Best drum kits over $1,000: A great sound for those willing to pay

After you’ve been playing drums for a while it’s nice to treat yourself to a drum kit upgrade. It seems like the $1,000 mark is what separates the lesser-quality kits from the ones that are seriously next-level. Luckily, if your new kit budget is over $1,000 you have a seemingly endless amount of options.

A lot of these kits only come with the shells, so you should keep in mind what you’ll do about the snare, cymbals, and hardware. But investing in high-quality shells is a huge step forward in the quality of your setup. And if you have enough budget getting a good cymbal and hardware setup shouldn’t be too much of a stretch.

These are some of our favorite drum kits over $1,000.

Best drum kit over $1,000:  DW 4-Piece Performance Series

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u003cstrongu003eDW 4-Piece Performance Seriesu003c/strongu003e

DW’s Performance 4-piece kit is a shining example of the highest quality of drum production. With a well-rounded tone and great tuning stability, this kit is meant to last a lifetime.

Pros

Shell sizes provide good punch and projection

HVX shells have great tuning stability

Tone woods have a good range of frequencies

Cons

Expensive

Doesn’t include snare, cymbals, or hardware

Buy From

Musician’s Friend

Guitar Center

Sam Ash

Amazon

There comes a point in your drumming career where your budget will match up with your talent. This is the perfect time to invest in a rock solid kit. Unlike guitars, you can go anywhere with a high-quality kit. That’s not to say that they all sound the same. Different tone woods used in the shells and overall construction, the type of snare, and cymbal alloys all factor into the sound of each kit. It’s tough to narrow down a best overall, especially with how varied drummers tastes are. But we went with this Performance Series model from DW for a few reasons.

This 4-piece kit comes with a 22×18 in. kick drum and 12×9 in. and 10×8 in. rack toms and a 16×14 in. floor tom. The shells are a great combination of punch and portability. The maple tone wood cuts right through the mix while giving the sound a warm bottom end. The HVX shells are easy to tune, and each piece is easy to set up thanks to the 45 degree bearing edges. And the True Pitch tuning rods give you superior tuning stability.

A snare, hardware, and cymbals is not included – which is really the only downside. The kit comes in 11 different colors, so no matter how you’re trying to match the look you have plenty of options. In the conversation about the best drum kits over $1,000 Drum Workshop knocked it out of the park.

Best custom drum kit over $1,000: Pearl Music City Custom Masters Maple Reserve

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u003cstrongu003ePearl Music City Custom Masters Maple Reserveu003c/strongu003e

The Music City Custom is one of the most well-made kits available. The 5-ply construction and AcoustiGlue crafting technique give you great sound and intonation.

Pros

Hand-made in the USA

AcoustiGlue gives great resonance

Superior Shell design creates the perfect air chamber in the shells

Great look

Cons

Expensive

Can take a few weeks from ordering to ship because they’re made-to-order

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Musician’s Friend

Guitar Center

Simply put, this kit is phenomenal. It’s not so custom that you have to special order it, but it comes with all the classy quality that a custom drum kit is known for.

The four kit pieces include a 22×18 in. kick drum, 12×8 and 10×7 in. rack toms, and a 16×16 in. floor tom. Pearl’s Superior Shell design approach creates the perfect air chamber in the drums. The plies use Pearl’s “AcoustiGlue” proprietary manufacturing that gives the shells the ideal resonance. The 4-ply maple kit pieces are drilled with a CNC machine and hand-made in Nashville.

It doesn’t skip on looks either, with a Black Oyster Glitter finish that will catch anyone’s eye. There’s generally about a two week turnaround from ordering to when they ship, but the wait is well worth it. Pearl’s highest level of quality is on full display with the Music City Custom Masters kit. It also comes in a few different variations. So no matter what type of music you play this kit can find a home in your setup.

Best rock drum kit over $1,000: Ludwig Classic Oak 3-Piece Fab Shell Pack

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u003cstrongu003eLudwig Classic Oak 3-Piece Fab Shell Packu003c/strongu003e

This ideal rock kit packs decades of Ludwig’s standards into a 3-piece kit. Larger shell sizes increase output volume.

Pros

Larger shells mean increased projection

Maple and oak tone woods are a great combination

Cons

Only a 3-piece kit

Doesn’t come with a snare

Buy From

Musician’s Friend

Guitar Center

Reverb

Sam Ash

Amazon

Ludwig made a name for themselves early on in the drum game, especially when it comes to rock music. Their kits are big, bold, and provide the perfect fullness rock calls for. And even at just 3-pieces, this kit is a no-frills rock music machine.

It’s got a massive 22×14 in. kick drum, 13×9 in. rack tom, and 16×16 in. floor tom. The shells are a mix of maple and oak, giving them a balance of frequencies. They’re made of 3-play North American Maple with inner and outer plies of American Red Oak. Tuning won’t be an issue, with 45 degree bearing edges and triple-flange hoops.

With only three pieces, it’s definitely a smaller kit. You’ll have to figure out what type of snare and cymbals to pair with it. But the overall construction and sound quality lives up to the Ludwig name.

Best drum kit over $1,000 for touring: Yamaha Tour Custom

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u003cstrongu003eYamaha Tour Customu003c/strongu003e

A great touring kit that sounds great and is easy to set up and tear down. 6-ply maple shells give you all the Yamaha tone you could ask for.

Pros

Built for the road

Durable with great projection

Clear satin finish looks great

Affordable for the level of quality

Cons

Doesn’t come with cymbals or hardware

Buy From

Musician’s Friend

Guitar Center

Reverb

Sam Ash

Amazon

When you’re on the road, you want a drumkit that can stand up to the abuse of constant load ins and outs. But you also want one that’s easy to set up, and sounds as good as it looks. The Yamaha Tour Custom is just the ticket. With it you get a 20×15 in. kick drum, two rack toms, and a floor tom.

The 6-ply maple shells provide great projection and resonance. And the clear satin finish is a beauty to look at. 2.3mm steel inverse dynahoops give you a sound that cuts and stays in tune well. They come stock with Remo USA heads, so pound away!

Considering how high-quality this kit is, there are some drawbacks. It doesn’t come with a snare, and you’ll have to figure out your cymbal situation. But this means you can get really particular about what type of hi hats and ride cymbals you use. You’ll also have to put together your own hardware setup. But all things considered, the Tour Custom is a great kit that sounds as good as it looks. And at just $1,360 you should have plenty of budget to fill in the gear gaps.

Best electronic drum kit over $1,000: Roland TD-17KVX

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u003cstrongu003eRoland TD-17KVXu003c/strongu003e

Roland does it again with an electronic drum kit that is built to provide the articulation of an acoustic kit. The sound module offers hundreds of different kit sounds and combinations.

Pros

Sound module offers hundreds of drum sounds and kits

Multiple learning/teaching features

Can record performances on board

Drums and cymbals offer multiple zones for better articulation

Cons

Diverse range of sounds will take some experimentation to find the best that work for you

Buy From

Musician’s Friend

Guitar Center

Reverb

Sam ASh

Amazon

When it comes to the best drum kits over $1,000 Electronic drums are a totally different animal. There are some fantastic kits out there that will easily run you a few thousand dollars. But Roland’s TD-17KVX kit is the best of all worlds – especially when it comes to price point. And it doesn’t disappoint.

The heads are all mesh, adding a level of realism electronic drum kits have tried so long to achieve. They’re sturdy too, and gone are the days of unfolding a rickety frame. These can definitely take a pounding. The cymbal pads are larger and feature a dual-trigger build, so you’ll be able to add articulation just like you would with acoustic cymbals. The hi-hat is a floating design that mounts on normal hardware, so whether you’re playing open, closed, or anything in between that realism is present.

And the sound module packs in decades of Roland technology with 300 drums and 100 kits. It even offers on-board recording so you can examine your playing time and save it to an SDHC card. It also comes with a number of learning and practice features. Rounding things out are effects and EQ. Simply put, you can create any drum sound you want.

Best acoustic electronic drum kit over $1,000: Roland VAD507

Best acoustic electronic drum kit over $1,000:

Roland VAD507

The VAD507 is a hybrid acoustic electronic drum kit that offers some of the best acoustic drum sounds in a highly customizable electronic kit.

Pros

Acoustic drums aesthetic, electronic drums functionality

Different room sounds via PureAcoustic Ambience Technology

WAV sample import feature

USB interface for easy recording

Wood shells

Cons

Expensive

Acoustic/electronic drums hybrid won’t work for every drummer

Buy From

musician’s friend

guitar center

reverb

sam ash

amazon

The days of cheesy, cheap sounding electronic drum kits are long gone. The technology is better than ever, and Roland is one of the premier manufacturers of electronic drum sounds in the music industry.

With a 5-piece kit of wood shells, this acoustic/electronic drum kit runs on Roland’s PureAcoustic Ambience Technology and provides the sound of high quality acoustic drums and different room spaces. Next generation mesh drum heads and multi-sensor cymbals means that your playing articulation translates as accurately as a full acoustic kit.

Provided are a number of great drum samples, and via an SD card you can import your own samples in .WAV format. And to make recording easy there is a 28-channel USB interface. If you need to expand the kit even further there are three auxiliary inputs that make integrating additional kit pieces easy.

The biggest downside to the VAD507 is the cost. If you’re looking for a drum kit under $1,000, these are some of the best. But if you consider the amazingly realistic sound and feel as well as the convenience that electronic drum kits provide this flagship model from Roland is a great investment.

Conclusion

It might seem like a lot, but if you have over $1,000 to spend you can make a significant upgrade to your drum setup. And when it comes to the best drum kits over $1,000 you have no shortage of options – so you can get the perfect selection for your sound.

FAQ

What company makes the best drum kits?

You definitely have no shortage of options here. DW, Pearl, Tama, Mapex, and Orange County Custom Drums are all fantastic. But these are by no means your only options.

How much is a good quality drum kit?

Good quality kits usually start around the $600 range, but obviously the more expensive it is the higher quality it is.

What drum kits do professionals use?

This goes back to the first question. Pearl and DW seem to be really popular with the pros. But there are a lot of custom companies that make great kits.