I`ve never played drums before and I am in the process of buying a starter set. I am 38 and don`t see myself going pro so I think a starter set will be all I will need. The 5 Brands I am looking at are Mapex. HB, Verve, Pacific, and Gretsch. I am looking at each brands Complete 5 piece sets. (including cymbals and throne). A friend of mine who plays has a set of Pacific and recommends either them of the Mapex. I read on this site that HB Drums are Yamaha overstock and he recommended them if that is true. I`m interested in any input.
Thanks

Have you looked at the Ludwig Accent CS line? They have an entry level line that offers several levels of quality at different price points. I purchased the LC225 set on-line for $400 plus shipping with Sabian B8 cymbals from Extra! Music on Ebay. It came with great hardware (set includes basic throne) and the drums are very nice for the money. You get entry level Remo heads and Ludwig offers add-on toms that match the set. The people at Extra! are good to work with and offer very good phone support but they don`t answer emails. It`s actually better that way. Music123 is an excellent online retailer as well. As for drums, DW Pacific (pdp) is also very nice. There is a very nice DW Pacific MX faded tobacco NEW on Ebay right now for under $700.00 and includes free shipping. That`s a deal if you want a great set for a great price.

When I was shopping I saw a nice entry level Gretchs Nighthawk that was cool looking and sounded pretty decent to.
Ethan