Probably the single most important piece of advice I can offer with regards buying equipment is to find a good store or dealer; someone who will offer you sensible advice before buying, offers a good choice of gear, good prices and a good after sales service so that you'll go back to them when you want to upgrade or add something to your kit. There are some very good dealers around and it's well worth the time and effort to find one in your area.

Secondly, get some idea of what you want and how much you are able to spend. Magazines such as Rhythm and Modern Drummer are great for reading reviews of equipment, getting some idea how much gear costs and what deals are going. Ultimately though it's down to getting out there and using your own eyes and ears to evaluate things.

Go for quality over quantity. No matter what style of music you are into, 90% of the time you will be playing kick, snare and hi-hat or ride cymbal. Having numerous toms, cymbals and other bits and pieces around your kit won't compensate for the fact that your basic 'tools' sound rubbish. Get the basics sorted and sounding good first, THEN think about adding extras.

A quick word on second-hand gear. There are some good bargains to be had via the likes of Ebay, classified ads, etc. BUT be careful! You really need to know what you are talking about or you could get ripped off. Always see and inspect the gear carefully first; look for obvious signs of damage, cracks in cymbals, uneven bearing edges on drums, etc. CAVEAT EMPTOR! (Buyer Beware).

Some drums and cymbals have actually increased in price with age; one can pay as much (or more) for a 'classic' Ludwig Black Beauty snare, a round badge Gretsch kit or an original K Zildjian cymbal as for brand new top-of-the-range gear!

Most drums and drum kits fall into one of three main categories; budget/starter, mid-price/semi-pro and top-of-the-range/pro.

There are a host of budget/starter kits on the market, with more appearing (and disappearing) almost every day. My personal advice would be to go for a kit marketed by a 'name' drum manufacturer. In doing so you might pay a little more, but you will be guaranteed of a certain level of quality plus (and equally importantly) you stand a far better chance of getting a good price if you ever want to sell the kit to move onto something better. Bear in mind that (almost without exception) whatever 'name' you buy, the actual drums will have been built in somewhere like Taiwan or Japan to the manufacturers specification.

TIP - Save some of your budget for a set of good quality drumheads. Most budget kits come with poor quality heads and their sound can be drastically improved by fitting quality 2-ply or damped heads such as Remo Pinstripes (see Drum Heads section for more details).

Examples:

• DW / Pacific EX
• Gretsch Blackhawk
• Ludwig Rocker
• Pearl Export (which set the standard for budget kits for many years)
• Premier Cabria
• Tama Rockstar
• Yamaha YD

Hmm, a difficult one this. Not so long ago, I would have said to save up a bit longer and jump straight to a Pro level kit. But these days there are some VERY good mid-price kits that are more on Pro side of Semi-Pro. I'd personally opt for one of the companies offering 100% Maple or 100% Birch shells, but it's all down to personal taste.

Examples:

• DW / Pacific LX & CX
• Gretsch Renown Maple
• Pearl Session Series
• Premier Artist
• Sonor Force Ranges
• Tama Artstar
• Yamaha Stage Custom

Once you get into this category of kit, the sky is the limit on price. Most kits at this level are either 100% Maple or Birch shells. Maple drums have a reputation for resonance and projection ideal for live work. Birch shells offer a more 'focused' sound favoured by many studio players. As I said, it's all down to personal taste; try them and let your own ears be the judge of what is best for you. As well as Maple and Birch, many manufacturers are now offering alternatives to the 'old favourites' by using woods such as Beech, Mahogany and Oak. Most manufacturers also offer a dazzling range of finishes for both their drums and hardware... at a price!

Examples:

• DW Collectors Series
• Gretsch USA Maple / Broadcaster
• Ludwig Classic Series
• Pearl Masters Series
• Premier 'Premier' Range
• Sonor Designer Series
• Tama Starclassic
• Yamaha Absolute Series

NOTE - The manufacturers listed above are just examples. There are many other companies around the world producing some excellent instruments; Mapex, Orange County, Pork Pie, Taye plus a host of small custom drum makers. Try as many as you can and let your ears decide!

If you thought the range of drums available was confusing, then the world of cymbals will make your head spin! Having said that, much of the advice offered above is also applicable to cymbals.

Cymbals classed as either 'sheet' (i.e. several cymbals are cut or stamped from one large sheet of metal) or 'cast' (i.e. each individual cymbal is made in a separate cast or mould).

The metal used to make most cymbals is a bronze alloy (i.e. a mixture) comprising copper, tin and silver. The levels of each component of the alloy affect the overall sound properties of the finished cymbal.

For a long time the cymbal market was dominated by 'the big three' or Zildjian (USA), Sabian (Canada) and Paiste (Switzerland). In recent years however several other names have become known for producing high quality cymbals. These include Meinl of Germany and several companies based in the 'home' of the modern cymbal, Turkey, such as Bospherus, Istanbul Agop and Instanbul Mehmet (different companies).

As with drums, should you ever want to part-exchange or sell a cymbal, one made by Zildjian, Paiste or Sabian will always be easier to sell and fetch a better price.

TIP - Remember when shopping for a quality cymbal that you are buying a hand finished precision instrument and as such, no two are identical. A dozen Ziljian 20" K Custom Ride cymbals will all sound slightly diffrent. Try as many as posssible and letting your ears decide which one is right for you. The right cymbal if played correctly and cared for will last you a very long time.

Budget / Semi Pro Range Examples:

• Paiste: 302, 402, 502, 802, Alpha Ranges
• Sabian: B8, B8 Pro, Pro Sonix Ranges
• Zildjian: ZBT Range

Pro Range Examples:

• Paiste: 2002, Signature
• Sabian: AA, AAX, HH, HHX
• Zildjian: Avedis, K, K Custom, A Custom, Z Custom

Virtually all of the main drum companies offer a wide range of hardware in addition to their other products. In addition, there are other companies, such as Gibraltar, that specialise in hardware. Once again, personal taste plays a big part in choosing your hardware. Here are a few things to bear in mind:

Spend as much as you can afford on the most important pieces of hardware. For my money, that means (in order); Bass Drum Pedal, HitHat Stand and Throne/Stool. Good pedals can make a big difference to your playing and sitting comfortably and correctly helps both your playing AND your health.

Don't go for heavyweight, double-braced stands just for the sake of it. Remember YOU are going to have to carry your gear around and typically your hardware/traps case will be the single heaviest item you will have to pick up. I play pretty heavy rock and blues and good quality single braced stands are fine for my cymbals. I use a double braced stand for hanging my floor tom from, for added stability. Use what is appropriate... and look after your back.