Collapsable Drum Kit?

[xoxoxoBruce]

The headphones/electronic drums set up would mean not having to traipse off to a performance space to keep her chops sharp.
They would be handy to have in her room for a let-off-steam/de-stress on an immediate basis, too.

[Flint]

Pearl makes something called the Rhythm Traveler, $499.99 --a mini-kit which includes mesh heads as a silent practice option (it comes with regular heads too--can't vouch for how much punch you can get, but I have some tuning and muffling tips which might prevent them from sounding weak).

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/drums...FQvznAod-G0AyA

Or, for $169.99, the DW Go Anywhere Practice Set. I am actually considering one of these, as I have taken a Monday-Thursday "road warrior" contract gig will be staying in an apartment half of the week. Essentially silent (people living directly beneath you might hear you stomping the bass pedal); and you will note, smaller footprint than even a "mini" kit.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/drums...e-practice-set

For electronic drums, the first kit I would recommend (when sorting by price, low to high) would be the Roland V-Drums TD-4-KP-S Portable Electronic Drum Set, $799. Small-ish footprint; designed to fold up; the best option for silent practice (which will actually sound incredible through headphones); and the most expensive of the three options--of course.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/drums...ronic-drum-set

[Griff]

Of course. Roland was on our short list. What do you lose below the TD-4-KP-S? I think we'd go $800 if it makes sense. Thanks guys!

[Flint]

Below $800: Simmons famously made the octagonal electronic drums in the 1980s--they are not "Simmons" anymore, someone recently bought the name and started putting out cheap-quality kits; ddrum is a maker of acoustic drum triggers--electronic pads and sound modules are not something they do well; the Yamaha kits might be okay, but not as "portable" as the $799 Roland. And frankly I am biased towards Roland products, and think that their V-Drums (and V-anything) series are the best of their kind. This is not a flagship kit, but I would trust Roland based on their name, and my experience with their products. The thing folds up and transports in a carrying case with a shoulder strap.

The only other electronic drums option I would conisder would be a Roland Octapad ($699) but you are not paracticing whole-body coordination unless you add some foot pedals. The Octapad would be more for adding off to the side of an existing acoustic kit.

[Griff]

Thanks flint! Good info, we'll have her go play them.

[Flint]

Now if you're just looking for a portable, acoustic kit, there are several options. They have the Hip Gig, the Jungle Kit, the Go Kit (Yamaha, Sonor, and Taye, respectively, I believe)--I have never played an off-the-shelf mini-kit, but I have built one:

Early-80's Tama 18" floor tom with Remo Emperor heads and a Rem-O muffler, on top of a Pearl floor-tom-to-bass-drum conversion kit (which requires a Pearl tom mount also); and with the right tuning this little bad boy is my favorite bass drum. An early-80's Tama "power" depth 12" tom makes a fine floor tom sound (on a suspension mount). The snare and cymbals don't need to be mini--although you could go with 13" hats and an 18" crash/ride and cover your basics. This would be bass, snare, and hats; with one tom and one cymbal--the basics. For portablility, you could get (at a garage sale, etc.) an airline travel case for a set of golf clubs. You can put all of your hardware inside.

I've played gigs with the 18" bass, 12" tom in the rack position and a matching 16" floor tom; 13" hats, an 18" crash, and an 18" ride. It's a pretty cool sounding kit for playing groove-oriented music, but it's not "mini" sounding--as long as you get the right heads, tuning, and muffling on the bass drum.