How Much Does a Drum Set Cost?

Before you decide to go ahead and invest in a drum set, you’re probably going to be wondering how much drums cost.

A drum set can cost anywhere between $300 and $10,000, depending on whether you want something very basic, or an extremely high-end drum kit. On average, however, you can expect to pay $600-$1000 for a complete, good-quality drum set.

The price of a drum set adds up because it includes a lot of components. It’s not just the drums, you are paying for the cymbals, cymbal stands, bass drum pedal, and a drum throne too.

Drums can be expensive. But the good news is there are amazing products out there to suit all different budgets, and the quality of entry-level drum sets is actually pretty high.

In this article, I’ll share with you everything you need to know about the price of a drum kit, and how much you can expect to pay for drumming equipment across the board.

How Much Does a Drum Set Cost? (At a Glance)

How Much is a Beginner Drum Set?

You can expect to pay around $500-$700 for a good quality adult-sized entry-level drum set that also includes cymbals and hardware. 

Beginner level drum sets typically include everything you need to begin playing right away. They are made with cheaper hardwoods such as Poplar and come as standard with basic drumheads that don’t sound that great.

However, you can quickly improve the sound of a beginner drum set with some professional drum heads from a brand such as Remo or Evans is relatively inexpensive. So with this knowledge, you can be confident knowing that you can make beginner drum sets sound good with proper tuning and good drum heads.

Cymbals cannot be tuned as drums can, and there is a very clear difference in sound between beginner cymbals and pro-level cymbals. Beginner cymbals unfortunately sound very cheap. The cymbals that are included with an entry-level drum kit will require upgrading eventually, but they are fine for practicing on.

You can also find cheaper deals if you wish to buy a used drum set. There are plenty of good kits available on Facebook, eBay, Craigslist, or even take a look in your local music store.

How Much is a Kid’s Drum Set?

You can expect to pay between $200-$400 for junior drum sets depending on how many parts are included with it and also depending on the age it’s intended for.

Buying a junior drum set for your child is a great way to allow them to explore their untapped creativity and learn new skills. Drumming is incredibly rewarding and fun and offers a huge number of benefits for young children.

Drumming is not only great fun, but it is also scientifically proven to boost brainpower and develop coordination in young children.

There are lots of very cheap and tempting junior drum sets available, but most of these are poorly made toys and will either break quickly or don’t fulfill their purpose as a drum kit.

Because children are not the most discerning listeners, the drum sounds might not be that important to them. However, how good a drum kit sounds will matter more over time, and it will also matter for your sanity as parents!

The provided drumheads with junior drum sets are not of good quality, but they can sound acceptable with good tuning and dampening.

How Much are Intermediate and Professional Drum Sets?

If you own a beginner drum kit and you want to upgrade then you might be looking to pay around $800-$1500 for a quality intermediate or professional drum kit shell pack.

Intermediate drum sets typically come as a shell pack, which means that only the drums are included, and it does not come with hardware or cymbals. I have written a host of great information here about drum set shell packs.

A typical five-piece shell pack includes a bass drum (18-22”), a snare drum (14”), two rack toms (8-12”), and a floor tom (14-16”). Shell packs will often be delivered like Russian dolls, stowed away inside one another for easy transportation, and you will be required to install the drum heads.

Intermediate drum sets and professional kits feature better quality drum shells that are built from premium woods such as birch or maple, and they feature die-cast metal hardware such as hoops and lugs.

Both intermediate kits and professional drum kits will be crafted with precise bearing edges and boast premium finishes such as lacquer paints.

Intermediate-level drum hardware packs and cymbals will need to be bought separately. How much does a drum set cost that has these better features? The total drum set cost of a complete intermediate-level kit with hardware and cymbals will range between $1000-$2000.

Top of the line professional kits are made of the finest materials and take a long time to build. These professional kits include DW Collector’s Series drum set, the Pearl Masterworks, or the Sonor SQ2 drum set.

The difference between top of the line professional drum kits and intermediate kits is the quality of materials and craftsmanship. Top end kits feature exotic hardwoods like bubinga, mahogany, and walnut. And they are crafted with even greater attention to detail.

How much are these drums? Some of the most expensive drum sets cost at least $5000 for the drums alone! The increased cost is reflective of the superior materials, construction, and overall performance.

Adding top-of-the-range drum hardware and cymbals can make a flagship drum set around $7000-10,000 in total.

How Much is an Electronic Drum Set?

Kids’ electronic drum sets will cost as little as $250-$500, with top-of-the-range electronic drum sets costing upwards of $5000.

When comparing electronic drums to acoustic drums, electronic kits have several crucial benefits- they are great for drummers who live in smaller spaces such as apartments because they take up less room, plus they are a quieter alternative to regular drum sets.

The responsiveness, build quality, and functionality of most electronic drum sets now are of a considerably high standard.

Electronic drum sets are incredibly functional pieces of equipment and are able to lend their services in lots of applications. They are quiet and portable which makes them brilliant for practicing. They also have enormous sound libraries and offer USB/MIDI connectivity that makes them great for recording onto a computer.

Electronic drums vary in price massively depending on the design, technological features, build quality, and size of the kit.

How Much Does Drum Hardware Cost?

A full set of drum hardware, including cymbal stands, a snare drum stand, hi hat stand, bass drum pedal, and drum throne will cost between $400 and $1000 on average. 

The cost of a set of drum hardware can vary greatly depending on whether it’s a beginner level or professional level piece of kit. For example, a cheap bass drum pedal can be bought for $60, but a top of the line single bass drum pedal can cost $450 alone.

The same applies for all aspects of drum hardware, ranging from drum thrones, right through to cymbal stands and hi-hat stands. High-end drum hardware such as the DW 9000 series line is very expensive, albeit well worth it.

How Much Do Good Quality Cymbals Cost?

A set of beginner cymbals including a set of hi-hats, a crash cymbal, and a ride cymbal might cost roughly $300. A professional-level cymbal pack will cost around $1000.

Expensive cymbals undergo a thorough and extensive manufacturing process. The cymbal craftsmen that guide the process have decades of experience. Professional quality cymbals are hand lathed and hand-hammered by experts from a lump of premium B20 bronze alloy.

There is a huge differentiation between entry-level cymbals and professional-level cymbals.

Beginner cymbals are made from brass or B8 bronze and are cut from an existing sheet of metal. They are far cheaper to manufacture and are therefore much more affordable to buy.

Premium cymbals that you hear on records and on live music stages are made from a cast alloy of bronze with a high tin ratio; most commonly B20 bronze. The process of crafting pro-level cymbals is expensive and labor-intensive, and therefore they carry a high price tag.

What is a Fair Price for a Drum Set?

When looking at investing in a drum set, whilst the price point may look steep; you have to remember that what you pay for is what you get. If you take good care of your drum set and cymbals they will last a very long time.

Anything really cheap is going to be a toy and is not going to be fit for use as a musical instrument!

You can kickstart your drumming journey with a good quality beginner drum set such as a Pearl Roadshow or the best-selling Pearl Export, and then look to upgrade pieces eventually if you so choose.

If you are on a budget or want to gift a drum set to a child who may not have the expected interest or dedication, it’s worth choosing something more affordable.

I hope I have answered your queries with regard to how much a drum set costs. Now you know the drum set cost for products across the price spectrum, ranging all the way from beginner to intermediate level drum sets and also professional kits. Thanks for reading!