If you’re a drummer just starting, you can make no better investment than a complete drum set. Thanks to the increasing availability of quality materials and gear, you can get a solid starter kit for under $800. A complete drum set will give you everything you need to start practicing, recording, and playing live: standard shell pack (bass and toms), snare, cymbals (ride, boom, and hi-hats), and essential hardware like pedals and cymbal stands. While kits like the Yamaha Rydeen and PDP MainStage are popular, nothing beats the Tama Imperialstar and Ludwig Element Evolution regarding the value we break down below. Our analysis covers the following categories: drum shells, hardware, cymbals, heads, sound, and a bonus round for options and add-ons. Each of these categories is evaluated for considerations of quality, value, whether you’ll need add-ons, durability, and more. While there’s a lot of overlap between these kits, from the bass drum spurs, a protracting spike that keeps the bass in place, and similar floor tom brackets, there are enough differences to point you toward the kit that’ll maximize your sound. Let’s start with the Tama Imperialstar.
Our top picks:
- Best for intermediate drummers: Tama Imperialstar
- Best drum set under $800: Ludwig Element Evolution
1. Tama Imperialstar
For years, the Tama Imperialstar has been the leading “intermediate drum set,” as they’re called. They have name recognition, and the product's history and quality live up to both. This drum set has everything a drummer needs—a Meinl HCS cymbal set, a legendary Cobra Iron hardware package, a 14x5 snare, and a shell pack (22x18 bass drum, and a 10x8 tom, a 12x9 tom, and a 16x14 floor tom) in six customizable, pearlescent colors. The cymbal pack includes a 20” ride cymbal, a 16” boom cymbal for crashes, and two 14” hi-hats. If you’re looking at a picture of the Imperialstar’s cymbals and wondering if they’re brass, they are. If you’re cringing, don’t! Brass alloy is the standard material for entry-level cymbal sets. While it’s generally associated with a harsh sound, Meinl HCS cymbals are exactly where brass starts sounding clear and musical. That eye-popping red shell casing is called “candy apple red,” made from 100% poplar. You’ll get poplar or Asian mahogany at this price point, but you shouldn’t sweat the material. What matters is the craftsmanship—focus on the bearing edges and whether the drums hit on the head correctly. Tama leads the way in add-ons and options, which is an excellent way of saying you might need to throw down more cash for new heads or cymbals when you learn how to fill out your sound. But your starting sound will be clean, dynamic, and cracking, thanks to Imperialstar’s single-ply snare head, beefy bass drum, and legendary Cobra Iron hardware.
2. Ludwig Element Evolution
You can’t go wrong with the Ludwig Element Evolution drum set. Combining three of the biggest names in the drum world—Ludwig on drums, Zildjian on cymbals, and Remo on drum heads—the Element Evolution is known for its warm, punchy sound and brilliant definition. The Zildjian ZBT cymbal pack is bronze-based, but the difference is almost indescribable. Zildjian’s lightweight 14” hi-hats, 16” boom cymbal, and 20” rides are infinitely easier on the ears. The hardware pack is more or less the same, with a chain-drive bass drum pedal and hi-hat stand, single braced snare stand, and bass drum mounted floor tom, but Ludwig throws in an extra disappearing boom stand, in case you want one to act as a straight. The shell pack kit includes a 22x18 bass, three toms with the exact measurements as Tama’s, and a 14x5 snare drum. But the big difference—and this is big!—are Remo's 2-ply Pinstripe tom heads. Right out of the box, this drum set has a durable, easily controlled sound for the beginning drummer. Usually, when you buy a drum set at this price point, you’ve got to factor in the new heads price, but these 2-ply Remos will stand up to a beating. Ludwig was good enough for Roger Taylor at LiveAid and Ringo on the Beatles’ breakout Ed Sullivan performance, so their entry-level drum kit should be good enough for you. That big boomy bass drum, cracking snare drum, punchy toms, and versatile tuning will let you play as high or low as you want.
The Verdict
The Tama Imperialstar and the Ludwig Element Evolution drum kits are an absolute steal for the price point. Whether you’re trying to cut through the chaos of live acoustics or fill out a recording, it's a testament to the changing market as much as Tama and Ludwig that early-career drummers can now purchase brand-new, fully operational drum kits without breaking the bank. No matter which kit you choose, you’ll be in good hands. But let's highlight exactly where each kit's strengths and weaknesses are:
What to look for when buying a Drum Set
Drum Shells
By default, we’ve got to give it to Tama. Tama proudly discloses that its shells are 100% popular, whereas Ludwig’s shell material information is nowhere to be found. While it’s safe to assume their sparkly blue, black, white, and red wraparounds encode a poplar or Asian mahogany shell, the point counts toward Tama on honesty alone. Plus, that candy apple red finish is something to look at.
Hardware
Tama’s Iron Cobra hardware kit is hard to beat. The Iron Cobra Power Glide bass drum pedal kicks off an innovative Cobra Coil pedal spring, giving you a remarkably smooth response, perfect for fast-fire punching. From the Roadpro snare stand to the easy-to-work disappearing boom stand and duo glide single pedal, Tama offers smooth and accurate motion while dampening any noise caused by metal-to-metal contact. This hardware pack breaks down and sets up in a snap.
Cymbals
For no reason, Zildjian’s cymbals aren’t the iconic face of cymbals everywhere. Ludwig wins its first round. If you look at Tama’s cymbal pack and a pack of Zildjian ride, crash, and hi-hat cymbals separately, you’ll see all you need to see. Tama’s brass Meinl HCS set does escape harsh tinniness but does so narrowly. With Zildjian, you’ll sail away on a zephyr of bright, balanced sound.
Heads
Ludwig is making a comeback: its two-ply Remo Pinstripe heads are a no-brainer over Tama’s single-ply, clear heads on the Imperialstar. These are primo drum heads with fully adjustable overtones that give your set mileage right out of the gate. This bass drum head comes pre-muffled, and its snare is attractively coated. Those two-ply Pinstripe tom heads aren’t the top-of-the-line Remos we carry at Drum Center of Portsmouth, but you won’t find a better-reviewed, sturdier set of heads that’ll give you that clear, fundamental tone.
Sound
This is a hard one. Your kit’s sound will depend much more on external factors that you can control—environment, acoustics, band, tuning—than on your hardware and materials. Both Tama and Ludwig’s starter kits make for a great starter setup. While you can get a drum kit together for as low as $300 to $400, we recommend spending a bit more. Investing in solid, highly-rated equipment will help you settle on your unique sound without compromise. Later on, if you decide to expand your kit, you’ve already got a perfect foundation to build off, and if you decide to pack it in and sell it, you’ll get more on the resale market.
Bonus Round: Options and Add-Ons
While the Imperialstar’s drum set is slightly sparser than the Element Evolution, Tama’s kit generally runs cheaper and is designed to be built out. From additional toms and snares made of deeper materials like walnut and birch to relatively inexpensive cymbal packs, Tama may be the way to go if you're looking to expand.
Conclusion
Tama may have come out on top in more categories, but you can’t go wrong with either of these kits. The Tama Imperialstar and the Ludwig Element Evolution are both nifty intermediate drum sets. As you play, you’ll start noticing each piece’s quirks and kinks, and you’ll learn where you should improve. Whether that means adding an extra shell pack for a monster sound or experimenting with alternate cymbal arrangements, Drum Center of Portsmouth is here to answer all your questions. Drum Center of Portsmouth offers free shipping if you’re local and free tuning and setup on drum set purchased in-store. DCP offers a Lifetime Labor warranty wherever you are, meaning all services performed on your drums will not be charged. We’re industry professionals and drum geeks who specialize in helping you get behind the set that is right for your individual needs. For honest answers and serious recommendations, give us a call, or email us any time.