Good morning, and thanks for joining me on Midnightdrummer.com today!
I am pretty sure that you found this blog post, because you are on the brink of buying a great drum set for your kid.
Correct?
Okay, this in depth article will show you the best junior drum sets available at the moment.
And here's my bold promise:
At the end of this blog post, you will know which particular drum set for juniors will be the best for your son or daughter and of course: WHY!
Ready?
Here are the contents:
The 5 [+] best junior Drum sets
If you want to read an in depth explanation, of what you should expect from a great junior drum kit, please scroll down.
But first, here's a selection of the best junior drum sets, I can recommend:
Pearl Roadshow 5-piece Junior drum set
Pearl is one of the top brands in terms of professional drum kits and great sounding drums in general.
The Pearl Roadshow drum set is available in different versions – and there's one version which – in particular – is ideal for children and teenagers, which I have linked here.
Yamaha Stage Custom 5-Piece drum set
Yamaha is one of my favorite brands, and I have been playing on drum sets made by Yamaha since the early 2000s.
The Stage Custom series is great sounding, and it's built-quality lasts forever.
Ludwig Accent 5-piece drum set for juniors
Ludwig is a company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States.
They built their first drums in 1909 and are popular around the world.
The Ludwig Accent 5-piece drum kit is a good instrument for beginners. This version comes with a 20" bass drum, which is a great size for junior drummers.
Based in Europe? Click here.
Mapex 5-piece drum set
This Mapex drum kit is another great alternative to the junior drum sets I have mentioned so far.
Mapex is another popular brand which constantly delivers great quality instruments with great sound and longevity.
Gretsch 5-piece drum set
Gretsch is another US based drum sets & guitar manufacturer. Many great drummers like Phil Collins and Vinnie Colaiuta play drums made by this great company.
Of course, there is a great drum set available for beginners and juniors too, and you can find it here.
Based in Europe? Click here.
What about cheap junior drum sets?
Of course, there are hundreds of junior drum sets (click here to see a few of them), which are a lot cheaper than the ones I have mentioned so far.
Here are a few toy drums:
Still, I wouldn't recommend these due to quality issues which (can) cause bad sound, they don't last as long as quality drums and there's almost no market to sell them 2nd hand.
BUT:
Of course, If you are on a very tight budget, a junior drum kit like this is much better than destroying your child's dream of becoming a pro-drummer!
🙂
And here's a 15 % discount code, which you can use for your purchase on that website: Midnightdrummer15
What is a “junior” drum set?
First, I need to explain what is meant by the word “junior drum set”.
Which is the best junior drum set and how to choose it?
Yes, there are toddler drum sets and, as you may know, these aren't real musical instruments.
The best drum sets for juniors shouldn't be toys anymore!
I would describe such junior drum sets this way:
As you can see, the word “junior” implies to parents, that there are drum sets which are only built for youngsters.
Which is not the case, if you buy a quality drum set!
Why you should aim for a junior drum set with a 20" bass drum
Of course, the easiest way to pick the best junior drum set for your child is to have a look at my table here, click a link and buy the drum kit you like the most.
But maybe you noticed that all drum sets I picked for you come with a 20" bass drum?
I did not pick the bass drum size accidentally!
The bass drum is the centerpiece of a drum kit, as you can see on the following image:
A 5-piece drum set with cymbals
Above the bass drum, the tom toms are mounted.
Therefore, the larger the diameter of the bass drum, the higher the tom toms have to be mounted.
Simple!
That's, why I recommend junior drum sets with a 20" bass drum:
Any drummer, starting at the age of 5 or 6 can play on such a kit without a problem and without spraining anybody's arms and feet.
A 22" bass drum doesn't allow that much flexibility and therefore isn't ideal for 5-year-old children.
How to pick the best junior drum set for your child
Apart from the ideal bass drum size, the best junior drum sets should also come with the following drum set parts:
The hardware package should consist of a snare drum stand, hi-hat stand, a bass drum pedal, 2x (boom) cymbal stands for crash & ride cymbals and a drummer throne.
What does 5-piece junior drum set mean?
If you read something like 5-piece junior drum set in the description of an instrument, the number always refers to the amount of drums which belong to the complete drum kit:
= 5 (drum-) pieces!
DON'T BUY CHEAP DRUM HARDWARE!
If you buy the right drum hardware, you will not have to buy it again in your whole lifetime!
Yes, good hardware is expensive on first sight.
But remember this:
You only have to purchase high-quality / sturdy hardware only once in your entire career!
My recommendations:
Pearl HWP-830 hardware pack
Every manufacturer offers several hardware packs and different qualities to meet a drummer's budget. The cheaper the hardware is, the more you have to make a compromise between stability / longevity and price.
The Pearl HWP-830 isn't meant for touring pro-drummers who move their drums almost every night.
Still, this hardware pack is a good choice for beginners and at least advanced drummers who are looking for reliable hardware which works
This hardware pack also includes the 930's series bass drum pedal!
Based in Europe? Click here.
Pearl HWP-930 hardware pack
Here's another hardware pack made by Pearl.
The HWP-930 consists of more sturdy hardware pieces, which doesn't cost that much more compared to the 830 series.
Based in Europe? Click here.
Gibraltar drum throne
A high-quality drum throne is a must!
The sad thing about drum thrones is, that most drummers don't want to spend too much money on a chair like this Gibraltar 9808.
This drum throne costs about $150,- and is worth every penny.
If you have the chance to try out a variety of drum thrones, you should do it. Otherwise, you won't be able to compare which one is ideal for yourself.
Based in Europe? Click here.
How much does high-end drum hardware cost?
Of course, there are also hardware packs from other manufacturers which do the same job and cost more or less the same amount of money.
Prices range from $300,- to more than $1.000,- depending on the number and quality of the components which are included.
If you are curious about high-end-quality drum hardware and what it costs, just click the following links:
Don't get me wrong!
Such expensive hardware isn't always the best fit for you and your drumming. But in most parts, prices like these are backed up by the build quality and therefore its outstanding longevity.
Great cymbal packs for beginners
Last not least, there are cymbal packs which complete a junior drum set.
Sabian AAX Studio cymbals
Many beginner drum kits are equipped with cymbals already, but buying a drum set without cymbals and therefore choosing them for yourself can be a wise decision!
If you are on the brink of buying a cymbal set which shouldn't cost a fortune but still sound great, have a look at this:
Istanbul Mehmet cymbal set
This is the Istanbul Mehmet 3-pieces cymbal set. It contains 2 hi-hat cymbals, a crash, and a ride cymbal.
For the price, this is a fantastic bargain! It sounds like a professional cymbal set for a higher price and I can really recommend it.
Based in Europe? Click here.
What age is a junior drum kit for?
As mentioned in the beginning of this blog post about the best junior drum kits, there are toddler drum sets, which are rather toys than instruments and so-called junior drum kits.
If you have read the whole article carefully, you now know that there isn't really such thing like a “junior” drum set as such. It's rather the size of the different drums belonging to a drum set, which makes it more playable for “juniors”.
If your child is at least 4-5 years old, there is no need for buying a toy drum kit like these.
And you can click here if you are looking for the best cheap drum sets for beginners of any age group.
Best junior drum kit for 10-year-old
In my experience, 10-year-old drummers are tall enough, to play any drum set size available – even those with a bass drum taller than 22" aren't a problem in most cases.
Which junior drum kit you buy for “your” ten-year-old kid really boils down to the budget you want to spend.
After all, any of these junior drum kits is a great choice for your child.
Where to buy junior drum kits in the UK
There are plenty of shops in the UK, where you can buy your own junior drums and other musical instruments.
Click the links for more information:
Any questions before buying the best quality junior drum set?
Here are my final thoughts on this vast topic, and I hope that this blog post was able to answer most of your questions.
Still, it's probably not possible to answer any questions you may have. So please leave a comment below and let me know if there's more I can help you with.
Anyway,
if you make a good decision, and you are able to spend a reasonable amount of money for your kid's 1st drum set, there won't be any concerns in terms of quality, sound, and playability.
In case your kid's drumming career ends earlier than expected, and you picked one of the popular brands, which I mentioned in this article, you will also be able to sell any of these drum sets second hand.
That's for now.
Enjoy playing drums and talk soon!
