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Professional-level drum sets are built with premium quality tonewoods and hardware compared to cheaper drums, and therefore produce exceedingly purer tones.
This makes them suitable for professional music applications including studio recordings and being used live on stage.
The best professional drum sets are also constructed with much greater attention to detail and have perfectly cut bearing edges as well as expertly applied finishes such as gorgeous lacquer coats.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at the best professional drum sets on the market. I’ve compared design, sound, build quality, finishes, and cost to give you my top recommendations.
What are the Best Professional Drum Sets?
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In-Depth Professional Drum Set Reviews
DW Design Series 5 Piece Drum Set
DW Design Series 5 Piece Drum Set Review
The winner of the best professional drum set is this stunning DW Design Series 5 Piece Drum Set. It delivers incredible tones and warmth, at the fraction of the price of the legendary DW Collectors Series drums.
The DW Design Series kit is a pro drum set in every way. The drums are built from North American Maple shells that sound fantastic. You’ll be seriously impressed by how these drums sound in terms of their attack, projection, and responsiveness.
These drums boast professional-level features including newly designed mini-turret lugs, True-Pitch tuning rods, concise bearing edges, a MAG snare drum throw off and much more. The drums are also equipped with Remo drum heads on the batter and resonant heads.
DW’s Design Series drums compliment all musical styles. They are easy to tune and they have a wide tuning range – sounding great tuned up high or low! The finish options available are all very attractive and the configurations are perfect for modern drummers.
This is easily one of the best professional drum sets on the market. It’s the complete package – delivering premium sounds and looks that deserve to be heard on the stage and in the studio.
Features:
- 5 Piece drum set shell pack
- North American Maple shells
- Legendary DW quality
Pros
- Stunning DW sounds and looks at an affordable price
- Professional quality features throughout
- Fantastic tuning range - perfect for all styles of music
Cons
- No negatives!
Gretsch Renown Maple 5-Piece Drum Set
Gretsch Renown Maple 5-Piece Drum Set Review
If you are looking for the classic, great Gretsch sound then the stunning new Gretsch Renown Maple Drum Set is the perfect drum kit for you. The legendary Renown Series is one of the best professional drum sets available for the money.
The new Renown Series features 7-ply North American Rock Maple shells with 30 degree bearing edges for a rich and warm low-end timbre. These drums are equipped with heavy-duty Gretsch 302 die-cast hoops and lugs across the drums, that offer an incredibly strong and premium feel.
The brand new Renown Series is offered in a range of contemporary size configurations and finish options, designed to meet the needs of the modern drummer. The newly redesigned round Gretsch badge looks great, too.
These drums sound amazing. The shell and hoop combination works perfectly, delivering explosive attack power and warmth. The bearing edges help to produce a rich and rounded sound that works great for any style of music.
The Gretsch Renown Series is the complete workhorse designed to deliver great sounds in the studio and on tour.
Features:
- 5 Piece drum set shell pack
- North American Maple shells
- Heavy-duty 302 die-cast hoops
Pros
- Beautiful warm and smooth tones throughout
- The classic Gretsch sound offered at an affordable price
- Die-cast hoops and lugs across all of the drums
Cons
- Drums have a bright and classy character, but a long sustain that some drummers may not like
PDP Concept Maple 5 Piece Drum Set
PDP Concept Maple 5 Piece Drum Set Review
The newly-designed PDP Concept Maple Drum Set offers high-performance at an unbeatable price. This drum set boasts DW-inspired sounds and looks, with a beautiful new Seafoam satin finish and all-maple drum shells throughout.
The new PDP Concept Maple is a striking modern drum set. The design is influenced by DW’s high-end drums; the shells, hardware, lugs, and finishes resemble top-of-the-range Collector’s Series.
This pro drum set is ideal for professional drummers and for aspiring drummers looking for a killer gig-worthy upgrade. It’s designed to meet the needs of today’s drummers with modern configurations and studio-worthy sounds.
New features include fine-threaded True-Pitch tuning rods for greater tuning accuracy, Dual Turret Lugs that look great and offer maximum shell resonance, STM tom mounts, and graduated counterhoops.
Last but not least these drums are ready to rock with Remo-made drum heads across all of the drums. You will not find a better all-maple drum set for this price!
Features:
- 5 Piece drum set shell pack
- Pure Maple shells
- Premium sounds and looks
Pros
- Great value professional drum set
- DW-inspired sounds and looks
- Dual Turret Lugs and True-Pitch tuning rods
Cons
- Chinese made Remo drumheads might require upgrading
Yamaha Stage Custom 5 Piece Drum Set
Yamaha Stage Custom 5 Piece Drum Set Review
The Yamaha Stage Custom Drum Set is one of the best professional drum sets to buy on a budget. For over 30 years the Stage Custom has delivered great sounds and rock-solid dependability.
Yamaha uses a 100% premium birch shell for the Stage Custom drum set, and these drums sound excellent. The drums sound punchy and they offer a bright attack. Honestly, the sounds of these drums far exceed their price point.
The build quality is also excellent. Yamaha uses the same high quality lugs and hardware (including tom mounts) for the Stage Custom as they use for their top-of-the-range drum sets. The overall craftsmanship and attention to detail are outstanding considering the affordability of these drums.
The Yamaha Stage Custom is one of the best professional drum sets for intermediate and advanced-level drummers. These quality drums stand up well to all styles of music and can be relied upon show after show.
Features:
- 5 Piece drum set shell pack
- Pure Birch shells
- Professional quality hardware
Pros
- Precisely constructed shells and bearing edges
- Performance exceeds this drum set's price point
- Exceptional quality hardware
Cons
- Snare drum has a long sustain
- Chinese made Remo drumheads might require upgrading
Pearl Decade Maple 5 Piece Drum Set
Pearl Decade Maple 5 Piece Drum Set Review
The Pearl Decade Maple drum set features all-maple drum shells that are thin yet incredibly strong. Pearl’s Superior Shell Technology carries a lifetime guarantee against defects.
Despite the affordable price tag, this is a professional-looking and sounding drum set. The drums are full of life and provides rich sounds that suit all styles of music. The thin maple drum shells are highly responsive and easy to tune – finding sweet spots between low and high tunings.
The Pearl Decade Maple drum set hardware is functional and robust. The Opti-Loc suspension system allows the drums to resonate freely whilst being mounted and the Uni-Lock gearless tom arms are easily adjustable. The newly designed mini tuning lugs also offer increased shell resonance and look fantastic too.
The impressive Pearl Decade Maple drum set has helped to set the new industry standard for mid-range and professional drum sets. It definitely pushes the boundaries in terms of performance, sound, and value.
Features:
- 5 Piece drum set shell pack
- Pure Maple shells
- Opti-Loc suspension system
Pros
- Highly responsive and easy to tune drums
- Lifetime warranty against defects
- Bass drum pillow included for muffling
Cons
- Some cosmetic blemishes within the maple shells
- Not fantastic value for money Chinese made
- Remo drumheads might require upgrading
Professional Drum Set Buyer’s Guide
So you’re an experienced drummer ready to upgrade from your worn-out, or well-gigged, drum set to something more desirable? Great news! There is a good selection of professional quality drum sets on the market, and there’s something to suit all budgets.
Below you’ll find some helpful information that will help you when looking to purchase a professional drum set either for yourself or somebody else.
How Much Does a Professional Drum Set Cost?
Professional drum sets can range in price greatly. Most of the best drum brands offer mass-produced 5-piece drum set models in the upper-intermediate to the lower-professional range that will suit most budgets. You can expect to pay between $1,000-$2,000 for a 5-piece professional level drum set shell pack.
However, if you are looking for a bespoke custom drum set that is handmade by very skilled craftsmen, you can shell out in excess of $10,000! This will certainly be the case if you are ordering a larger drum set.
What Type of Wood Do Professional Drum Sets Use
Professional drum sets will either be constructed from sheets of wood plies or solid wood blocks (known as solid-stave drums) and both utilize premium hardwood options such as Maple, Birch, or Beech.
There are many different types of woods for drum shells and professional level drum sets are known to utilize exotic and rarer woods such as Bubinga, Cherry wood, Mahogany, and more.
Professional drum sets can also use a blend of different types of woods. Tama’s Starclassic Series features a blend of Birch and Bubinga. While Mapex utilizes a blend of Maple and Walnut wood for its Saturn series.
Are Expensive Drums Worth It?
You might be wondering if buying a professional-level drum set is worth the cost.
To some degree, you will receive diminishing returns with the more you spend on a drum set. By this I mean, if you spend $5,000 on a drum set, it’s not going to sound TWICE as good as a $2,500 drum set.
However, as you enter the professional-level drum set price point, you can expect to receive a considerably better quality drum set than a beginner or intermediate-level drum set, and the difference in sound is crystal clear!
A professional-level drum set will first and foremost be constructed with better quality materials, and with better care and attention to detail throughout. The wood shells will feature precisely cut bearing edges and they will also be perfectly round.
Secondly, the hardware that is adorned on the drums will be more durable and robust. With high-quality components throughout there will be no cheap screws or threading, and this will help with tuning.
Thirdly, the quality of the wood finishes on professional drum sets, in general, are exquisitely applied and look like a million dollars. Beginner-level drum sets tend to feature budget-looking wraps that are glued onto the drums and warp over time. Expensive drums boast gorgeous lacquer coats and matte-stained finishes.
Overall, expensive quality drums feel significantly more solid and high-quality compared to cheaper drums, and they produce exceedingly purer tones.
This makes them much better for professional music applications including studio recordings and being used live on stage.
