Drum gear
Reviews and guides covering every corner of the drum world — honest verdicts, real-world advice, and links to the best shop for your region.
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Acoustic Drums
Acoustic drum kits are the heart of what makes drumming amazing! They sound incredible, look amazing and most importantly of all, so much fun to play.
Electric Drums
Electronic drum kits are now incredibly popular among drummers. Originally seen as a novelty, they have become a key part of almost every drummer's setup.
Cymbals
Cymbals are a fundamental part of the drum kit. Cymbals are often what gives a drummer their unique sound and style.
Hardware
Pedals, stands, racks and thrones — the hardware that holds your kit together, reviewed and compared, from budget stands to flagship pedals.
Drumsticks
Drumsticks are a key part of every drummer's setup — sizes, woods, tips and finishes explained, plus reviews of the sticks worth your money.
Drum Heads
Drum heads shape your sound before anything else — coated, clear, single and double-ply, compared and explained.
Recording Drums
How to record drums at home — the mics worth buying first, the audio interface with enough inputs, and the setups from one mic to eight that actually work.
Accessories
Drum thrones, practice pads, hearing protection, cases and the rest of the kit around the kit — the small purchases that change how long and how well you play.
Latest gear reads
Head to Head
Ludwig Supraphonic vs Black Beauty | Which Ludwig snare?
Ludwig Supraphonic vs Black Beauty: aluminium against brass, the two most recorded snares in history — shell, sound, sensitivity, price, and which to buy.
Head to Head
Pearl Export vs Tama Imperialstar | Which first kit?
Pearl Export vs Tama Imperialstar, the two kits every beginner cross-shops: shells, hardware, cymbals, pedal, sound and resale — with a verdict on every row.
All Our Buying Guides
Beginner drum kits | How to buy your first kit
Everything you need to buy your first drum kit with confidence — what's in the box, what the sizes mean, and the kits we'd actually spend money on.
All Our Buying Guides
Snare drum buying guide | Wood vs metal & more
How to choose a snare drum — sizes, shell materials, hoops and wires explained, plus the snares we'd buy at every budget from £150 upwards.
Pearl Drums
Pearl Session Studio Select | Ultimate drummers guide
The Pearl Session Studio Select is a drum kit that aims to give you a professional sound at a great price point. The sound is punchy with sturdy hardware
Tama Drums
Tama Imperialstar | Ultimate drummer's guide (2026)
Still one of the best starter kits you can buy. What you get with the Tama Imperialstar in 2026: shells, hardware, sizes, new finishes and prices.
Browse the Gear Index
Every piece of gear documented in the Rig Vault — kits, snares, cymbals, pedals and heads, ranked by who actually plays them. Open the Gear Index →
Can't decide?
Ask the Gear Guru — our AI gear expert builds the right rig for your sound and budget — or raid the Rig Vault to see exactly what the greats play.