Last week, worship drummer, Jon Skaggs, discussed real versus electric drums. This week, he shares his favorite brands for churches:
Here are some quality drums and cymbals that I prefer. The price range can depend on how many pieces you add on. We’ll base the ranges on the standard four to five piece configurations (not including hardware or cymbals).
Higher Budgets (If you have a large budget for drums)
Craviotto: $7K–9K. Boutique, cream of the crop drums that can be bought at select drum shops or online. These are my dream drums and I love the way they sound, but they’re pricey. They’re loud and are perfect for big stages and churches. craviottodrums.com
C&C: $2K–4K. Great sounding, top of the line drums for the price. Can be found at select drum shops or online. I’ve never heard a bad sounding C&C kit, and they’re gaining popularity beyond the boutique drum community. candccustomdrums.com
DW: $1.5K–7K. DW Drums have been a very popular and solid drum kit for a long time. I always ask for them when I do fly dates with artists and I need to rent a kit. They sound great and have a distinct sound. They do tend to detune in the lug system at times but that’s about the only problem I’ve encountered. You can find them at about every Guitar Center, drum shop or online store for affordable prices. dwdrums.com
Gretsch: $1K–5K. Gretsch are great drums for the range of price. I once set up a Gretsch Renown kit for Vinnie Colaiuta and sat behind him while he played it. Needless to say, the kit sounded amazing (Vinnie can make anything sound good) and I was hooked on Gretsch after that. They’re solid, high end drums for the price.
gretschdrums.com
Ludwig: $1K–4K. Ludwig has really stepped up their game in the last five years with their higher end drums, and they look and sound great. Ludwig was one of the first drum kits manufactured and have been around a long time. Some of the greatest drummers choose Ludwig. I am frequently asked when doing session work if I have any vintage Ludwig drums, and usually rent them for studio work because of their coveted antique sound. If you don’t want to pay for the new ones, then you can often find the vintage Ludwig kits on Craigslist or eBay. The vintage Ludwig kits are high in demand and sound great. It’s up to you how retro you want to look and sound for your church service. ludwig-drums.com
Lower Budgets (But you still want a kit that sounds good)
Yamaha: $500–5K. Yamaha makes the entry-level Stage Custom all the way to high end Maple Customs—Yamaha is known for that tight and punchy sound and have been the choice of many drummers for many years. I think Yamaha is great and they have their own distinct sound. You can find Yamaha drums about everywhere.
http://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical-instruments/drums/
Pacific PDP: $300–1.5K. DW makes Pacific PDP drums and I think they are the best mid-level drums for the price and quality. I recommend them to many worship leaders who don’t want to spend a lot of money, but still want good drums. Guitar Center usually carries a Pacific PDP kit.
pacificdrums.com
Mapex: $300–3K. I have to give Mapex recognition because they were the first drums I ever owned. They have always made great kits, and great drummers like Gregg Bissonette and Russ Miller swear by them. And like the other drum kits in this category, you can usually find them at a Guitar Center.
usa.mapexdrums.com
