If you’re thinking about getting into drumming, you’ve probably asked the question, “How much does a drum set cost?” A lot of seasoned drummers also think on drum set price ranges when it comes to the cost of various types of drums. 

For beginners eyeing to embark on their drumming journey, finding a budget-friendly drum set is pivotal, typically costing around $300-500.

Mid-range sets may span $500-1,000, while high-end professional drums can leap to $2,000 or more, significantly influenced by additional accessories and features.

While you should definitely do your research on the right drum kit for you & visit drum stores to test out the different sets, we’ve put together a broad overview of the range of drum sets available. 

Factors Influencing the Cost of a Drum Set

Understanding the factors influencing the cost of a drum set is will help you make the right purchase. Here’s a breakdown to help you decide where to spend your money:

Material and Quality:

Wood Type: Maple, birch, and mahogany are top choices for both intermediate and professional drum sets, known for their durability and rich tones. Cheaper sets might use plywood or lower-grade materials.

Craftsmanship: High-end sets boast superior craftsmanship with extensive labor involved in shaping, gluing, and varnishing the drums, contributing to their higher price.

Components and Features:

Drum Pieces: A set with more drums typically costs more. For instance, a basic 4-6 drum set costs around $1,000.

Hardware and Cymbals: Quality stands, pedals, and cymbals can significantly add to the cost. Hand-made cymbals alone may retail for about $400, though used ones offer savings.

Electronic Features: For electronic drum sets, features like advanced sound modules can increase the price.

Brand and Type:

Brand Reputation

Acoustic vs. Electronic: Electronic sets are generally pricier than their acoustic counterparts due to the technology involved.

Vintage Appeal

Vintage drums might carry a higher price tag due to their unique character and potential value increase, though they require more upkeep.

These factors combined determine how much a good set of drums costs, guiding you in making an informed decision tailored to your needs and preferences.

Junior Drum Kits

Junior drum kits or the cost of beginner drum sets can run the gamut from ridiculously cheap (seriously, like under a hundred bucks cheap) to a reasonable $250 and beyond. If you aren’t really sure you (or your kid, if that’s why you’re reading) want to play the drums, you can throw down the $97 for the ultra cheap kit.

If you actually want to give junior a chance to learn percussion, then you should consider the investment in a junior kit from Ludwig. The Ludwig Questlove Pocket kit runs for just under $350 and features a 16” kick, a 10” rack tom, 13” floor tom, and a 12” snare.

It includes relatively sturdy hardware and cymbals. The whole thing is ready to go out of the box, and it’s a decent sounding kit, which will give the little rascal more inspiration than a set of Quaker Oats canisters, coffee cans, and Pringles tubes.

Intermediate and Professional Kits

When you are ready to beyond the basic starter kit and move toward something you’ll be able to perform or record with, you should look to an intermediate or professional drum kit. Whether you’re a weekend warrior playing backyard barbecues, a church drummer, or a touring pro, investing in a good kit is always a good decision. Professional drum kit prices are also used by seasoned drummers.

For most of these applications, a standard drum kit will include an 18”-22” kick drum, a 14”-18” floor tom, either one or two mounted toms (these can range from 10”-14”) and a 12” snare drum. A hi-hat, crash, and ride cymbal are also pretty standard fare on most intermediate or professional level kits.

One of the coolest things about being a drummer, though, is that your kit is as individual as you are! You may be a Charlie Watts style minimalist and only want a three or four piece suitcase style kit, or you may be Alex Van Halen and want a kit the size of Manhattan.

Whatever you choose, you can expect to spend between $500-$850 on an entry level kit from Tama or Pearl. At that price point, you could feel comfortable playing weekend gigs, church services, or small to medium venues. If you’re going to start going on the road or recording seriously, then you might want to consider dropping around $1500 or more on a more professional drum kit.

The major brands to look at, of course, would be the aforementioned Tama and Pearl, but there’s also DW, Sonor, and Ludwig to consider. Speaking of DW, they recently released one of my favorite affordable entry-level kits, which we’ve reviewed in depth. Smaller boutique brands like Allegra out of Portland, OR offer some really competitive alternatives to the big boys, too.

FAQS

Is Drum Hardware Expensive?

Yes and no. Again, the thing here is that your hardware requirements are going to be as unique as the music you play. For sure, though, you are going to need a reliable and smooth kick pedal (single or double), a sturdy hi-hat stand, either cymbal stands or a rack setup, and a good throne (it’s good to be king, after all).

For the moderately frugal player, Gibraltar offers some decently sturdy hardware at reasonable prices. Most individual pieces like stands and kick pedals will run you between $50-$100, while smaller items like clamps and keys will generally run under $20. Of course, the major manufacturers listed above will also have competitively priced hardware at similar levels of quality to the kits they sell.

Are Cymbals Expensive, Too?

Well, they can be. You can get some awesome hand-hammered excellence from Zildjian for a few hundred or a few thousand dollars, or you can find some more economically-friendly alternatives from those illustrious Turkish experts and other major brands like Paiste and Sabian.

I recently discovered an awesome and affordable cymbal pack from Meinl that blew me away upon my first impression. Feel free to read all about it in my cymbal pack roundup.

As I mentioned above, you’ll want a decent hi-hat, crash, and ride for sure. Other popular additions are splash and China cymbals. Hi-hats from Zildjian start at around $115 for the entry-level ZBT series, and go up from there.

Figure a couple of hundred for a decent set. 16” crash cymbals start at just under a hundred bucks, while you can expect to spend a little more for an 18” or a larger ride cymbal. Splash cymbals can be had for as little as $30.

How Much Does a Good Electronic Drum Set Cost?

But I live an apartment, or I have to be quiet for some other reason you should definitely look into the electric alternative. 

You can get an entry level V-Drum kit for around $500, while the more intermediate and professional level kits will run $1500 and up. Remember that you can always look for places to buy a drum sets used!