[Closed] 13 year old son wants a Drum Kit - advice required.

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Definitely let him give it a go - there aren't enough good drummers around and far too many mediocre guitarists!

Electric drums would probably be your best bet tbh, although they don't feel as nice as a proper set you'll be able to control the volume and they should still be fine for learning.

I want him to have something 'real' he's in a band at school and they're doing a concert (with him on guitar) and he's shown commitment to that so it's only fair to give him a similar opportunity with the drums.

Also - what should we get for £200 - £300 - I assume secondhand but no nothing?

i will admit plugging here, but we have a pearl export series kit for sale for £250, can send you an email if you like. where are you based? would be collection only im afraid.

I'm in Hove so quite a long way from you I think?

Brace yourself and stock up on earplugs? 😉

My younger brother started drumming when he was about 13. In a terraced house. He used to practice as soon as he got home from school, so the house was empty. My parents had a chat with the neighbours and they weren't too fussed as long as it wasn't too early in the am/late at night.

He stuck with it, and is now paying his way through uni, by gigging most weekends and teaching drumming to other kids.

wwaswas, im just northwest of peaks, but is still possible. we would really like to sell it, so will make some sacrifices 🙂 could meet halfway or something like that.

is this any good? I think as a 'toe' in the water it might fit the bill?

(I work at home so daytime noise is a possible issue)

[url= http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Session-Pro-DD501-Electronic-Drum-Kit-INCLUDES-STOOL_W0QQitemZ150427587462QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Drums_Percussions_MJ?hash=item23062ed386 ]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Session-Pro-DD501-Electronic-Drum-Kit-INCLUDES-STOOL_W0QQitemZ150427587462QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Drums_Percussions_MJ?hash=item23062ed386[/url]

sambob - sorry, would be looking for somethign with local pickup or delivery I'm afraid.

There are loads of options, I have a live kit and a practice kit which has mesh heads so its silent. There are some really good electric kits too but they are pretty expensive, if you have a shed let him loose in that and see how they take to it. Practice rooms can be found fairy cheap where you can make as much noise as you like,

Make him get some lessons first - If he sticks with it and enjoys it then go ahead and buy him a kit plus when playing at home it will be less torturous for you. If he doesn't enjoy it then you haven't wasted money on a kit!

I had a DD506 Session Pro set. Kids loved it and so did I! Played through headphones, so not much noise. My mate has a Roland set which is a lot more like a real drum feel and sound but cost over twice as much as the DD506 did!

Looks like you can plug that Session Pro into the computer and use additional drum kit sounds which would be very handy either just for a different kit sound, or for recording. EZDrummer isn't bad at all and can be bought for quite cheap now I would imagine.

See if you can find a local drum teacher. First of all, it'll mean you don't have to buy a drum set straight away. It'll also mean that he can learn his rudiments while having somebody keep in check all the bad habits he could develop. If he sustains his enthusiasm, then look to get a set of his own. If you're fortunate enough to have understanding/tolerant neighbours, go for an acoustic set, with pads if necessary; if he gets into playing he's almost certainly going to want (need!) one eventually. Not an issue if you're happy to throw money at his interest, of course.

My son wanted to play at 13 as drums were the instrument of choice for music lessons. To encourage him we bought a set of Roland electronic drums, quite a big investment.

As it happens he played for a while and then lost interest.

In hindsight, instead of buying new, we should have bought a decent set of secondhand electronic drums. They are expensive but do hold their value and sell well on ebay so you won't lose too much if he does then lose interest.

You can hook up an ipod and play along to stuff - great.

cheers - going to pop into local drum shop today and try and listen to the various options. The mesh ones look quite attractive.

Son is adamant he doesn't want electronic though...

I'd always be wary of electronic kits. Yes they are much quieter and therefore neighbour friendly but they can have later effects on wrist joints, etc.
If you are going to get a kit for your son I would certainly suggest secondhand. You'll get much better value and they will hold their value. I'd probably suggest that you look at Premier kits (not the new Olympic ones) - you can usually get some really good deals on them from ebay. Then get some mesh heads and that should give you some respite for the ears.
If you want any more info - just give m a shout

Speak to the neighbours first and ask them what time(s) they would like him to practice.

Then....BUY HIM A PROPER DRUM KIT. No ****in half-measures like a game or electric ffs 😀

Get the electric drum kit and an amp, they sound as good as the real things (nearly) with a decent set. My 15/11 year old brothers share a set that cost about £400 and they're pretty decent and you can plug headphones in and they love them, quite a big initial spend but I suppose you could always ebay them if it didn't work out.

Real kit - no question. Second hand Pearl Export is the way to go. Far better investment if he ever goes gigging, and the girls hate electric kits 🙂
Stick some pads on it and grab hold of those practice sticks - wooden dowl around foam. Pads can easily come off and real sticks can be used.

Having been through this I would say... Get him an electronic kit. You will hate the real things after about ten minutes. Plus, make sure you have plenty of room for them, a kit takes up a lot of space.

If you do decide to get an electronic kit that he can play through headphones try and put a limiter on the volumne to prevent hearing damage. At that age they usually want to be loud and will be tempted to turn things up and their hearing is still very sensitive.

Samuri!!! How is your Son going to flourish into a rock god if he has to worry about annoying the oldman downstairs 8) 😆 🙄

+1 souldrummer's comment on limiting volume on the electronic kit to prevent hearing damage. Acoustic kits can also easily reach ear damaging levels too. I would highly recommend your son wears earplugs to protect his hearing when playing on an acoustic kit.

thanks, had a reasonable time at the drum shop (GAK in Brighton). My son actually quite liked the electronic kits and, tbh I think that's the way we'll go to start with. If he gets to the point he starts gigging I'll we'll revisit it but at 13 it's probably a while away unless he doe sit at school and they have kits there.

The Roland ones with the mesh snare looked good. Will probably keep an eye on ebay as they seem to go for a lot less second hand than new and lots seem to be advertised as 'not used much'.

They have 'proper' drum kits at his school they can book rooms for lunchtime and after school practice and he already wears ear plugs when doing band practice because the drums come in so loud in the small practice rooms

...and soon.....
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