The Enforcer EDS2001 Drum Set At a Glance
There are a lot of drum sets on the market these days and the one common thread that seems to run through all of them is that they seem to be getting better and less expensive all of the time. The EDS2001 by Enforcer is certainly no exception. This is a 5 piece drum set which means that there are five drums. This may seem obvious, but there are those dealers out there who will count up cymbals and add them to the total number of "pieces" and then advertise an 8 or 9 piece drum set. Or, worse advertise a 5 piece kit that only has 3 drums. You get the idea.
The Enforcer EDS2001 drum set includes the snare drum, 2 mounted toms, the bass drum (sometimes called kick drum), floor tom, Hi Hat and crash/ride cymbal. All drums are standard sizes: 14" snare drum, 22" bass drum, 12" mounted tom, 13" mounted tom and 16" floor tom.
My first impression was that this drum set is a cut above most beginner drumsets in a few ways. First, there are enough lugs per drum to actually tune them effectively. When there aren't, there is too much space between the lugs and flex in the hoop causes the tension to be greater at the lugs than between them. The result is a bad sounding drum that generates wierd overtones. I would like to see 8 lugs per hoop on the floor tom (the Enforcer EDS2001 floor tom has 6), but it's not too bad. I've seen drumsets in this price range with 4!
Hardware
The cymbal stand, snare drum stand and hi hat stand are double braced. In a way, that's more of a selling feature than anything else, but it is pretty durable stuff for the money. I like the floor tom legs. They are bent to encorporate a wide, more stable stance like expensive drum sets have. The snare drum stand clamps onto the drum making it a secure fit. Tom mounts are secure and can be adjusted to any position. I'd prefer ball joints here, but that would probably ad a lot to the price tag. Another cool feature is the telescoping bass drum spurs (legs). These allow the front of the bass drum to be sdjusted to a variety of angles to control projection and comfort. Overall, the hardware is lightweight for double braced, but pretty good and certainly worth the price.
Cymbals
This is one area where you simply can't be too picky. Good cymbals can easily cost more than the entire EDS2001. I like to look at these as being basically free and an adequate practice surface for the beginning drummer. I'd upgrade the cymbals when you can afford to.
Finish
The Enforcer EDS2001 Drum Set is available in 7 different wrap-type finishes. Wrap means that the drum shells are wrapped with a layer of mylar-like material that provides the color. This is very common with drums. It is a price saving measure since lacquered shells would triple the price of this drum set. However; there are a good number of high kits that use a wrap as well, so it's not really viewed as cheap. One thign with wraps is that they need to be kept away from direct heat as this will cause the finish to buckle. On a final note, the colors look great.
Wood
The sheels are constructed of Asian hardwoods. Usually, these are some relative of mahogany but not as hard. No, these aren't maple or birch or other prized tonewood, but again, consider the price. Also, thay are multi-ply shells so, they'll be plenty stable. Most drummers just starting out won't fully appreciate the subtle differences in these woods anyway.
Snare Drum
The Enforcer EDS2001 Drum Set uses a 14 inch by 5 1/2 inch steel snare drum. I think the steel snare drum was a good move. It gives the kit a powerfull presence that a wood shell similar to the toms just wouldn't deliver. Also, this type of snare is very versatile as well and can be tuned to accomodate rock, jazz country or other styles of players.
Features:
In Conclusion
The Enforcer EDS2001 Drum Set is a great value for the aspiring or beginning drummer. Compared to more widely known brands, the set is feature packed. Although I am not crazy about the cymbals, this is no reason not to buy the drum set. Most drumsets in the price don't include them anyway and aren't nearly as good. So, for overall value and a generally good build quality for the money, you can't miss with the Enforcer EDS2001 Drum Set.