Traps A-400 Acoustic Drumset

If you are a drummer looking for your first drum kit, this one is a good option. I got this one back more than 2 years ago, and I still use it while playing in my room.

Pros:
1. It is really compact, esp. when it comes to the bass drum. Good option if you're low on space. Makes having a drum kit in a bedroom possible.
2. The lightness of the drum rings and the rack makes transportation very convenient.
3. The rack itself is pretty solid, and can potentially be used with other toms (with the right fixtures, of course) if you're someone who prefers mounting toms up on racks instead of the bass drum or on cymbal stands.

Cons:
1. The plastic fixtures on the shell where screws tighten feels fragile. I broke one of the screw folders while tightening the bass drum, and it wasn't even too tight.
2. The sound is obviously compensated for, in comparison to a regular kit, since the toms are bottomless and the bass drum is ultra-thin.
3. The setup is more constrained than a regular kit, since everything is mounted on a rack.
4. If you love sitting too high on the throne (I used to sit almost 70 cm above the ground), you might find that the snare drum a bit too low.

Conclusion:
I use it as a practice kit in my room with mesh heads and quiet cymbals, and for that purpose I find this kit reasonable. But, if you're looking for a kit for anything more than that (jamming, gigging etc.), this kit will most likely not serve the purpose.

Quality:
Everything in the kit was neatly and securely packed. Everything was in perfect condition when my order arrived, except for the floor tom rim. It was broken on a point very close to the tension rod hole. But Thomann replaced the item with a new one without hassle. I didn't even need to send the broken item back, they just sent me a new one. So, many thanks to Thomann team for their awesome support! The plastic parts look a bit flimsy, you should use them carefully. If you don't be gentle on the plastic hardware, if you tighten the rods too much for example, or if you let them lie under sunlight for a long while, they might break. Other than that, rack system, cymbal & hihat stands and the bass drum pedal is decent quality and useful. You won't need to replace them.

Sound:
Whole kit sounds surprisingly good. Especially the toms... Bass drum feels a bit shallow as it has no shell obviously; and the snare drum is like a small piccolo snare. But neither of them is a problem especially if you have the chance to mic your drums. A good tuning and some simple eq adjustments can give you surprisingly pleasant results. Of course, expecting a full range rich maple shell sound out of this kit would be ridiculous, no need to mention...

Features:
The best thing about this kit is its portability. I suggest you to buy the bundle with the softcases as it makes everything a lot easier. You can carry your drumset in just 2 bags. You don't even need a car any more, you can go to work by bus or almost any other transport :)

I have this kit set up in my practice room and they are absolutely fine for rehearsing in a small space. Let's face it, they were never going to have the depth in sound that a regular kit would but they are not bad either. The kick drum is probably the weakest part of the kit but the snare sounds great especially when the skins are replaced for better quality ones. Personally I think the blue plastic makes it look a but like a toy but I sprayed the blue parts black and fixed that. The hardware is great quality too for the price. It's got me out of a few situations where either the stage is too small for a regular kit and it folds up easily for easy transportation. Based on appearance it might look a but flimsy but it's steady and strong.

Bought this kit for my son to busk on the streets. It is compact enough to put in the back of your car and easy enough to assemble quickly. It is also light enough to transport to your playing location. (I bought a Millennium drum hard wear bag with wheels to make that easier).

The sound that this little kit produces is fantastic given the fact that the drums shells are very thin but they are proper drum heads and there is a proper snare wire on the snare drum. Built on a rack system that is easy to assemble / disassemble , it comes with 2 cymbal arms plus a full hi hat stand and a bass pedal. Really the only thing you need to add is the cymbals. If you have a full acoustic kit at home but hate taking it apart every time you do a small gig, this the the kit for you.

Busking bands should all have one!

The drums, rims are very good. Easy to work with. Good quality, produces very good natural Tom, Snare & Kick Sound. Can use any head I desire. Some drums lose their tuning. I can lay into the set like real drums. Great for practice, a complete 5 pce set. 10, 12, 14 Toms, 12 Snr & 20 Kick. The Tubular Frame Is Good. The hardware that comes with the rest of the set is of poor quality. Kick pedal part of rocker for spring assembly broke. Hat stand is ok. Snare basket just fair. Cymbal boom arms are bad. Difficult to use. Poor wing nuts and internals. Rattles. Overall worth the investment as the hardware positioning tends to left once set up. The drum rims are the ticket. The Frame is decent. The whole set is very compact as well. Takes up a lot less space & packs away into two bags.

Declan Campion

Drums