Christmas Gifts For Drummers

Drumsticks

Drummers always need sticks! Below are some suggestions that should satisfy the drummer in your life on Christmas Day.

• Vic Firth 5A American Classic – The industry standard, these sticks are the default choice and are a safe bet for most drummers.
• Firestix Light Up Sticks – Something a bit more fun and novel, perhaps for a younger drummer, these colourful sticks light up with each beat.
• Hot Sticks – Eye-catching patterns and bold designs, also popular with younger musicians.

Stocking Fillers For Drummers

The list below features some cheap, small sized gifts for drummers that would make perfect stocking fillers.

• Moon Gel – Ideal stocking filler, improves the sound of any drum kit and even if you’re not sure if your drummer already has some, drummers always appreciate a fresh tub.
• Gorilla Snot – Interesting name… apply to drum sticks to improve grip.
• Drum keys are a great stocking filler. Evans’ Magnetic Drum Key, Pearl’s Tech Tool and the Meinl Multi Tool are great upgrades from the standard key and no drummer can ever have enough drum keys.
• Meinl Cymbal Tuners are a small and ingenious invention by legendary drummer Benny Greb which allow drummers to experiment with changing the sound of their cymbals using high power magnets.
• Vic Firth Practice Tips, fit over any pair of sticks letting you practice silently on any surface.

Essential Presents for Drummers

As drummers progress there are certain items that they have to add to their gear eventually. Cases for cymbals, stick bags and drum stick holders are a great gift idea for any drummer that hasn’t got one yet.

• Stagg’s CYB-10 cymbal bag is a great starter option for cymbal bags.
• The Protection Racket Deluxe Cymbal bag is a pro level cymbal bag, a fantastic gift either as a first cymbal bag or an upgrade. Or maybe match it to their cymbal brand? We have cymbal bags from Meinl, Zildjian, Paiste and Sabian.
• The Protection Racket stick bag is great for organising sticks and a useful gift for anyone who hasn’t got one but there’s a whole range of stick bags with different designs and sizes to fit any taste or budget.
• Alpine Ear Plugs are the industry standard when it comes to keeping your ears safe and are much more comfortable and better sounding than the foam alternatives. Also check out the Ahead Custom Moulded Ear Plugs for an even more comfortable fit.
• Every drummer should have a practice pad. If the drummer in your life doesn’t have one, get them one and their drum tutor will thank you! The Evans Real Feel practice pad offers two different playing surfaces. The cheapest pad available is the Stagg 8″ Practice Pad which more than does the job.
• An upgraded throne is an essential purchase for drummers at some point as those supplied with starter kits are normally lightweight and not very comfortable. We have a wide range of thrones available but we are big fans of the Custom Percussion Cycle Seat Throne. Roc N Soc are probably the most popular high-end drum thrones but don’t forget they are only cushions and if you don’t have one already you will need to buy a seat base. The Pearl Roadster Throne with Gas Lift is a competitively priced throne that adjusts height using a pneumatic lever.
• We have a large range of drum stick holders but we recommend the Vic Firth Stick Caddy or the Gibraltar Deluxe Drum Stick Holder. Big enough to hold a load of sticks and both are very popular and reliable brands.

Percussion Gifts For Drummers

Additional percussion can be a fun way for drummers to expand their skills and express their musicality in a different way.

• Cowbells are one of the most popular Christmas gifts we sell – a simple and low cost add on that every drummer tries at some point. The Mike Johnstone Groove Bell is probably the coolest cowbell out there but there are plenty of cheaper options too. The Pearl Elite Cowbell range has a variety of sizes.  Just don’t forget to buy a mount as well.
• Djembes are a lot of fun for drummers who just love getting a rhythm from anything. Toca Djembes come in a large range of sizes and colours. Meinl Djembes such as the Meinl Travel Series Rope Tuned Djembe sound great and are relatively cheap.
• Cajons are a great gift option for drummers. These South American box drums recreate the sound of drum kits with a hugely versatile but quieter range of sounds – great for acoustic gigs. Stagg Cajons are a cheap but quality option. Latin Percussion also produce affordable but high quality cajons, such as the LP Black Box Cajon USA.
• Meinl Make Your Own Cajon Kit – a great novelty present for drummers that enjoy a project.
• The Meinl Hybrid Slaptop Cajon is a fun flexible instrument that works as a Cajon on one side and Bongos on the other.
• Tambourines are a great addition to drum kit setups.  Meinl Ching Rings are a cheap but effective option to be placed over a hi-hat cymbal.
• LP Finger Shots are a fun shaker that you attach to your fingers to add a shaker sound to any percussion performance. Best bought in pairs!
• Twist Shakers are an excellent combo for anyone who already has a cajon. Their unique shape allows for them to be easily tied to your foot to provide an extra accompaniment.
• Waltons Bodhran starter pack is an ideal gift for a drummer interested in learning how to play in a whole new genre. It comes with everything you need, including an instructional DVD.

Cymbals For Christmas

Nothing really excites drummers more than a new cymbal so they make a great present. We have a huge range of cymbals if you are looking for something individual. Looking at FX cymbals might be a good idea if you’re not sure what they need and fearful of doubling up. If you’re choosing for someone else and not sure what they want then sticking to the same brand they already have might be a safe bet. In this guide we’ve focused on 3 cymbal packs that we love that are great for drummers at different levels or budgets.

• Paiste 101 Packs are our go to recommendation for drummers buying their first cymbals or replacing starter cymbals. They are great value for money, hard-wearing and sound very impressive for the price.
• Istanbul Agop Xist Cymbal packs are a fantastic mid range option and even include a free 18″ crash and a free cymbal hard case so are an excellent choice for drummers beginning to think about playing live.
• Sabian AAX-Plosion Cymbal packs are a fantastic sounding professional level cymbal pack at a price much lower than most pro packs.

Gift Ideas For The Drummer Who Has Everything

The longer the drummer in your life has been playing for the harder it can be to find a gift that they don’t already have, so we’ve finished this list with gifts that we think they might not have picked up yet.

• The DW2000 Series Tambo Pedal is a cool add on to any kit allowing you to play tambourine with your left foot while playing on the rest of the kit – hard to master but a lot of fun.
• Yamaha Crosstown Hardware is super light, ideal for the regularly gigging drummer. Swap your heavy and bulky hardware bag for one that you can lift easily with one hand!
• Meinl mini djembes and mini cajons are a fun gift that actually sound great despite being fun sized and relatively cheap.
• Drum Tuners – properly tuning a drum kit can seem like a dark art at times and many drummers resort to guesswork. If your drummer likes technology then go for the feature rich and digital Tune-Bot Gig or Tune-Bot Studio. If you think they would prefer something simpler then the original Drum Dial Drum Tuner is a great choice.
• Big Fat Snare Drum transforms your snare sound to a tone fit for any rock or pop recording. Applicable live and in the studio, this exciting accessory makes your snare drum sound very powerful.

Just can’t decide what to get them? The Drum Central Gift Voucher,which is redeemable online or in store, might be exactly what you are looking for!