Jacqueline Cohen
Are you planning to buy a drum set for your child? Or do you wish to learn how to play this musical instrument? The good news is that you don’t have to leave the comforts of home to purchase your dream drum kit.
You can browse the Internet and find a handful of credible online retailers that can deliver to you the drum kit of your choice right at your door steps.
Today I am writing an article about Where to Buy Drum Sets?
Thanks to the Internet, gone are the days when buying a drum set entailed going to a local music instrument shop. There are now tons of online stores that offer drum kits of different kinds and sold at various prices.
Even the big companies with traditional brick-and-mortar stores have their websites where customers can buy online, proof of how the Internet has changed the landscape of the retail business.
Convenience is a major selling point for online stores selling drum kits. You don’t have to leave your home to get a drum set that you’ve wanted to have for years. With just a few clicks of the mouse, budding, and experienced musicians can purchase a drum kit online with the product delivered to their homes.
Buying online also allows customers to get all the information about the drum models they are interested in. Most online stores that offer drum sets have a section for customer reviews, and wherein previous buyers can rate the products they have bought online. This provides a helpful guide for would-be buyers.
Regarding price, it is likely that you can nab a cheaper drum kit online than in traditional brick and mortar stores. For one, online stores don’t have overhead costs like rent and personnel salaries which traditional retail stores. These savings can then be passed on to buyers in the form of lower drum kit prices.
Shopping online isn’t only convenient; it can also be very quick. Most online websites have filters that allow buyers to find the right drum set for them. You can search for a drum kit that suits your preferences such as the price and some pieces. You can also filter results according to the brand, user reviews, and style.
However, there are also disadvantages to buying drum kits online. Arguably the major drawback of buying a drum set online is that you won’t be able to play the instrument and get a feel of what’s it like to be behind it. You can’t inspect the drum set and check for any potential trouble spots.
Moreover, your purchasing decision will probably be based only on reviews of other people you even don’t know. Some would-be buyers aren’t exactly thrilled at the idea of purchasing a drum kit based on the recommendations of strangers.
There’s also the risk of getting a drum set that is missing a few pieces. Although you can always call the customer hotline of the online retailer and have your set replaced, this can be a minor annoyance that may discourage you from buying a drum kit online.
Still, if you don’t mind these disadvantages, buying a drum kit online is worth trying.
That said, here are the top 10 places where to buy drum sets online:
1. Amazon.com— Arguably the most popular online store today, Amazon has one of the widest ranges of drum sets sold on the Internet. You’ll be able to get drum sets from top brands like Yamaha, Ludwig, and Gammon Percussion, as well as from little-known brands that you may not be able to find in other online sellers.
Finding the right drum set for you is also very easy as you can sort items according to price, the number of pieces, average customer reviews, and model number. And if you are an Amazon Prime member, you can get a drum set at a very low price as well as free shipping.
Moreover, Amazon is the place to go if you’re living outside the United States as it can ship products to virtually any part of the world. This is something that cannot be said of other online stores selling drum kits.
You can also read a lot of customer reviews on the product you are planning to get, which can give you an idea of what to expect from a certain drum set.
2. Guitar Center (wwww.guitarcenter.com)— Don’t let the name fool you, as this company is the largest music instrument retailer in the world. Aside from selling guitars and drum sets, it also carries a wide range of music accessories like keyboards, microphones, and amplifiers, among others.
Although there are more than 200 Guitar Center stores in the United States, more and more people in the said country are buying musical instruments from Guitar Center’s website. And while it doesn’t have as many drum set brands like Amazon, Guitar Center’s online retailer does carry some popular ones like Zildjian, Tama, Sabian, and Pearl.
However, there aren’t as many reviews on this website compared to Amazon.com. As such, you may have to call a local store and consult with the personnel to learn more about the drum set you’re interested in.
3. MusiciansFriend.com— as the name suggests, this website offers a lot of instruments to budding and experienced musicians alike.
One thing you will like about this website is that there are a lot of reviews or testimonials from customers who have firsthand knowledge of the drum set you’re interested in.
Unlike most of the websites in this list, this website doesn’t ship products to any place in the world.
4. Gear4Music.com—it’s not as widely known as Amazon.com, but Gear4Music.com is a trusted online source of musical instruments. Launched in 2003, the UK-based site has become a leading retailer of musical instruments and equipment.
Aside from carrying its brand of drums, Gear4Music has drum kits from other top brands such as Yamaha, Pearl, Gretsch, and Ludwig. Usually, its higher-end kits are available as shell packs without drum hardware or cymbals. This feature appeals to buyers who want to fully customize their drum kits. It accepts credit cards, bank transfers, and PayPal for payments.
But this website only ships to 21 countries, most of them in Europe. If you’re living outside the continent, the chances are low that you’ll be able to get a drum set from this website.
4. Steve Weiss Music (http://www.steveweissmusic.com)
This Pennsylvania-based website has a wide range of percussion instruments, from drums to cymbals to triangles. It carries some hard-to-find items which may sell less but still appealing to many people, particularly seasoned musicians.
The company was founded in 1961 by Weiss, who has always loved collecting hard-to-find percussion instruments. While the website currently does not accept shipping orders outside of the United States, the people behind it will try to ship most items internationally.
If any of the drums from popular brands don’t catch your fancy, make sure to check out the Bargain Basement section of the website. Here, you can find a good number of hard-to-find drums sold at very low prices. There are also other percussion instruments such as cymbals and triangles, as well as drum heads and drumsticks sold at very low prices in this section.
5. eBay (www.ebay.com)
Like Amazon, eBay is a popular online marketplace for drums and other percussion instruments. There’s also a wide range of brands that you can find on this website.
In eBay, you can get a drum set in two ways— bid through an auction or buy it right away. The “Buy it Now” option lets you purchase a drum set for a set price instead of having to go through an auction.
Rarer drum sets or kits may be sold through an auction. This means you will have to indicate the highest amount you want to pay for a certain drum kit.
eBay has its downsides, however. For one, navigating through the website can be very baffling especially for a first-timer. Amazon has a better layout, one that likely won’t confuse first-time shoppers.
Another advantage of Amazon is that there are product reviews, which is vital for any person shopping online. By reading product reviews, you can get an idea of how the drum set looks and sounds like. This is very important because you obviously can’t try a drum kit that you are purchasing on the Internet.
But if you’re looking for rarer drum models, eBay may be a better option albeit you’ll likely have to go through the bidding process to get your hands on the drum kit you’re interested in.
6. Sam Ash (www.samash.com)
The largest family-owned chain of musical instrument stores in the US, Sam Ash, has been in the industry for nearly a century now. There are around 45 brick-and-mortar stores in the United States, and like most traditional retailers, Sam Ash has also opened its website that caters to people who prefer online shopping.
The company offers free shipping on orders over $10, which means you will get free shipping since drums cost more than ten bucks. You can also return any item within 45 days of the shipping date for a full refund of the merchandise price in case you are not satisfied with the drum you bought from the online store.
Sam Ash also offers 60-day price protection. This means that if you bought a drum from the website, and you find another authorized dealer offering the same item at a lower price, Sam Ash will refund the difference.
You can also apply for the special financing offered by the website. There’s the Sam Ash credit card that you can use to buy any drum set or musical instrument from the site. There’s also equipment financing extended to companies, churches, and synagogues which could be in need of high-end drum kits.
7. Casio Interstate Music (http://www.interstatemusic.com)
With more than 60,000 music and consumer electronic products in stock, Casio Interstate Music should have the type of drum set that you are looking for. It also claims to have the biggest drum catalog in the industry.
The company has its Cascio Interstate Music SuperStore located in New Berlin, Wisconsin. But its website is a pretty good source of drums and percussion instruments, too, having brands like DDrum, Yamaha, Vic Firth, Ludwig, Pearl, and Pacific, among others.
You can browse drum sets according to brands, price, and category. If you can’t find a particular drum set that you are interested in, type in the item in the Power Search field.
One of the perks of shopping on this website is that Casio Interstate has its so-called Beat Our Price promo. Should you find a drum set that is priced lower in other retailers, Casio Interstate will match that price. This promo certainly appeals to budget-conscious shoppers.
Casio Interstate accepts credit cards, PayPal, and NAMM Music Money credit cards for payments.
8. PMT Online (pmtonline.com.uk)
Professional Music Technology or PMT Online is a reputable musical instrument and equipment seller that has been in operation since the early 90s. It is the premier music retailer in the United Kingdom, specializing in drums, guitar, keyboards, pianos, and related equipment.
It operates 13 music shops across the country. Its website is also a good place to visit for musicians who are on the lookout for a drum set. It sells both new and pre-loved drum sets and other musical instruments.
PMT Online guarantees that it has the cheapest drums. It has a promo called Price Match Request which lets buyers report items sold on the website and which they found to have a lower price elsewhere. PMT Online then matches that price.
The website also offers a financing scheme for musicians who are planning to purchase a high-end drum set but could not afford to pay in cash. Its financing schemes can run up to 36 months, giving a viable option for serious musicians who want to acquire a good piece of the musical instrument without having to go hungry for a year or two.
PMT Online has tons of articles that you can browse, helping you get a better idea of which drum set to acquire depending on your budget and skill level.
While its customers are mainly from the United Kingdom and nearby countries, it also ships items internationally. It, however, advises buyers from other countries to give it a call or send an email before placing an order. This would enable its logistics team to give buyers the best deal.
9. Pearl Drum (www.pearldrum.com)
If you’re strictly looking at getting a Pearl Drum, then why don’t you place an order on the brand’s official website?
There are many reasons why you’d want to get a Pearl Drum. After all, the company has more than 70 years of experience in manufacturing high-quality drum sets. It has also been behind innovations like hybrid fiberglass drums and seamless acrylic shells. Pearl Drums have also been played by popular drummers Chad Smith and Tommy Lee.
By ordering for a Pearl Drum on its corporate website, you can be assured that the item to be delivered right to your doorstep is 100% authentic and of good quality. You can also browse the annual product catalog and spare parts catalog of the company.
Apart from the peace of mind, you’ll get buying from the Pearl Drum corporate website; you can also learn a lot of things about drums by browsing this site. Browse the drummer’s forum of the website, and you can pick up a lot of tips and tricks in improving your skills. You’ll also learn more about the drums of Pearl so that you can make an informed buying decision.
10. Lone Star Percussion (www.lonestarpercussion.com)
Based in Dallas, Texas, Lone Star Percussion has been selling drums and other percussion instruments since 1978. It sells more than 220 kinds of drums, over 2,300 kinds of heads, and more than 800 types of drumsticks.
It takes pride in the fact that its staff members are not only knowledgeable in music but schooled in music. According to the firm, 3 out of 4 of its people have degrees in music. And their sales personnel aren’t paid on commission, so the folks behind the firm will give honest, truthful advice to prospective buyers.
The company ships deliveries outside of the United States. It prefers payments coursed through wire transfer. It also accepts cashier’s check from a US bank.
Other Things to Remember for Where to Buy Drum Sets
Regardless of which online store you decide to order from, keep in mind the following things:
- Always check the return policy of the online seller. Read about the return policy of the store before placing an order. Keep in mind that due to their size and weight, drums are very expensive to ship. You’d want to buy from an online seller that offers free shipping for exchanges just in case you want to return the item you bought, or you received a defective drum set.
- Compare each drum set you’re interested in getting across multiple online sellers. Check not just for differences in price but also in shipping charges.
- Buy cymbals or drumsticks as needed. In case you’re buying your first drum kit, you will need a few accessories like cymbals, hi-hat cymbals; snare drum stands as well a bass drum pedal.
