MusicRadar

The bass drum will need a bit of dampening, but sounds pretty good when the price of the kit is taken into consideration

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• Review

Starting out as a drummer is never easy. It's also never cheap, but this is something that is being increasingly addressed by brands offering affordable kits. They might not turn in the sonic performance of the high-end Pearls, Yamahas and DWs of the world, but such first-rung-of-the-ladder offerings make things a little easier for the budding but cash-strapped beatmeister.

And the new £229 Cannon Adder set-up here offers more than your average entry-level package.

Kit and caboodle

The heart of the Adder offering is a five-piece kit comprising 12"x8" and 13"x9" rack toms, 16"x16" floor, 22"x16" kick and a 14"x 5½" steel snare. This particular incarnation is clearly targeted at youngsters who crave an OCDP or Spaun-style set but are several grand short of the asking price.

For starters, it's yellow, and the black shell hardware lends the ensemble a very modern aesthetic. Whether this uniform will age gracefully or date quickly, only time will tell, but it's not going to be an issue for the eager teenager with posters of Travis Barker on the wall. As far as they're concerned it looks mint.

Another unusual stylistic feature of the Adder kit is its offset lugs. This is very US-inspired, and whether it's the coolest thing ever on a kit at this price or just a naff affectation might depend on your influences and your age, but it's nice to see something that departs from the same-old same-old bargain basement blueprint.

Aside from the drums themselves, the Cannon cheapie also includes a wealth of hardware and accessories. There's a full complement of metalwork included (cymbal and hi-hat stands, bass drum pedal, etc), but also an 18" ride, 16" crash and 14" hi-hats, a set of drum bags, sticks and (something of a masterstroke) a set of rubber mat-type drum silencers. Parents can breathe a sigh of relief...

Hard or Software?

Given that it's included in a kit package that sells for £229, one can't expect too much of the hardware that accompanies the Bumblebee Yellow Adder. The bass drum pedal is, as you might predict, a pretty flimsy affair which would warrant replacing quickly if you harbour any ambitions of developing technique above the absolute basics.

The cymbal stands are fitted with rather insubstantial tilters, but all this has to be measured against the low asking price. The stands are double-braced, so they're solid enough for the light use for which the Adder is designed.

The cymbals aren't quite K Customs, but again, let's not set our expectations too high. Ultimately, the Adder provides everything required to start playing with the minimum of fuss, and for that it's to be commended. There's almost no point discussing the tonal nature of the hi-hats, crash and ride (they all sound unsurprisingly clattery and/or gong-like), because that's not the point - they provide metal surfaces to hit, and that's all the prospective Adder purchaser needs.