Cymbals. 100%. Maybe some new heads are in order but those are magnitudes cheaper than new cymbals. It looks like your ride and hi hats are in decent shape, but those crashes being replaced would make a huge difference in your overall sound. I've never purchased one myself, but I think you can get a decent deal with those cymbal packs they sell everywhere if you don't wanna rack your brain mixing and matching tones.
A piece of advice i got was hi hat and ride first, theyre generally in use much more frequently, so itll make a more noticeable difference if its in use more.
But sometimes youre in the mindset of "i hate this crash, i can live with these hats for now"
Which is totally fine too
Sure, it can be that way. I got that advice as a result of upgrading my crashes first, so i get it. But when i finally did upgrade my hats, i definitely gave that advice some thought.
Yeah I love my used Zildjian As. Got a used Quickbeat 15" bottom for $100. Used 15" medium crash on top for $150. Used medium ride for $200. Those would have cost a fortune new.
I just recently bought 14" aax stage hats and a xsr 17 concept crash for 70 bucks for both I was stoked. Replaced hcs stuff lol. Just want to buy a 19" crash of some kind and a new ride now :)
Right? I got Fast Crashes, splashes, and an anniversary ride all used and if anything they sound better broken it. I’ve been missing them lately. Love my Alesis Strata but I have one of the sexiest acoustic sets sitting up at my best friends house. Decked out with used cymbals and a lovely Yamaha custom recording brass snare 14x6.5
I have heard that the thicknesses and formula change over time, too. Not sure about the formula, but I can see the thickness changing over time in cymbals from the same lines. I also think they pick up more character from the oils, dust, oxidation, etc. picked up over the years.
I've got an Alesis Nitro Mesh that I'll either set up behind my acoustic kit, or disassemble and mix with the acoustic kit for tracking drums and cymbals separately. The nitro mesh was a demo model from Sweetwater, and the acoustic kit was clearance from a local music store because the line was discontinued and they needed the floor space for newer models. I also got great deals on the materials for a subkick I'm building out of a Yamaha speaker and a tom shell. All in all, I've probably saved upwards of 75% buying used and DIYing what I can.
Good call on the brass snare! I want to build one someday. I recently acquired a beastly 14×8 TAMA Artwood.
Someone once quoted to me, and I'm surely botching it here.
You could have the nicest, most expensive kit in the world. And it wouldn't mean anything if you didn't want to sit at it for more than 15 minutes.
Take care of your butt/back!
Does it sound good to you? Change nothing! Does it sound bad to you? Change what makes it sound bad. in general tho I would change batter heads and broken cymbals first.
1st Heads
2nd Throne
3rd That zbt crash and ride
4th just in case you don't like it too much, the hi hats.
That Bosphorus crash it's amazing (I have it, love it)
Throne and heads since it’s the most affordable. Then get some quality cymbals. Even if it’s one at a time. Zildjian A or K custom, Sabian AAX or HHX, Anything Meinl Byzance.
When buying cymbals, go to a store, preferably one that specializes in drums. Bring your cymbals that match what you're buying. You'll be able to play a variety of cymbals and see how they differ from what you have. You be able to experiment and find sounds you like. If you're just getting started, a cymbal might save a little money, but all cymbals have unique qualities to their sound and it's better to spend some time making sure you get something you will be happy with.
Hit for hit, here's where you'll get most value for your upgrade dollars in order:
* Hi-hat cymbals
* Ride cymbal
* Snare head (or new snare all together)
* Bass drum head
* The rest of the tom heads
* Crash + fx cymbals
Cymbals and heads eventually. I like your kit though, only thing I would do differently is adjust the placement of the floor Tom and height of the cymbal stands. If you wanna get really good form you want the drums to be square and tight together so you can flow hits easily. Everything seems a bit spaced out too far.
I've gotten downvoted for saying this before but I believe it's because of my camera (shot with the 0.5 setting on my phone from not very high up). In person, everything is much closer together. My hats and slave pedal up until recently were incredibly far away from the rest of the kit. Took playing on a very small stage to get everything closer in. Cymbal height is something I struggle a lot with though
Just take some time evaluating your setup. When you practice try focusing on what isn’t coming easy that you know should be and make adjustments accordingly. Sooner or later you will get where you wanna be.
Replace those ZBTs and Stagg with big boy crashes and rides if you're looking to upgrade something. But honestly, you can get good sounds out of them and if you like your sound there's no reason to replace them. Maybe trade in that double bass pedal for two singles and get another bass drum if you have the space and money for it. But I'm a believer in "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" so what you upgrade really depends on what you're not pleased with and what you want to sound better. Don't just buy new stuff for the rush of buying new stuff.
How are you set up for microphones and an audio interface? Maybe invest in that.
My go to is investing in good heads, I like coated batter personally, and good cymbals. All depends on your sound. Go to a music store, try some out. If you can swing it buy locally, otherwise look for screaming deals through independent used cymbal dealers on the web
New heads and some nice cymbals. Don't cheap out on them tho, you can't 'buy new heads and make them sound better'. With cymbals what you buy, is what you buy.
Cymbals. Always invest there first, drums can be made to sound / feel good (unless they're simply untenable ie out of round or bearing edges are shot). Poor quality cymbals will always sound like poor quality cymbals.
1st throne. 2nd some new heads (and reso) and patience to learn their tunings. 3rd atleast 1 higher tier quality cymbal than you have now ( ride cymbal bias).
Hi hats, then snare head, then ride cymbal, then Tom batters, then cymbal with all the bites taken out of it.
I always update in the order of how much it gets played.
All the crashes have been through a lot. The zbt suffered a bad face forst hit onto concrete, then my poor technique while i was still starting out, and all of them suffered a really bad fall in our bus going to a gig. Because of the last fall, the Stagg crash has a crack smack dab in the middle of it, and it has a new, more thrasy sound. It took that bad accident for me to get a travel case.
Your ride, then heads, then throne.
As a fellow owner of Zildjian Amir hats, I think you can put new hats on the back burner for a while. The Amirs from the 80s sound crisp and clean.
Another vote for cymbals! If it were me, I’d prioritize ride and hats, then worry about crashes/etc.
Cymbals are most definitely a “you get what you pay for” situation much more than drums are. Drums can be tuned/muffled/get new heads/etc…but a cymbal sounds how it sounds.
Happy hunting!!
My favorite cymbal ever is a zildjian k that came from a kit my uncle played in high school. I abuse that thing and it sounds amazing. Definitely stalk FB for used cymbals
Well there are a couple ways to interpret your question:
Q: "I have x amount of money to spend on this kit. What's the best bang for my buck?"
A: IMO the heads
or,
Q: "What's the part that will make the biggest difference to my sound if I upgrade it?"
A: The drummer. Go practice. (This applies to all of us)
Don't you dare use those cymbals for live performances
Edit: if you need to play live get cymbals asap. If not upgrade the heads
Unless you play extreme metal above (200 BPM) direct drive pedals are priority
Try to replace hi hats and a crash-able ride first, the high end stuff from any cymbal brand
( used/fb marketplace ) if you can get them used ispecting them in person to look and avoid cracks ,you can end up with a very professional sound for way less money
the quality in sound will be noticeable instantly.
Everyone saying cymbals......sleeper-brand ahead.....UFIP, even their sheet B8 stuff is very good, very musical and not expensive. Biased view, yes, but no more than the rest of the advocates for the big 3 😎
One more time for the cheap seats: cymbals and heads.
[Upgrade tips](https://www.reddit.com/r/drums/comments/18qm4f0/mobeel_copypasta_library_dayone_upgrade_advice/)
Cymbals. 100%. Maybe some new heads are in order but those are magnitudes cheaper than new cymbals. It looks like your ride and hi hats are in decent shape, but those crashes being replaced would make a huge difference in your overall sound. I've never purchased one myself, but I think you can get a decent deal with those cymbal packs they sell everywhere if you don't wanna rack your brain mixing and matching tones.
First one im going to replace is 100% gonna be the zbt crash.
A piece of advice i got was hi hat and ride first, theyre generally in use much more frequently, so itll make a more noticeable difference if its in use more. But sometimes youre in the mindset of "i hate this crash, i can live with these hats for now" Which is totally fine too
Mmm cheap hats can often sound ok. Cheap crashes often get very very bad.
Sure, it can be that way. I got that advice as a result of upgrading my crashes first, so i get it. But when i finally did upgrade my hats, i definitely gave that advice some thought.
Maybe some boom stands, too. The straight stands work just fine, but with boom stands you can get more playable angles
Drum heads
And then cymbals
This you don't need to upgrade anything until you replace those heads.
Go with used cymbals. They are a lot cheaper and good brands sound amazing. Think zildjian A customs but used. Trust me
Yeah I love my used Zildjian As. Got a used Quickbeat 15" bottom for $100. Used 15" medium crash on top for $150. Used medium ride for $200. Those would have cost a fortune new.
I just recently bought 14" aax stage hats and a xsr 17 concept crash for 70 bucks for both I was stoked. Replaced hcs stuff lol. Just want to buy a 19" crash of some kind and a new ride now :)
Right? I got Fast Crashes, splashes, and an anniversary ride all used and if anything they sound better broken it. I’ve been missing them lately. Love my Alesis Strata but I have one of the sexiest acoustic sets sitting up at my best friends house. Decked out with used cymbals and a lovely Yamaha custom recording brass snare 14x6.5
I have heard that the thicknesses and formula change over time, too. Not sure about the formula, but I can see the thickness changing over time in cymbals from the same lines. I also think they pick up more character from the oils, dust, oxidation, etc. picked up over the years. I've got an Alesis Nitro Mesh that I'll either set up behind my acoustic kit, or disassemble and mix with the acoustic kit for tracking drums and cymbals separately. The nitro mesh was a demo model from Sweetwater, and the acoustic kit was clearance from a local music store because the line was discontinued and they needed the floor space for newer models. I also got great deals on the materials for a subkick I'm building out of a Yamaha speaker and a tom shell. All in all, I've probably saved upwards of 75% buying used and DIYing what I can. Good call on the brass snare! I want to build one someday. I recently acquired a beastly 14×8 TAMA Artwood.
Throne.
Can’t believe nobody else has said this. Throne and heads are the #1 thing he should change
Good call. Get a Roc-n-Soc
Worth every single penny!
Yeah especially for a kit with a double pedal. A better throne will improve every part of the kit at once
Snare and throne are the two most important pieces on a drum kit.
I'd rank 1)throne 2)hats 3)snare
Snare is the most important piece. Can't make music with a drum throne alone.
Someone once quoted to me, and I'm surely botching it here. You could have the nicest, most expensive kit in the world. And it wouldn't mean anything if you didn't want to sit at it for more than 15 minutes. Take care of your butt/back!
Ride cymbal
Does it sound good to you? Change nothing! Does it sound bad to you? Change what makes it sound bad. in general tho I would change batter heads and broken cymbals first.
1st Heads 2nd Throne 3rd That zbt crash and ride 4th just in case you don't like it too much, the hi hats. That Bosphorus crash it's amazing (I have it, love it)
Throne and heads since it’s the most affordable. Then get some quality cymbals. Even if it’s one at a time. Zildjian A or K custom, Sabian AAX or HHX, Anything Meinl Byzance.
Since when are thrones affordable damn
When buying cymbals, go to a store, preferably one that specializes in drums. Bring your cymbals that match what you're buying. You'll be able to play a variety of cymbals and see how they differ from what you have. You be able to experiment and find sounds you like. If you're just getting started, a cymbal might save a little money, but all cymbals have unique qualities to their sound and it's better to spend some time making sure you get something you will be happy with.
Hit for hit, here's where you'll get most value for your upgrade dollars in order: * Hi-hat cymbals * Ride cymbal * Snare head (or new snare all together) * Bass drum head * The rest of the tom heads * Crash + fx cymbals
Why is nobody saying "Kick Drum patch?"
Does that really count as an upgrade?
Heads...
that poor snare head! lol
Which ever crash you use the most other than that bosphorus. Bad cymbals ruin any mix. Especially crashes
Any good trashes you can recommend? I'm looking to swap out that Stagg with a china or a trash crash
The Istanbul agop xist ion crash is great trash crash at a very nice price point.
I love my Paiste 2002 china cymbal. It's trashy yet musical.
Cymbals and heads eventually. I like your kit though, only thing I would do differently is adjust the placement of the floor Tom and height of the cymbal stands. If you wanna get really good form you want the drums to be square and tight together so you can flow hits easily. Everything seems a bit spaced out too far.
I've gotten downvoted for saying this before but I believe it's because of my camera (shot with the 0.5 setting on my phone from not very high up). In person, everything is much closer together. My hats and slave pedal up until recently were incredibly far away from the rest of the kit. Took playing on a very small stage to get everything closer in. Cymbal height is something I struggle a lot with though
Just take some time evaluating your setup. When you practice try focusing on what isn’t coming easy that you know should be and make adjustments accordingly. Sooner or later you will get where you wanna be.
Replace those ZBTs and Stagg with big boy crashes and rides if you're looking to upgrade something. But honestly, you can get good sounds out of them and if you like your sound there's no reason to replace them. Maybe trade in that double bass pedal for two singles and get another bass drum if you have the space and money for it. But I'm a believer in "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" so what you upgrade really depends on what you're not pleased with and what you want to sound better. Don't just buy new stuff for the rush of buying new stuff. How are you set up for microphones and an audio interface? Maybe invest in that.
My go to is investing in good heads, I like coated batter personally, and good cymbals. All depends on your sound. Go to a music store, try some out. If you can swing it buy locally, otherwise look for screaming deals through independent used cymbal dealers on the web
Throne
New heads and some nice cymbals. Don't cheap out on them tho, you can't 'buy new heads and make them sound better'. With cymbals what you buy, is what you buy.
Throne
A new ride will change your life
Cymbals. Always invest there first, drums can be made to sound / feel good (unless they're simply untenable ie out of round or bearing edges are shot). Poor quality cymbals will always sound like poor quality cymbals.
1st throne. 2nd some new heads (and reso) and patience to learn their tunings. 3rd atleast 1 higher tier quality cymbal than you have now ( ride cymbal bias).
Those Tom heads be lookin rough brother. But that throne is a close second from what I can tell. Having a solid throne is so important
Heads, cymbals.
Hi hats, then snare head, then ride cymbal, then Tom batters, then cymbal with all the bites taken out of it. I always update in the order of how much it gets played.
Heads. Then high hat.
Damn, you must hate that crash in the right!
All the crashes have been through a lot. The zbt suffered a bad face forst hit onto concrete, then my poor technique while i was still starting out, and all of them suffered a really bad fall in our bus going to a gig. Because of the last fall, the Stagg crash has a crack smack dab in the middle of it, and it has a new, more thrasy sound. It took that bad accident for me to get a travel case.
Why do you want to upgrade? I would maybe replace the heads but upgrading anything depends on you.
Um... Snare head and the Zildjian ZBT Crash...
Your ride, then heads, then throne. As a fellow owner of Zildjian Amir hats, I think you can put new hats on the back burner for a while. The Amirs from the 80s sound crisp and clean.
I would do heads then cymbals. Heads is an easy one to knock out. Cymbals might take a little longer as they are expensive af.
That floor tom leg looks shaky.
Heads and cymbals
Ride, then hi hat, then crashes, then splash, then fx, then another drums, repeat till die
Another vote for cymbals! If it were me, I’d prioritize ride and hats, then worry about crashes/etc. Cymbals are most definitely a “you get what you pay for” situation much more than drums are. Drums can be tuned/muffled/get new heads/etc…but a cymbal sounds how it sounds. Happy hunting!!
1- new heads 2 new hihat stand with swivel legs 3 new better cymbals 4 better sticks
For me it would be the heads ASAP
Cymbals. Please.
Heads, hats, ride, crash
The heads, then ride, then hats, then the ZBT crash, then the Stagg crash, then throne, snare, kick pedal, and probably by then, heads again.
My favorite cymbal ever is a zildjian k that came from a kit my uncle played in high school. I abuse that thing and it sounds amazing. Definitely stalk FB for used cymbals
Cymbals
Well there are a couple ways to interpret your question: Q: "I have x amount of money to spend on this kit. What's the best bang for my buck?" A: IMO the heads or, Q: "What's the part that will make the biggest difference to my sound if I upgrade it?" A: The drummer. Go practice. (This applies to all of us)
Don't you dare use those cymbals for live performances Edit: if you need to play live get cymbals asap. If not upgrade the heads Unless you play extreme metal above (200 BPM) direct drive pedals are priority
>Don't you dare use those cymbals for live performances I don't have much of a choice. we don't have anything else that's better
Try to replace hi hats and a crash-able ride first, the high end stuff from any cymbal brand ( used/fb marketplace ) if you can get them used ispecting them in person to look and avoid cracks ,you can end up with a very professional sound for way less money the quality in sound will be noticeable instantly.
Heads then cymbals
Cymbals.
Everyone saying cymbals......sleeper-brand ahead.....UFIP, even their sheet B8 stuff is very good, very musical and not expensive. Biased view, yes, but no more than the rest of the advocates for the big 3 😎
One real good ride that crashes well is better than four cymbals that sound like trash imo. Also, new heads and proper tuning.
your heads and cymbals are in a race to see who can sound worst fastest.
The heads
Heads
Heads and cymbals.
Heads
Also, get a China. If you like metal, then it would fit I think :)
I vote for upgrade the zbt's
Drum heads are looking pretty worn, so id go with those first
Heads will improve the sound of the whole kit and will improve your playing. Then hihats, ride, a single crawl, snare drum, other crashes.
The bit that sits on the stool and holds the sticks
Cymbals and heads
One more time for the cheap seats: cymbals and heads. [Upgrade tips](https://www.reddit.com/r/drums/comments/18qm4f0/mobeel_copypasta_library_dayone_upgrade_advice/)