Side by Side Comparison of: Best Choice Products vs PDP

Way better quality than I thought i was going to get. I originally tried to cancel because it was an impulse buy but it had already shipped. Boy am I glad it did. Great sound. (could use better cymbals though) they sound OK, but I purchased some MEINL cymbals from AMAZON as well just because. I am quite pleased with these drums at this remarkable price. ( I have played for years ) just have a limited budget now that I am old. LOL
Thanks y'all.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008I3N4X6/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_4

Amazing! been drumming for over 14 years and bought this set as a "throw away in case neighbors b*tch and complain" and i gotta say, i won't! they are very well made and the price was perfect! Neighbors love it too! just replace the heads and cymbals and you still paid less than buying a branded set.

After having my eye on a different set for my daughter the sale ended the day before payday and I began shopping again. Came across this set and if was not only within' my price range but offered all the hardware to boot! Ordering so close to Christmas had the estimated shipping date as after Christmas but my daughter understood and prepared for the wait. On the 24th of December it came!! 3 days earlier than estimated and that wasn't even the icing on the cake?!

They set up in less than an hour or two with zero experience in assembling drums before. They tuned (as near as an untrained ear can tell) easily and have proven more durable and enjoyable than expected.

I'm not going to guess how well this set stands up to the higher priced drums but for my almost 13 year old daughter they are more than she'd imagined!

I ordered this product a few days before Christmas and wasn't expecting it to be able to be under the tree but it was! The shipping service was excellent! Setting up the drum set was a little confusing but that was to be expected and it didn't take long at all. Overall, it was a great buying experience and there is not one problem with the product!

I just received my Drum Set this past Friday, and I was happily surprised to see that the previous reviews on this product were spot on !!! I love this Drum Set !!! And, I can see the potential of upgrading this set for a better sound ... when I can afford it. I used to play drums back in the day, and decided it was time to brush up on my skills. But, with having a high mortgage payment and a twelve year old daughter to spoil, I thought I'd cheap it out for now and make the smart buy on this Affordable Drum Set. The drums sound great with a little bit of tweaking (tape, towels, Styrofoam), but I would have to agree with a past reviewer stating the throne is a piece of junk - it bent after about 10 minutes of sitting on it. I'm only 188 lbs, but this seems to be too much for it. Not worries though, as this can easily be replaced. Unlike others though, I did receive a glossy instruction sheet - basic instructions with very little assembly help. But, since I was familiar with drums, I didn't have too much problems putting it together. I went ahead and double-checked my work with looking up Drum Set Assembly on You Tube, though.
I would definitely recommend this this drum set to anyone looking to get back into drumming, or for anyone interested in learning how to drum. You really can't go wrong with this purchase. Do it. Do it.

I would ignore the negative comments here. Apparently the buyer is not familiar with the term SHELL kit. If you order a SHELL kit like this advertises, all you get is a SHELL kit, no hardware or cymbals. This kit does not deserve a 1 star rating, it's a super nice kit.

For me this drum set really worked! I would recommend to change the heads. nice setup.

I think it is absolutely ridiculous that people are leaving bad reviews for items like these because they "didn't get everything in the picture". Read the description before you buy something especially something as big as a drum kit. I bet they are the same people that go to a restaurant and order something without reading the menu and then get upset because it comes with something they don't like. Are you kidding me!? When buying drum heads, every single time I read the reviews to see how the drum head sounds to other people, half of the reviews are one star and people saying I thought it was an actual drum. The description says drum head and the price is $10. What is wrong you ? Do some Research before you spend your precious money. This kit is an absolute bargain even though it doesn't come with cymbals.

Just to clear things up, the title doesn't say drum set. It says 8 piece Shell pack which means you get 8 pieces. The two bass drums, three rack Toms, and two floor toms. If it says shell pack you will not get symbols and hardware. Read the description. This is a great shell pack.

Good and sturdy set. The company that sells these drums are a subsidy of DW. Quality set for excellent price.

Bought this set for our 10-year old to hammer out some stress, then after a few months of persistence, got him drum lessons as he seemed to want to stick with it! It's been about 3 mos. in lessons now & we are definitely happy with this set......it DOES NEED some add-ons to improve it's overall sound and functionality (great review by "By Amazon Customer on December 13, 2004" gives great suggestions on head-upgrades & I bought a good rack-kit (below) on Amazon).

We definitely noticed a difference in the sound as out drum instructor has a set of pearl drums (birch wood with evans heads and higher quality cymbals); our kid was practicing less at home because he noticed the sound difference and enjoyed it less at home. We also noticed we needed to move the toms and cymbals to better positions - thus needing a rack. Racks, like Gibraltar, can run a minimum of $250 via Amazon, even more in a local music store! I found this rack by EDM and clamps that were a GREAT deal and really upgraded the way the kit sits for playing: DRUM RACK KIT - SINGLE - 3 SECTIONS 48x1.5" CHROME with Clamps Feet HIGH QUALITY - Sold by: EDM $89.99. It is chrome, and 1.5" the SAME as Gibraltar and will even fit Gibraltar clamps, but EDM also sells lower-cost clamps at half the cost (2 clamps per $27-29). Bonus, this rack can grow with him for future drum set improvements & add-ons! My next upgrade will be the snare (this snare is a little weak, especially for rim-shots), but I'm taking baby steps as I want to see if he sticks with the lessons.

All-in-all, this is a REALLY kit for a beginner. I think if our kid sticks with it for OVER 1 year, I'd be looking at going to a local music store (or through our drum instructor's connections) and buy a quality wood-set and spend a little more (this will cost you prolly $800 for a GOOD quality set & heads). Not cheap, but if you have a REAL budding drummer and want them to enjoy the sound of what they play, I think a set like that is worth the investment (later on, after diligence!!).

I would say this set if for beginners only - if you are a discerning drummer with some experience I think this kit will leave you wanting a bit more (and by the time you upgrade heads, stands and maybe rack, you'll be spending over $400), so you might want to go for a bit higher quality brand name set -- FYI, this set has NO branding anywhere, it is truly generic.

These are great drums for the starters. However id like to point out:
Trash the crash cymbal. The crash cymbal is a joke. It sounds like crap and if you hit hard like I do, it will dent. Invest in either a Zildjan or a Sabian.
Get a better throne. The one I ha bent and broke on the first day and I only weigh 240 pounds.
When you tune the heads, tighten them about three good turns. Most youtube videos out there say like a quarter or half a turn. This one requires more for a tighter head.
Finally, throw a pillow in the bass drum to muff out the excess resonance. This is typical for any set you get.
Overall, after all of the assembly, the drums are great and I like the tone coming from them. The shipping was quick and assembly only took me an hour. WARNING: Have someone help you lift the package. Its extremely heavy.

Been using these drums for about a month and a half now. From the other reviews I have read, I would say I agree with most. It's a basic starter kit for adults. Great for the money. To me everything sounds fine except the crash cymbal which can easily be replaced with a better quality cymbal. Which I will be doing very soon.

Also, as other reviewers have stated, the stool is very cheap and will probably fall apart with a heavier drummer. I'm a pretty big guy, so it didn't quite work for me. If you don't weigh as much, then the stool might be fine. But again, an easy, cheap replacement if necessary. And you could always just use a good quality, comfortable chair instead, if you've got one lying around. I'm liking it, and the black color looks really good.

I would also recommend purchasing a heavier pair of sticks if you are playing rock or metal. It comes with a pair, but always good to have a spare and/or different type of sticks, depending on what type of music you are playing.

We purchased this set as a Christmas present for our 12-year-old son who started band this year. He has Down syndrome, yet we realized at the first band concert, he is amazingly talented when it comes to percussion instruments. Honestly, the kid has been "drumming" on pots, pans and bowls since he could hold a wooden spoon. By now, I should have guessed he has a bit of a gift. Derp!

Well, now, about the drums. For an inexpensive set, these totally rock (no pun intended...well, maybe). They are a solid set that are easily tuned, and easily adjusted to the drummer's playing style, height, reach, and abilities.

The box in which they arrive is a "team lift" effort (according to the side sticker on the box). Thus, I recommend you do with this a partner.

Also, I understand that this product now contains with the assembly instructions. We didn't have this option and had to rely on YouTube videos, and eventually emailed the seller for a .pdf copy. All in all, we managed to put them together, and adjust them to our son's playing style.

Other than the lack of assembly instructions, I have one complaint. The drumsticks are great for an occasional drummer, but not anyone who plays vigilantly, or aggressively. In other words, plan on buying a more quality set when you purchase these drums.

Still, for the price, you will be hard-pressed to find a drum set that can be used by kids and adults alike as well as this one.

I've been playing drums since 1983 and this kit is perfect if you don't have tons a money, but be prepared to spend about another $300 to build around it. The Cymbals aren't the best, but not about the cymbals anyways. the heads are lower grade, and the hit hat stand is lower grade, but once again, its all about the actual WOOD, and its REAL GOOD. I am changing all the heads with premium grades, purchasing new cymbals, including the hit hats, and the thrown is low grade. Look. The actual kit itself, is real good, but you just need to add-to it with new premium heads. Once the premium heads are installed, and I replace the cymbals with mid-grades, which is larger hit-hats, at least one 18-20 inch ride, along with some crash and splash, the set will be great. I ordered a double bass foot pedal, so the one bass actually has that double bass sound. I am hardcore on a budget, and have played for years. If you're just starting out, then the kit as is, is fine, but ONLY use the sticks provided, because they're light, and made for the heads. A typical 5A or 5B will destroy the heads that came with this kit, real fast. I also already purchased a Ludwig bass drum head for the front, which is more for cosmetic purposes. Therefore, its a good starter kit as is, or a kit to build on, whether later, or like what I am doing, which is right out of the gate. I highly recommend the kit, because the kit itself, is very well made. I had a question about the kit, and the company contacted me via email lightning fast.

I would have given these drums a higher review because my grandson is really enjoying them. However, there is damage on the edge of the mid tom that made it hard to put together. The crash/ride cymbal also has a couple of dents in it. Otherwise its a great beginners set

Just cheap overall. The threaded hole for tightening the drum are defective, which some rods cannot be tightened. Because of this, the drum do not sound the best, since they cannot be fully tightened.

Part missing from stool. Floor tom heads damaged. Didn't noticed heads were damaged until I went to set them on the rim and they separated. Stool was last thing to assemble. Spent a couple of hours unpacking and assembling set before I noticed. Amazon's only option is to return the whole thing which isn't going to happen because of the size and time involved in assembly. Guess I'm out $40 for new heads and have a useless stool.

Cheap set of drums, Im not a pro and this is to play around on. everything is working fine but the crash cymbal that was included is bad. Sounds like a tin can thrown at the floor. replaced that and it is a playable set.

I guess I should have lowered my expectations given the price, but with the positive reviews I thought I'd give it a shot. This set was bought as a gift for my son who is in 7th grade. He plays percussion in band and is a good piano player. He's interested in playing drum set as well so we got him this for his birthday. I had been looking at used sets on Craigslist but decided to give this a shot. I was disappointed for a few reasons. Other reviews that said the hardware (meaning cymbal stands, pedals, throne and cymbals) were right - they are very cheap. Sure, you can upgrade them, but by the time you are done, you will have spent the same as what it would cost for a name-brand intermediate set. The shells themselves are not very good quality. The insides of mine were cracked and already delaminating. The drum head rings for the bass drum were slightly bent, not enough to not get the head on but enough to notice. The box this was shipped in was already falling apart on arrival, it did not do well on the trip over the pond. I did some tuning on the drums and it sounds OK. If you have a kid that shows some interest, and you are familiar with drums and how to assemble them, these can work. I'm still not sure if I'm better off, I could have spent $3-400 on a used set and been able to sell them for the same price when I'm done with them. When I'm done with these, I might be able to sell them for $100.

make sure you read what the kit includes

The picture is deceiving and if you are not careful, you will think you are buying the set as shown in the picture displayed but the truth is that you are just buying the drums and nothing else. The seller did not help buyers by stating how to get the Cymbals, stands, seat, pedals, etc.This is causing a lot of confusion and has to be corrected.

The set is nice. However the hi hat assembly was missing the bit to secure the upper symbol rendering it useless. I have reached out to best products 3 times and have still not received the replacement part. The set is good for the price with the right tuning. The lower rating is based on the customer service or lack of at this point .

Sat broken-hearted last night (late on Christmas Eve) attempting to assemble this drum set for one of our kids..only to find that the set was MISSING many parts! So upsetting! Set was missing the drumsticks, base for the stool, "feet" for the bass drum and one other drum. Could not completely assemble.. so Santa brought a half-put together, unusable set of drums this year. Not pleased at all!

Let me start by saying I am a complete beginner and not drum quality knowledgable. However I do know to talk to people (specifically my instructor) who are expert and the drum set turned out to be a completely wrong decision for me. I guess the strength of the set is it is complete, but may items like the throne, cymbals, bass pedal, and drum tops are really cheap and will need to be replaced quickly. That can add up to $450 or so making the cost more like $700.

I know there're are a lot of positive reviews on this set, but it wasn't right for me. My first shipment had at least one lug stripped per drum (that's half a dozen stripped) making the tuning of the drum head impossible. I tried getting replacement lugs and I was sent an entire new drum set. No big, I figured I'd swap parts. The new set had additional issues. The snare locking mechanism had stripped threading and I had my instructor try to tune this drum with a new head (the heads in this set are substandard). He spent the better part of a half hour trying to tune it and finally I told him STOP. It's not worth it. He found stripped threads and also some flaws on the internal drum wood affecting head seating, he told me these drums would be in need of continual tuning. I guess you get what you pay for. His advice was to go to a known brand like Pacific or Yamaha and spend more like $650 - $800 to get drums that have better hardward and are generally better crafted. Additional benefit on going to these popular brands are parts availability (stuff happens on drums). Thank god for Amazon Prime return policy. Oh, also the snare stand was missing from the second set.

I ended up buying a Yamaha Stage Custom Birch 5-Piece Shell Pack - 22" Kick for $650. There are major items missing from the Yamaha like bass kick pedal, cymbals, and snare stand, but my instructor vouches for the sturdy quality and it looks like you get high quality components that are stage and travel resiliant. After getting a really good dual kick pedal and a snare stand I've spent $850 but the quality is superior and they will last me years into my development. So $850 is way more than the $650 paid for the DW, but I have a starter system that can last decades with proper care (I still need to buy cymbals).

My perspective is I was getting a fundamentally sound system that I could build upon and really what I got was a set you can "say" is complete, but doesn't have the beautiful resonant tones an intermediate set has and I'm told that sound is vital for a few reasons. First is the people in your practice area will experience much better sounding drums making tolerability factor improved. Second is it will sound and feel better to you as a student when practicing and learning, which positively contributes to you wanting to keep coming back to the set to practice and improve. Third is less hands on tuning and adjusting to keep the set in tune.

If you are buying this set thinking you may or may not be REALLY committed to learning drums for decades to come, it's a good trial set, but expect to replace it someday.

The delivery of this item was excellent, it came two days ahead of projected date of delivery. However the item was first off made in China and the necessity to assemble was a surprise and the the assembly was difficult because the screws sent with the set were substandard and the threads stripped. The holes were set at a difficult angle so it made the attachment of the drum heads very difficult. The stool leg bent when sat upon. Not worth the time and trouble.... High hat cymbal has a very tin like sound. More of a toy than musical instrument. Not what I expected.

Save your money and buy a REAL kit. Got this to start out and it was good to learn on for about a month and then I was sick of it. Terrible quality, terrible sound. You can get better results out of paint cans.

Terrible drum set, parts were worn out. I wanted a drum set new! Not pre-owned

Not a good set missing a tuning bolt also one of the base drum rims was bent. The snare is also not in good shape.

Cheap, Poor craftsmanship falling apart. Good for kids to use a a toy.

Cheaply made and hard to assemble. I sent it back. My advice is spend the extra $200 or so and get a better set.

Total waste of money. VERY disappointing. Pieces do not fit together, basically a useless pile of **** that is now doing nothing for me but cluttering my basement.

We just got this drum today and what a disappointment about what we got! Don't be fool by the pic of this product, all you are seeing in the pic is not contain in the deal just the drums all the other stuffs are sold separately and what a reap-off. Please read very well before before you buy this drum because you can get a good drum for a lesser price that the drum is advertised for, because you might think you are buying the whole deal. Will not recomend.