CB Drums Review: SP Series

History: I've played the drum set for 5 years, and I'm a huge fan of death metal and black metal.

Purchase: I purchased this drum set in 2001 at a small, local store for $500.

What I Like About This CB Drums SP Series: After replacing the heads and learning how to tune, I could make the drums sound pretty good. Right now, I have no complaints about how my drums sound. The hardware is double-braced and sturdy. Aesthetically speaking, they are nice-looking drums.

What I Do NOT Like About The CB Drums SP Series: The bass drum pedal is sub-par. The felt beater is falling apart, and some of the parts are loosening. There isn't much spring to the pedal, either, and virtually no adjustments. Of course, the stock heads and "cymbals" are low-quality and should be replaced. When I first got the kit, I loved how the drums sounded with the stock heads, but I HATED the trash-can lids that came with the kit. Seriously, Camber cymbals are better than them. I also don't like the fact that the toms only have 10 lugs, and the kick and snare drums only have 12 lugs each. Another thing I don't like is the fact that when I clamp a top hi-hat cymbal to the hi-hat stand, the weight of the cymbal pulls the rod down a bit, so I have to figure out where I want the cymbal to rest, and then set it a little bit higher than that to compensate. One last thing: I don't like T-rods on the kick drum because they catch on things during movement of the drums and cause the heads to detune.

CB Drums SP Series Quality Rating: Everything is pretty good quality, except for the bass drum pedal, hi-hat stand, and the "cymbals." The tom and kick drum shells are 9-ply phillipine mahogany.

Review Summary: If you throw the cymbals in the garbage, and get some proper beginner cymbals, this drum set sounds pretty darn good for a beginner or anyone on a budget. However, after a few years of playing on this kit, I hate that there are so few lugs on each kit. It makes tuning difficult and doesn't allow the drums to sound their best. If I'm not mistaken, newer CB drums have 6 lugs on the toms and 8 lugs on the snares and kick drums, so I'm glad they've corrected that oversight. Still, one can get better entry-level drums for $500, like the Yamaha Rydeen, Pearl Forum, Tama Swingstar, Mapex VX, and Sonor Force 505. Hell, a Pacific EZ kit would probably be better than a CB kit.

Rating of this CB Drums product: 3

This CB Drums SP Series Drums Percussion Review Submitted By: Robert

Review Date: 2006-07-26