value for your money.
 
I pretty much always go used. Why not, as there's way better value this way so you can pick up better gear for the same money, or even less. Then again, when I'm shopping for some piece of gear, I cast the net pretty wide. If you're someone who has to have an exact type of thing, a particular brand, model configuration, finish, options, etc than you may have to order new to get that. I'll typically have a range of things that I'm good with when I shop, with sizes, type of materials, and maybe a few other things fixed but flexible on lots of other things, including the brand. It isn't like I don't care about aesthetics, like finishes, it's just that other than a few which aren't to my taste, I'm open to lots of options.

Not that I really feel like I'm saving the planet by buying used, but I do feel that I'm at least not making as much of a contribution to cutting down forests, mining metal ore, etc when I'm buying used. I feel if I didn't buy the thing that I did, that it may have just sat in a case, in a closet, garage, basement, etc and been an essentially a useless object, so I feel that in my own small way, I'd recycling stuff. I try to do the same thing too on the other end, and to sell stuff that I'm not using. That's a difficult one though as one of my kits a beautiful '70 Slingerland, in blue agate wrap, is something that I haven't used for a while. I may have to make an exception for this one though because I'm not sure that I can part it, whether or not it's getting regular use.

All that being said though, if something is a good enough deal new, I'm open to buying it, rather than a used thing, though I don't tend to feel as good about it somehow. Pulling some perfectly shiny thing from it's packaging doesn't really have the same thrill for me that it once did...
 
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I buy new. I'm scared off of used drums because it seems like every jack wagon with a saw, a drill, and a file thinks they know how to "improve" the design of their drums before deciding to sell it. From some of the experiences I've read around here, buying used is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.
 
Jazzhead said:
Do you buy used or new mostly (assuming modern drums) and why?
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I just ordered a new kit. I wanted a specific brand, sizes, and finish. I didn't see many used kits that exactly matched my specifications and the ones I did that were in excellent condition were almost the same price as new.
 
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There is a certain shall we say je ne sais quoi to vintage drums that is why I am a Ludwig mahogany fan. It might be that the woods have coalesced over time to add to the tone. Maybe the glue used then helps with the sustain. How about the old wrap material? Who could know. A concert violinist will tell you the Stradavari gets it's particular tone from the varnish used long ago.

The thing is I could go for a day ride around the mountain on a new BMW 1250 GS if I owned one but I much prefer my '54 Panhead Hydraglide. BTW a Harley doesn't leak oil, it leaves it's mark.
 
Jazzhead said:
Buying used is a good way to get a “better” set of drums at much lower price. However, people still buy brand new drums and sometimes lower tier but brand new!!!

Some people have the attitude of “why buy used when there are brand new drums out there?”

Well, I know someone has to buy the brand new kits so someone else can buy that set used lol everyone can’t just buy used kits.

Do you buy used or new mostly (assuming modern drums) and why?
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99% of my instruments and studio gear is bought used.


Its more affordable, has been broken in, and it allows me to try more things more often.

Also most of the things I want and need are older.

I do have perfected the dead mint purchases to an art haha.
 
I've bought drums and cymbals, both new and used and (knock wood) I've never been burned buying used. All my used purchased have come from here, so there's my endorsement for what it's worth. I always look here first.
 
Jazzhead said:
Buying used is a good way to get a “better” set of drums at much lower price. However, people still buy brand new drums and sometimes lower tier but brand new!!!

Some people have the attitude of “why buy used when there are brand new drums out there?”

Well, I know someone has to buy the brand new kits so someone else can buy that set used lol everyone can’t just buy used kits.

Do you buy used or new mostly (assuming modern drums) and why?
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New.
Or very very very slightly barely even touched new. That, to me, is the sweet spot. Like buying a very well cared for one year old used BMW.
 
I prefer buying used for so many reasons.

*Finding interesting/high quality gear for cheap because it's out of fashion
*Equal value trades that benefit both parties are more likely
*$AVING MONEY!!!
*What's available in your area (FB Marketplace, Craigslist, used stores, etc.) dictates your choices, thus avoiding potential choice paralysis.
*Maybe most importantly, for me, is the ability to try out things and be able to sell it/trade it for what I paid for it (or close to) if I don't bond with it.

All this said I'm lucky enough to live in & have grown up in & around Nashville. Being an industry town that simultaneously tries to be ahead of trends and is behind on trends makes for nice used gear shopping.
 
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