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While acoustic drum kits can get quite pricey, there are so many good options that cost less than $2000 that can comfortably be used in professional settings.
I’ve picked out some of the best professional drum sets in this segment to show you, and I’ve made sure that they work well for a variety of needs.
Whether you’re a seasoned pro looking for a reliable gigging kit or a budget-conscious drummer seeking incredible value, these sets offer top-notch quality without breaking the bank.
In this blog, we’ll be diving into the features and sounds of these affordable pro-level drum sets. Drumming doesn’t have to be expensive to be extraordinary, and today, we’ll prove just that.
What are the Best Drum Sets Under $2000s?
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Best acrylic kit
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Best vintage tones
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How I Tested and Selected the Best Drum Sets Under $2000
When testing a drum set, I always look at sound quality and build quality. The tones that I hear from the drums give me an idea of how musical everything sounds.
The build features and hardware pieces give me an idea of how solid the kit feels when you play it.
For each kit I test, I’ll play a range of different drum grooves and fills. I’ll also tune the toms high and low to see how versatile they are.
Finally, I’ll play along to songs to hear how the drums fit within a musical context. This process gives me an understanding of who the kit will be good for and how much value it offers.
Best Drum Kits Under $2000 Reviews
Tama Starclassic Performer
Tama Starclassic Performer Review
The Tama Starclassic Performer is one of my favorite drum kits to be released over the last few years. Tama’s most popular drum kit is the Starclassic, which is a really high-end professional kit that countless industry professionals use.
While that’s a great kit, it’s quite expensive. So, Tama introduced the Performer line to offer Starclassic quality at an affordable price.
The first time I heard one of these kits, I was blown away by how musical and punchy the toms were.
I personally think it sounds almost as good as a regular Starclassic kit.
The set I’m recommending here is the maple/birch version. These hybrid shells offer warmth and musicality from the maple and tightness and punch from the birch. It’s a fantastic combination to give you a powerful set of drums.
Each shell also has Tama’s famous die-cast hoops. These make the toms feel a bit heavier, but they control the overtones really nicely so that you can tune the drums easily.
Another thing I’ve always loved about Starclassic drum sets is all the available finish options. I don’t think any brand does it better than Tama, as Tama finishes are always really striking and beautiful.
The only downside about this drum kit that I noticed when using it was that the rack toms were a bit tricky to position comfortably. They seemed to come too forward over the bass drum, and that made fitting them with the snare and floor tom slightly uncomfortable.
However, I quickly figured out how to put them in place, so it’s only something you’ll experience at the beginning. Also, this only counts for the version that has rack toms mounted to the bass drum. If you get the version with rack toms that mount to stands, you’ll have no issues.
Key Features:
- Hybrid maple/birch shells
- Die-cast hoops
- Air Pocket rubber feet
Pros
- A more affordable version of Tama’s famous Starclassic line
- Unique tones from the hybrid maple/birch drum shells
- Very easy to tune and get pleasant tones thanks to th
- Best finish options compared to any other drum kit line in this price range
Cons
- The mounted rack toms can be tricky to position at times
DW Design Series
DW Design Series Review
The DW Design Series is another fantastic professional kit. The DW brand has a big reputation for providing pricey kits with high-end features, but this kit offers many of those at a more reasonable cost.
I’ve always been impressed by how warm and rounded the maple shells sound. I also love how wide the tuning range is.
If you like deep and bellowing toms, you can tune these low to achieve that sound. If you want high and resonant toms for jazz, the kit will do that just as well.
The big feature that helps the tuning process is the True-Pitch tension rod design. DW uses these rods on all of their drum sets, and they’re designed to maintain tuning incredibly well. I’ve definitely felt that DW kits are often easier and quicker to tune compared to other sets.
For example, I got my desired sound a lot quicker from this DW Design Series kit than I did with a DrumCraft Series 6 kit when I did a video shoot at Thomann. The DrumCraft kit was still fantastic – it just took longer to tune.
My only big gripe with the DW Design Series kit is that the shell pack doesn’t come with mounts for the rack toms. You need to purchase those separately, so the price of the entire kit will be about $100 more.
Other than that, I think this is an amazing kit with top-quality sounds and build quality. It’s a great option to use in a recording studio, thanks to its reliability and wide tuning range. If you want a reputable DW drum set but don’t want to spend thousands of dollars, this is your best option.
Key Features:
- Hard rock maple shells
- True-Pitch tuning rods
- Mini-turret lugs
Pros
- Very solid build quality from DW, especially when comparing it to other kits in the segment
- Works well as a studio drum kit due to the musical tones and wide tuning range
- True-Pitch tension rods make the set easy to tune
- The full suspension floor tom legs ensure plenty of resonance
Cons
- The shell pack doesn’t include holders for the rack toms, so you need to buy those separately
Pearl Crystal Beat
Pearl Crystal Beat Review
The Pearl Crystal Beat is an acrylic drum set, meaning the shells are transparent. While the main drawcard for acrylic kits is the aesthetic, they’re also really loud.
Every acrylic drum set I’ve played has always been much louder than kits with wooden shells, and that includes this Pearl Crystal Beat set.
It’s definitely the loudest kit on this list, so it’s an excellent option for drummers who need volume.
In terms of actual sound, the toms are quite punchy. You get plenty of attack when you strike them, causing them to pop through a mix very nicely. The bass drum is also incredibly powerful, especially when you tune it low.
To compensate for the aggressive attack, Pearl equips the toms with 2-ply drumheads to control the tones a bit. They’re not the best drumheads, but they do a good job of cutting out the overtones that you’d get from single-ply heads.
If you choose to upgrade the heads to options from Evans or Remo, I’d recommend sticking with two-ply heads.
Also, keep in mind that this is a big rock/heavy metal kit. It’s going to sound way too aggressive when playing styles like jazz or soft indie. While every other kit I’ve mentioned on this list could work well for anything, I wouldn’t recommend getting this one if you’re not a heavy hitter.
The last thing to mention is that you can also get the drums in Blue Sapphire or Liquid Smoke finishes. They’ll still be transparent. They’ll just have blue or brown tints, which look really cool!
If you were to compare this kit to one of Pearl’s more standard options, I’d say that it performs closest to the Session Studio Select drum set. It shares many of the same hardware features.
Key Features:
- Seamless acrylic shells
- 1.6mm triple-flanged hoops
- Optimount suspension system
Pros
- Undoubtedly one of the loudest drum sets under $200
- Works very well as a stage kit due to the volume
- Acrylic shells always look very cool, especially under lights on a stage
- Solid build quality from Pearl
Cons
- A bit less versatile than the other kits on this list due to the louder volume
Yamaha Tour Custom
Yamaha Tour Custom Review
I’ve always been a big fan of the Yamaha Tour Custom. I think it’s very underrated, considering most drummers go for the cheaper Stage Custom Birch or the pricier Live Custom and Recording Custom kits.
If you’ve ever played the Stage Custom, you should know that this kit feels very similar. However, the tones are far better and the hardware makes it feel much more reliable.
I’ve always recommended the Stage Custom as a good gigging kit, but the Tour Custom is the kit that I’d comfortably tour the world with.
It’s just so reliable in its performance, and the price is fantastic. It’s the most affordable out of all the kits I’ve mentioned on this list, but it offers sound and build features that are just as good.
I love how Yamaha keeps a level of consistency between all of their kits. It makes a kit like this feel much closer to another Yamaha kit that costs $3000. With other brands, the gap feels much larger.
The shells on this kit are made from maple, giving them warm and musical sounds. They resonate very well, while the kick drum offers a distinct thump.
The YESS mounting system is a great feature, as it allows you to position the toms in so many different ways. This offers maximum comfort for every drummer that plays this kit.
I also love how the toms don’t wobble when you strike them, which is something that happens a bit with all the other kits on this list, especially the ones from the DW Design Series and Pearl Crystal Beat that mount to cymbal stands.
Key Features:
- Maple shells
- 2.3mm Dyna Hoops
- YESS tom mounts
Pros
- One of the most affordable professional drum sets that experienced drummers are happy to use
- Yamaha’s YESS tom mounting system is one of the best designs on the market
- Simple but reliable overall design
- I’m a big fan of the finish options
Cons
- The kit doesn’t offer too many distinguishable features, which some drummers may prefer from the other options
Gretsch Renown
Gretsch Renown Review
I found the Gretsch Renown drum kit to be a breath of fresh air when I tried it out. While most kits in this price segment are quite similar, this one offers very distinct features that set it apart.
I love how the 30-degree bearing edges soften the attack and warm up the tones.
It makes the drums sound very musical when you strike them. They tend to sing more than other drums.
I also found this kit to feel a bit lighter, which is what makes me recommend it as a good gigging set. The smaller bass drum makes it easier to carry around, and the smaller footprint also gives you more space on a stage.
I’d primarily recommend using it as a jazz drum kit. The tones from the toms perfectly fit a jazz style where you play melodic phrases around the drums. I’ve seen a few people use the kit for rock shows, but most would rather use something like a Gretsch Broadkaster or USA Custom for that.
The 302 hoops are also what make the kit feel lighter than most others. With lighter counterhoops, the drums resonate more.
Overall, it’s a solid drum kit that I know many drummers would enjoy.
Key Features:
- Thin maple shells
- 30-degree bearing edges
- 302 hoops
Pros
- Excellent option for drummers who like a 20” bass drum
- Very resonant and musical tones from the toms
- Light to move around, making it an excellent gigging kit
- Highly sensitive shells, allowing for a wide range of dynamic applications
Cons
- Not the best option for heavy drummers who want something solid and loud
Drum Set Under $2000 Buying Guide
When looking in this price range, most drum kits have very similar quality and features. It’s hard to say which kit is better than the next, as it mostly comes down to what you’re personally going to prefer.
So, there are a few features that you can look for when deciding which drum set to buy. These include size, hardware parts, shell material, and finish options.
Features to Look Out for in a Drum Set Under $2000
Shell Material
The shell material refers to the type of wood the drums are made of. Various wood plies cause different drum sounds. For example, maple brings out warm sounds while birch boosts the attack a bit.
These tonal differences can often be hard to hear, but they’re worth understanding when the time comes to choose between two similar drum sets.
Here are the most common shell materials that you’ll find in drum sets that cost under $2000:
Maple – Warm tones across balanced frequencies.
Birch – Boosted higher frequencies, causing the drums to sound punchier.
Mahogany – Boosted lower frequencies, giving you deep and bellowing sounds.
Poplar – Flat frequencies, offering thinner sounds.
I also recommended an acrylic drum set in the above list. Acrylic material is a type of thermoplastic, so the drums aren’t actually wooden like most others. This material makes the drums very loud and punchy.
No shell material is better than another. I’ve just found that certain ones perform better in particular settings. Maple drum kits have always been ideal studio options, while birch drum sets work great when gigging in loud venues.
Hardware Features
The hardware features are where you’ll find the biggest design differences between drum sets in this price range. Each brand has a distinct set of hardware designs that they use, and you may prefer one design over another.
These hardware features affect how the drums perform and how they feel to play. For example, Tama drum sets all have thick die-cast hoops, while Gretsch drum sets have thinner triple-flanged hoops.
The die-cast hoops make the drums heavier and more controlled, but the thinner flanged hoops offer some great resonating tones from the drums.
I’d also recommend checking out how the rack toms are mounted on each drum set you consider.
Do you want rack toms that mount to the bass drum? Yamaha’s YESS mounts are my top pick.
Would you prefer toms mounted to cymbal stands? DW’s cymbal mounts are some of the most rigid I’ve tried.
Size
While most drum sets in this price range have the same shell sizes, your bass drum is the one shell that may differ.
You’re going to see drum kits with 20” and 22” bass drums. 22” kick drums are the standard option, and they offer the beefiest and most powerful sounds.
20” bass drums are slightly higher-pitched, but they still give you the classic bass drum thumping tones. They just feel a bit lighter to play and carry. They’re great for gigging drummers who want something a bit smaller to move around.
Some kits may also have an extra floor tom, which makes them very fun to play!
Finish Options
The last thing to check out is which finish options are available. The color of an acoustic kit has no effect on how it sounds or performs, but I’d still say that this is a very important aspect.
Each of these brands offer attractive and diverse finishes at this price point, and each drum brand has distinct options that are unique and eye-catching.
You’ll want to own a drum set that you love the appearance of. With drum sets in this segment being so similar, this may be a defining factor in you picking one set over another.
