The Best Complete Drum Sets Under $1000 | A Beginner’s Guide

You know what? Probably one of the greatest feelings ever in a drummer’s life is the day that he gets his first drum set. Ah, nothing beats the thrill and excitement of finally having your own kit where you can play thousands of songs practicing on your own beat!

We’ve been around the industry for more than 15 years so lots of talented artists, hobbyists, and beginners already come across our store. That’s right! So whenever you see bands and artists at concerts or even on television, there’s a high chance that they bought their instruments from us. That’s why here at the  Drum Center of Portsmouth, we are always overjoyed whenever a customer buys a drum!

 Whether it’s an $88,000 kit or a $1,000 complete drum set, the feeling’s all the same. Why? Because we know that it’s the start of something special. We all share the same passion and love for drumming here, and it’d be our greatest pleasure here at DCP to become part of your amazing journey as a drummer! 

Whether you’re an aspiring drummer or a parent shopping for your child’s first-ever complete drum set, let me just tell you that you’ve come to the right place. Yes, starting your drumming journey doesn’t have to break the bank. Finding a complete drum set under $1,000 is entirely possible, and the best part? You can find lots of them only here at  DCP  — the LARGEST INDEPENDENTLY OWNED DRUM STORE IN. THE. WORLD!

So, what are you waiting for? Join me as we explore the top choices for complete drum sets that offer a balanced performance, durability, and quality ensuring that you only get the most bang for your buck. Are you ready? Here are the 6 Best Complete Drum Sets Under $1,000 available at the Drum Center of Portsmouth! 

Ah, and there it is — the million-dollar question! What should you buy? An acoustic or an electronic complete drum set? We always encourage people to go acoustic if they can, especially for beginners out there looking for their first complete drum set.

Why? Well, with an acoustic drum set — you can better learn the real dynamics of playing drums. We’ve talked to plenty of teachers over the years and they all share the same sentiments that it’s way harder for people to dynamically adjust playing from an electronic drum set to an acoustic drum set.

But hey, there are times when it’s just impossible to have an acoustic drum set especially if you’re living in apartments or condominiums. If that’s the case, then you can go electronic.

Oh, and you might be wondering as we’ve specified in the title that we’re featuring “Complete Drum Sets” today. So, the question is — what’s a complete drum set?

To make it simple — it’s a COMPLETE set featuring everything you’ll need, specifically the snare drum, bass drum, floor toms, rack toms, snare stands, seats, bass drum pedals, and the cymbal. That’s right, all in one price! So it’s really an incredible option especially for beginners to save lots of money while still ensuring to start their drumming journey.

Alright, let’s get ready to drumble! In this edition of DCP’s Best Picks — we’ll be featuring six (6) complete drum sets with similar features and configurations. That’s right!

Aside from being below $1,000, all of these complete drum sets have the same diameters for the bass drums, snare drums, mounted toms, and floor toms with 22”, 14”, 10” & 12”, and 16”, respectively. Oh, and the snare drums have minimal differences in depth but it’s not going to be more than one or two inches.

All of the drums are also made out of poplar shells, the toms are equipped with clear drum heads with some having muffling rings, and the snare drums are fitted with coated drum heads. Now, we decided to equip the snare drums with coated drum heads because it’s what we ideally do for our kits but it’s also up to you if you want to change it up.

Every complete drum set we’re featuring has a bass pedal, snare drum stand, hi-hat stand, and cymbal stand. They also all have a mount located at the bass drum which allows you to position the toms, and five out of the six complete drum sets also come with a drum seat! 

We’re starting this list with no other than the   PDP Center Stage Complete Drum Set   . PDP, which stands for Pacific Drums and Percussion, is a subsidiary of the premier drum company DW or Drum Workshop. Ah, that detail alone tells you a lot about the quality of this complete drum set.

The Mapex Venus is built for toughness and grace — poplar shells come with Mapex Soniclear Bearing Edges for quick and effortless tuning. It’s also designed with shallower tom sizes to allow for easier setup and instant delivery of full tone. Lastly, even though the complete drum set comes with brass cymbals, we would classify them as the ones with satisfactory performance. That’s right, they work just fine. 

For a price tag of only $699, this complete drum set is absolutely a great catch for a complete drum set. It comes in four beautiful finishes namely “Black Galaxy Sparkle”, “Blue Sky Sparkle”, “Aqua Blue Sparkle”, and “Crimson Red Sparkle”.

Next up, we have the  Tama Stagestar Complete Drum Set which is heavily inspired by Tama’s best-selling complete drum set in the US — the Tama Star Imperial Drum Set. Since the Imperial has a high-end price tag, they developed a more affordable option and that is what we have today, the Stagestar. 

The Tama Stagestar is an entry-level yet high-performing 5PC complete drum set with durable hardware and functional cymbals. This complete drum set comes with a double-braced drum throne featuring spindle height adjustment which allows for better up/down positioning. Another great addition is the Ominsphere Tom Holder, a beautiful touch that incorporates a ball/socket tom arm for a more flexible positioning and secure hold. 

The Tama Stagestar Complete Drum Set comes in four astonishing finishes including the “Black Night Sparkle”, “Lime Green Sparkle”, “Cosmic Silver Sparkle”, and “Sea Blue Mist”. Everything for only $659.99!

At number four, we have the gorgeous  Pearl Roadshow 5PC Complete Drum Set rocking a clean “Pure White” finish. In its essence, Pearl was actually the one who invented this whole category of all-in-one complete drum sets. The Pearl Roadshow has been around for almost a decade already and it’s a fan-favorite even until today. 

The complete drum set features a full set of every important component, built with precision and expertise all the way through. The Roadshow snare drum is full of attack and power but sensitive enough for drumming at any volume. The bass drum, on the other hand, has an extended tension/tuning range which produces chest-thumping bass frequencies. 

Aside from the Pearl Roadshow’s top-notch quality drums, its included hardware also deserves a lot of praise. All of the stands have heavy piping, height-adjustable tube joints, heavy double-braced legs, and multi-angle locking tilters to keep the drums and cymbals in perfect position all the time. 

Another great feature of this complete drum set is its double-chained bass drum pedal, which is designed after Pearl’s award-winning  Eliminator Pro Pedal Line and creates smooth, effortless play. 

Alright! Now for number five, we’re heading for a bit more expensive price point and you’re going to see why. Next up, we have the  Gretsch Energy 5 PC Complete Drum Set sporting a beautiful “Ruby Sparkle” finish. This kit was released as the low-end entry in part of Gretsch’s 140th Anniversary.

This premium complete drum set features the legendary Gretsch sound and performance with 5 Gretsch drums, 3 Paiste cymbals, and all the hardware you’ll need to get started. The drum shells are made of 7-ply poplar wood, 30° bearing edges, and 1.6mm triple-flanged hoops. 

The cymbals are all Paiste 101, which are perfect and of high quality to get you playing for the next couple of years. Hardware includes a bass drum pedal, hi-hat stand, snare stand, boom stand, and cymbal stands. This complete drum set doesn’t feature a drum throne but then again, this is something you might want to really invest in for an overall better playing experience in the future. 

Finally, two of the most famous names in the drum industry are coming together at number six — Ludwig and Zildjian. The  Ludwig Evolution 5PC Complete Drum Set is a premium kit featuring a 22” bass drum and  Zildjian “I” Cymbals.

Although the Ludwig Evolution is at the very top of our price range today, I can assure you that you’ll be getting a lot better drums, cymbals, hardware, and drum heads. The kit features two-ply Remo drum heads that are more durable and deep sounding, something you won’t need to upgrade anytime soon. 

The Zildjian “I” Cymbals are the perfect advanced cymbals for intermediate drummers. These are bronze cymbals as well, and that says a lot about the quality of their sound and durability. The hardware included are all double-braced such as disappearing boom stands, hi-hat stands, snare drum stands, drummer’s throne, and chain-drive bass drum pedal. 

Seriously, this complete drum set is literally a winning package for only $999. The only thing you need? Drumsticks. That’s right, and speaking of drumsticks, check out our best drumstick brands today! 

And that wraps it all up! We have just featured the Best Complete Drum Sets Under $1000, all available only here at the Drum Center of Portsmouth. The LARGEST Independently Owned Drum Store in the World!

The beginning of your drumming journey is probably the most exciting part of your career. And you know what? It’s absolutely fine if you’re taking a long time to decide which complete drum set to pick for your first complete drum set — it’s a major milestone after all!

Our recommendation is that  don’t spend too much but don’t spend too little. If you’re not entirely sure of your purchase, it helps that you only spend less so you can easily sell it back if it doesn’t work. However, if you have the budget and are determined to invest then we recommend that you go for the best. The  buy once, cry once mentality will help you get through the early stages and the best part is that you won’t need to upgrade much.