What would be a good drum set for a beginner?

Question

My son is 9 and is already playing on a cheap set by First Act
that Im embarrased to say I bought at Wal Mart last year, lol. He is actually really good so I want to get him a nice set. What brand or what kind of set would be good for him? Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

First Act is not as bad as you think. If I'm not mistaken it is an off brand of Fender.
I'm not even sure what brands are still made today, but the names Ludwig, Slingerland and Tama come to mind.
Look at musiciansfriend.com, americanmusical.com and ebay, you'll get a good idea on which he might like.

Answer 2

Look at used sets. My first set was a used Mapex set that I got for about $200, and I'm still playing on it. You can get some amazing deals on used sets. And the drums have usually very little wear, since the drummer hits the replaceable heads, not the drum itself. The real money killer is the cymbals, though. If you want a decent cymbal set, you might be looking at $300-up.