The 5 Best PDP Drum Sets (2024)
Pacific Drums And Percussion, commonly known as PDP, is a well-known brand among musicians for its high-quality, affordable drum sets. The brand is closely associated with the famous DW Music and delivers feature-packed great products for all kinds of drummers.
Here are five of the specially selected drums from the PDP collection for different budgets and needs.
My favorite PDP drum set is PDP Concept Maple Shell Pack – 7-Piece, it’s one of the most famous drum sets from the PDP range and it features a great value to price ratio.
My budget pick is the PDP Center Stage PDCE2215KTIB 5-piece drum set, as it is a great entry-level drum kit with everything you need including cymbals.
If you put a set of quality drum heads on any of these drums sets and tune them well, then you’re going to get very decent-sounding drums.
Contents
- The 5 Best PDP Drum Sets (2024)
- 1. PDP Concept Maple Shell Pack - 7-Piece
- 2. PDP Center Stage PDCE2215KTIB 5-piece Complete Drum Set with Cymbals
- 3. PDP Player 5-piece Complete Junior Drum Set
- 4. PDP New Yorker 4-piece Shell Pack
- 5. PDP Concept Maple Exotic Shell Pack - 5-piece
- Are PDP drums any good?
- Are PDP Concept Maple drums good?
- Is PDP the same as DW?
- Where are PDP concept drums made?
- What do PDP drums stand for?
- Verdict
The 5 Best PDP Drum Sets (2024)
Let’s look at them in more detail.
1. PDP Concept Maple Shell Pack - 7-Piece
The most famous model line of PDP is the Concept Maple series. The 7-piece shell pack model set features including 8”, 10”, and 12” rack toms, a 14” snare drum, 14” and 16” floor toms, and a 22” bass drum.
For the price, it is really great to have so many pieces. Plus, the maple wood shells elevate the elegant look of the set while the set offers various finish color options for different tastes.
Pros
- Great value for the price
- Versatile with different configuration options
- Strong and stable multiple-ply shells
- Many elegant-looking finish options
Cons
- The stock heads are not the best
In terms of sound, Concept Maple 7-Piece provides a warm tone with a quick attack. The toms are great, with a balanced tone and beautiful resonance. The bass drum also sounds fantastic, and it comes with a pillow to control the sound. The snare is not for everyone’s taste; however, I like its sound when tuned high.
| Number Of Pieces | 7 |
| Wood Type | Maple |
| Type | Shell-pack |
It is pretty versatile, offering different configuration options. Also, the set features DW’s Mag throw-off system allowing you to turn on or off the snare wires quickly. Overall, Concept Maple 7-piece is a great drum ideal for gospel and metal-style playing for entry to mid-level players.
2. PDP Center Stage PDCE2215KTIB 5-piece Complete Drum Set with Cymbals
PDP offers Center Stage series for entry-level drummers looking for a reliable and high-quality yet affordable complete drum set. It comes with a 14” snare drum, 10” and 12” rack toms, a 16” floor tom, and a 22” bass drum along with a hi-hat and a cymbal and their stands. It has everything to get you started.
Pros
- Affordable entry-level set
- Full-pack with stands, cymbals, and sticks
- Many elegant-looking finish options
Cons
- The stock heads and cymbals are not the best
The shells are made of poplar wood, providing a balanced and resonant sound with a fast decay. In my opinion, the stock heads have pesky overtones, which are not great, along with the cymbals, which do not perform well. You might consider changing those later.
The kit is not easy to tune, which is a letdown but the snare offers a wide tuning range and sounds surprisingly good. Overall, the drum sounds pretty balanced and offers high playability, especially for its price.
| Number Of Pieces | 5 |
| Wood Type | Poplar Wood |
| Type | Full set |
In short, PDP Center Stage 5-Piece is an ideal choice for a beginner drummer. It may not satisfy intermediate or advanced players, but as an entry-level full drum set, it offers hard-to-beat sound, hardware, and visual options, for the price.
3. PDP Player 5-piece Complete Junior Drum Set
PDP Player 5-piece Complete Junior Drum Set is the kids-size full drum set ideal for children from 3 to 7 years old. It includes a snare drum, three toms, a bass drum, a crash cymbal, hi-hats, a small stool, and the hardware you would need to get started.
Pros
- Reliable and sturdy drum set
- Ideal size for kids from 3 to 7 years old
- Has everything to start playing
Cons
- Cymbals are not great
The drum shells are made of well-selected hardwood and offer great tones. The main aim of this kit is to create a comfortable playing experience for kids to make them love drumming. The included kid-size drum throne is an example as it is high-quality and comfortable.
The cymbals of the set do not sound great; however, you would not expect them to be high-quality. Besides, this is not the most affordable junior drum set on the market.
| Number Of Pieces | 5 |
| Wood Type | Select Hardwood |
| Type | Full set |
There is not much to say about the PDP Player Junior Drum set. It is a great choice for kids with its great tones, comfortable playability, and reliable construction. If you want the best for your potential drummer child, you can go with this one without hesitation.
4. PDP New Yorker 4-piece Shell Pack
The PDP New Yorker 4-piece shell pack is the most portable model of the Pacific Drums and Percussion collection. It consists of a 10” rack tom, 13” floor tom, an 18” bass drum along with a 13” snare drum. It also includes a tom mount, bass drum riser, and True-Pitch tension rods on all the drums.
Pros
- Great tom tones
- Good value for the price
- Highly portable
Cons
- Relatively narrow tonal range
The material of the shells is Poplar, and the sounds they provide are quite good for a mini drum. The problem with the small-sized kits is most apparent on the bass drum as they often sound weak. But that is not the case with the New Yorker, as the bass drum sounds pretty satisfying.
The toms are the most standard part of the kit, offering great tones. The snare is not the best, but it gets the job done. It has a throw-off system that lets you play between on and off positions which is always a good plus.
| Number Of Pieces | 4 |
| Wood Type | Poplar |
| Type | Shell pack |
Overall the PDP New Yorker 4-piece drum set does not offer versatile tones or high-level sound quality due to its size. It may not be the best drum set you would take to gigs or studios for recordings, but it is a great portable drum set for on-the-go musicians and buskers.
Another member of the Concept Maple of the PDP Drums is the Exotic 5-piece Shell Pack. It is pretty similar to the first product on the list, PDP Concept Maple Shell Pack 7-Piece, in terms of features, but the Exotic model combines maple with mahogany in its shells for a better look and sound. The set features 14” snare, 10” and 12” rack toms, a 16” floor tom, and a 22” bass drum.
Pros
- Studio-level high-quality sound
- Strong and stable multiple-ply shells
- Beautiful look
Cons
- Stands, throne, and pedals do not come in the box and sold separately
The mixture of woods provides a powerful sound elevating the sound quality even higher. The toms and the bass drum sound warm with thick low-ends and a powerful sound that responds well the harder you hit them. On the other hand, aesthetically, the drums look great with a dark woody appearance.
| Number Of Pieces | 5 |
| Wood Type | Maple and Mahogany |
| Type | Shell pack |
There is not much to say against the PDP Concept Maple Exotic Shell Pack. The package does not include stands, throne, and pedals which adds to the price if you want to acquire this model. However, if you have the budget, this is one of the best models PDP offers.
Are PDP drums any good?
Pacific Drums And Percussion is a very decent drum brand when it comes to beginner to intermediate level drum sets. As you expect from a company that is related DW drums, the drums are well made and are their production standards are very good.
For entry-level drummers or musicians who need an affordable yet reliable drum set can prefer the PDP drums. But if you are looking for a pro-level drum with the highest sound quality for recordings or big gigs, you should consider some other pro-level options. However, a good PDP drum set will still sound great as long as you have good quality drum heads on them that are well-tuned.
Are PDP Concept Maple drums good?
Concept Maple drum kit series is one of the main series that PDP offers. It is a great intermediate-level drum kit series with great looks and sound. For a mid-level priced drum set, the sound, the looks, and the build quality are quite impressive.
It must be noted that the Concept Maple series are shell packs only. So, you will have to buy hardware and cymbals separately to complete the set.
Another great feature of the Concept Maple series is that the series offers many different finish options for different tastes. All of the options are eye-catching, beautiful-looking drums.
Overall, Concept Maple is one of the best drums in its price range, thanks to its high-quality design, several finish options, and durability. It is also an easy drum kit to find as PDP is a highly popular brand sold almost in every music store.
Is PDP the same as DW?
Pacific Drums And Percussion or, shortly, PDP is closely associated with the Drum Workshop, commonly known as DW. PDP was established by the Drum Workshop in 1999 in order to provide more affordable percussion instruments for tighter budgets.
PDP’s quality control and reliability are very similar to DW; however, PDP sacrifices some of the DW features to cut down the prices. For example, there are cases where DW uses American maple in its products while PDP uses Asian maple, which is cheaper.
Where are PDP concept drums made?
Pacific Drums And Percussion has factories in three different countries: China, Taiwan, and Mexico. Most, but not all, of their products are manufactured in the Far East.
The company mainly uses computerized machinery to cut costs and produce large quantities of drums. The “Made In China” label has been getting a better reputation since the last decade thanks to the good quality control systems of brands. So, you do not have to necessarily worry about the place of production.
What do PDP drums stand for?
PDP drums are the abbreviation of Pacific Drums And Percussion. It is a standalone progressive drum and percussion brand founded by Drum Workshop Inc. in 1999. The company is well-known for its entry-level to mid-level high-quality products that are considered the best in their class.
Verdict
To sum it up, if you are looking for a new drum as a beginner drummer or an experienced drummer with the need of a backup drum or a practice drum, PDP has a lot to offer for you. I recommend you to check these drums as they are great for their price and are built with the experience and inspiration of DW.
My top pick is the 7-piece model of the PDP Concept Maple Shell Pack series, as it is the company’s main product and features a great value for price ratio along with good sound quality and beautiful finish options.
My second pick is more suitable for the tight budgets as it is the 5-piece model of the PDP Center Stage series, which provides you everything you need to start playing for a genuinely affordable price.
Featured Image: “PDP drum set” by shredded77 is licensed under CC BY 2.0
