4 Best Double Bass Drum Sets (8-Piece Drum Kits)

Best Double Bass Drum Sets

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Playing on an 8-piece drum set gives you all the musical tools you need for styles of music that are heavy and energetic.

While the main type of drummers that need double bass drum sets are metal players, you could benefit from having a large setup in any live setting, as the visual aspect of this kit choice is something to be noted. 

8-piece drum sets allow you to play intense drum fills with multiple tonal factors to them. They also allow you to play double bass drum patterns with two single pedals, and many drummers prefer that to the feeling of playing a double pedal. 

It’s not too easy to find a full 8-piece shell pack nowadays, but I have tested and played some great options you should consider buying.

What are the Best Double Bass Drum Sets?

Image Recommended ProductsProduct Features Price
BUDGET
Pearl Export EXX
  • Superior Shell Technology
  • Mahogany/poplar drum shells
  • Opti-Loc mounting system
BEST
DW Design Series
  • DW True-Pitch tension rods
  • Acrylic drum shells
  • MAG throw-off on the snare drum
Pearl Music City Custom Reference Pure
  • Maple, mahogany, and birch drum shells
  • All of Pearl’s top-tier design features
  • Superior Shell Technology
PREMIUM
Pearl Masterworks Heritage
  • 4-ply maple and mahogany shells
  • All of Pearl’s top-tier design features
  • FatTone hoops

How I Tested and Selected the Best Double Bass Drum Sets

Throughout my drumming career, I’ve tried out every major drum brand, and all of their product lines. There have been certain kits that have stuck out much more than others. 

While 8-piece drum sets aren’t exactly common, I’ve played and tested out the 5-piece versions of every kit on this list, so I have a great idea of how the kit performs. 

I then had to find out which drum sets get sold as full 8-piece packages. Once I found those, I compiled this list by taking all the best options for different price ranges. 

I’ve selected these double bass drum sets by assessing their sonic capabilities, build quality, durability, and value-for-money offered.

In-Depth Double Bass Drum Set Reviews

BUDGET

Pearl Export EXX Drum Set

One of the most popular 8-piece drum sets, due in part to its low price point. The Pearl Export EXX is a great entry-level kit for those looking to get into playing double bass.
Sounds
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
Finishes
4.0
Playability
4.0
Value
4.0

    Pearl Export EXX Drum Set Review

    The Pearl Export EXX double bass kit is one of the most popular large drum sets available. The biggest reason for this is its affordability. It’s a mid-tier drum set, so the eight drums you get to come at an attainable price.

    The Pearl Export Series is also one of the most sold drum sets of all time, so the kit is backed by an excellent reputation.

    I owned a Pearl Export drum set in my younger years, and it proved to be an exceptional kit for the money. The build quality and sounds for the price were truly fantastic.

    I always loved how it sounded and felt to play. It was truly a remarkable piece of gear that got me through the initial stages of learning how to play the drums. I owned my Export for over 8 years.

    The drum shells are made from a mixture of poplar and mahogany. Poplar is an entry-level wood, but mahogany isn’t- giving the drums a higher-quality sound than most other entry-level kits. The mahogany layers also add deeper tones to the drums.

    Pearl’s Superior Shell Technology is used to make these drums. It strengthens the shells so much that they become incredibly durable and act as if they were made with a single ply. They’re so strongly put together that Pearl offers the kit with a lifetime warranty.

    Out of all the double bass kits on this list, this is the only one that has the rack toms mounted to the bass drums. Pearl’s Opti-loc suspension mounts ensure that the toms sit securely in place while their tones aren’t altered, thanks to the shells freely vibrating.

    Pros

    • Excellent value for money double bass drum kit
    • Comes with a snare drum and tom mounting arms
    • Mahogany adds warmth and sonic richness to the tones

    Cons

    • These are mid-tier drums, so they don’t sound quite as good as the other drums on this list
    BEST

    DW Design Series Drum Set

    A beautiful sounding and looking 8-piece drum set. DW is a well-respected brand, and their Design Series drums are some of the best pro-level drums you can buy for the money.
    Sounds
    5.0
    Build Quality
    5.0
    Finishes
    4.5
    Playability
    4.5
    Value
    4.5

      DW Design Series Drum Set Review

      The DW Design Series double kick drum set has incredible value for the money. This configuration has the same setup as the Pearl Export EXX set, but the drum shells are superior in their quality, and the rack toms are designed to be mounted to their own stands instead of to the bass drums.

      This kit is made of acrylic drum shells. They’re very loud and powerful, making them the perfect drums to be used in settings where an 8-piece drum set would be appropriate. You don’t need to hit the drums too hard to get an impactful sound.

      When playing and hearing this kit, I was surprised at just how punchy the drums were. I didn’t expect such volume, but the acrylic shells offer a wonderful projection that works superbly for heavier music.

      All the drums have DW’s True-Pitch tension rods, which ensure consistent tuning and allow each drum to have a wide tuning range. The turret lugs that the rods connect to are an iconic aspect of all DW drum sets.

      One of the most impressive parts of the set is the snare drum. It’s incredibly responsive to dynamic playing, and it has a sharp rimshot sound that suits aggressive music quite well.

      While it’s fantastic that the toms don’t affect the tone of the bass drums by mounting to their own stands, those stands aren’t included with the kit. Unfortunately, you’ll need to buy DW mounting hardware separately.

      Pros

      • Professional drum set with a relatively attainable price tag
      • Acrylic shells are very loud and powerful
      • The drums are easy to tune, and they hold their tuning for extended periods

      Cons

      • No mounting hardware is included for all the rack toms

      Pearl Music City Custom Reference Pure Drum Set

      A top-of-the-line 8-piece drum set, perfect for all manners of musical scenarios including gigging and recording. These drums are exquisite both in terms of sound and appearance.
      Sounds
      5.0
      Build Quality
      5.0
      Finishes
      5.0
      Playability
      5.0
      Value
      3.0

        Pearl Music City Custom Reference Pure Drum Set Review

        The Pearl Reference Pure has been one of the most popular double bass drum kits for decades. This kit demonstrates the peak of Pearl’s manufacturing quality, giving you drums that sound amazing and feel incredible to play on.

        It’s a top-tier professional drum set, meaning it comes at a seriously high price. However, it’s the type of drum kit that you buy once, and then you’ll never need to buy a set again.

        I felt truly inspired when playing drums on this kit. The toms sound incredibly musical, and the bass drums are meaty and highly effective with double pedal patterns. 

        The shells are made from a mixture of birch, mahogany, and maple. Each drum has a different mixture of woods with plies that are intentional for the size of the drums.

        The smaller toms have maple and birch, while the larger drums have mahogany inner plies to add a bit of oomph. The bearing edges are also all custom designed for each drum size.

        A few other top-tier design features to mention are the Air Suspension Rubber tips on the floor toms, the Fat Tone hoops on all the drums, and the STL swivel lugs on all the shells.

        As with the DW Design Series, the tom mounting arms aren’t included with the shell pack. However, getting Pearl mounting arms is a bit cheaper than getting DW ones.

        Also, note that this kit doesn’t come with a snare drum.

        Pros

        • Unique mix of woods around the kit to bring out the best possible tones
        • Beautiful aesthetic appearance
        • You won’t need to ever upgrade your kit after getting this one

        Cons

        • Extremely expensive
        PREMIUM

        Pearl Masterworks Heritage Drum Set

        Handcrafted in Pearl’s custom shop, these drums are made with the utmost care and attention to detail. They are some of the best-sounding drums on the market, but cost a pretty penny.
        Sounds
        5.0
        Build Quality
        5.0
        Finishes
        5.0
        Playability
        5.0
        Value
        3.0

          Pearl Masterworks Heritage Drum Set Review

          The Pearl Masterworks Heritage is one of the most prestigious 8-piece drum kits available on the market. It’s by far the most expensive set on this list, but it offers an incredibly unique set of drum shells that any drummer would love to have.

          Many of the hardware qualities are similar to the previous Pearl Reference kit. The difference with this kit is that it has thin 4-ply drum shells that are a mixture of maple and mahogany.

          Thinner drum shells tend to sound a lot more musical and responsive, so they’re often reserved for the top-quality kits from every drum brand, and you won’t find a higher-tier kit on Pearl’s product line than the Masterworks.

          All the drums have maple reinforcement rings that dry out the overtones. These make it possible to get amazing sounds from the drums without using any muffling.

          In all honesty, this is one of the best drum sets that I’ve ever played. It’s often hard to distinguish quality between high-end sets, but the Pearl Masterworks kits are a sonic delight.

          Something unique about this kit is that it comes with two snare drums, whereas other shell packs of this size don’t include a snare drum at all. The one snare drum is a standard 14”, while the other snare is a strangely sized 15” drum.

          You only get one bass drum with this set, but because the Masterworks Series is a custom line of drums, you can easily order a matching bass drum that comes in the same finish to add to the set.

          Pros

          • Phenomenal aesthetics with gold hoops that look amazing
          • Insanely good tone quality - and the included 15” snare drum is special
          • Maple reinforcement rings eliminate the need for muffling

          Cons

          • One of the most expensive drum sets in the world

          8-Piece Drum Kit Buyer’s Guide

          Drum Kit Setup

          When deciding on a drum kit to buy, it’s important to discuss with yourself what the benefits of having two bass drums will be. It certainly looks cool, but how practical is it for the types of venues that you play at or the size of your practice space?

          Besides aesthetics, a huge benefit of using two bass drums is that it’s ergonomic for your body. Drum sets like Pearl Export EXX and DW Design Series with two bass drums will allow you to place your snare drum in between them.

          By doing this, your right and left legs will be sitting in natural positions, and that’s a comfortable place for your body to be in. It’s not always as easy to get that same ergonomic setup when only using a single bass drum.

          So, the two big reasons for using a double bass drum kit are having a rocking appearance and being able to set your drum set up symmetrically.

          Bass Drum Pedals

          If you use two bass drums, make sure to use two of the same types of single drum pedals.

          Doing this will allow you to adjust the pedals to have identical settings. If you use different types of pedals, you’ll run into inconsistencies, and it can become frustrating to try to get both pedals to feel the same as if they weren’t designed in the same way.

          When it comes to which pedals to choose, that’s entirely up to you. You should get whichever pedals fit the style of music that you play and the foot techniques that you use.

          Drum Racks

          When you have a large drum setup, it’s a lot easier to use a drum rack to mount all your toms and cymbals.

          This will eliminate the need for several stands to be situated around your set. You can also keep all the parts of a drum rack locked in place so that it’s easier to get the comfortable setup that you’re used to whenever you put the kit together.

          Drum racks also make your drums feel a lot sturdier to play on. This is ideal, as having so many drums around you wobbling can become a bit irritating. You’ll need to find a way to position your two bass drums comfortably within the rack, but you’ll get used to it after a while.

          Which Styles of Music Need Two Bass Drums?

          You don’t need two bass drums for any style of music. A single bass drum is perfectly acceptable if you’re using a double pedal. However, the same types of music you’ll use a double pedal for will be the ones that you can use two bass drums for.

          These styles include rock, punk, and metal. You could use two bass drums for other styles, but it may look a bit overkill with such a big kit on stage for a pop gig. The main types of drummers that use two bass drums are metal drummers.

          Many metal drummers feel that they can play bass drum notes faster with two single pedals than they can with a double pedal, and several styles of metal are all about bass drum speed.

          Cymbals and Hardware

          None of the kits that were mentioned above come with cymbals or hardware. They’re all shell packs, so you need to get cymbals and stands separately. If you opt for a drum rack, then you only need to think about getting cymbals.

          When you play an 8-piece drum set like the Pearl Music City Custom Reference Pure or the Pearl Masterworks Heritage, your setup will be so large that you’ll need more cymbals than usual for it to look normal. With only three cymbals, the kit will look a bit bare. Also, music that requires double bass drumming typically requires more than three cymbals anyway.

          The best way to get cymbals for your huge drum set up in an affordable way is to get cymbal packs. You could start with a pack that comes with all the essentials, and then you can add cymbals to your setup as you need them. Double bass drum setups usually need a good china cymbal to go with them.

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