Best Acrylic Drum Sets – High-Attack Drum Kits for Heavy Hitters!

Author: Brett Clur | Updated: | This post may contain affiliate links.

If you’re in the market for a new drum set, you may be considering getting an acrylic kit. These transparent sets have so much character to them, providing you with loud punchy tones and interesting aesthetics.

They’re not the most popular types of drum kits around, so only a few drum brands make them. However, there are a few popular ones that most drummers tend to gravitate towards.

3 of My Favorite Acrylic Drum Kits

Starting off with the Design Series Acrylic kit. This is the only kit on the list where the drum line isn’t purely focused on acrylic drums. The typical Design Series kits have maple shells.

However, DW decided to add a unique option in the lineup for all the drummers wanting something loud and appealing.

I’d say the sound of this kit is incredibly high in attack and has plenty of low-end. It’s a very lively kit that opens up nicely when you hit hard. It even sounds great with the stock heads. That’s no surprise, though, as I’ve always enjoyed the stock drum heads on DW kits.

There are a few subtle things that I really appreciate about the kit as well as one or two things that could be better. Starting with the good, you get Velcro pillows for the bass drum. I love this addition as it means you can muffle the bass drum straight off the bat.

You don’t need to add any of your own muffling tools. I typically use old pillows or blankets. Since the kit is transparent, having my old brightly colored blankets wouldn’t look good at all. So, the black Velcro pillows are a great move on DW’s part.

The kit also has all the great features that you’d expect to see on any DW kit. I’ve found that the True-Pitch tuning rods make it easy to tune and the MAG throw-off on the snare comes in handy more than you’d expect.

The big downside that I don’t quite understand is that the kit doesn’t include mounts for the rack toms. They need to mount to cymbal stands, so you have to purchase rack tom mounts separately.

DW hardware is fairly pricey, so they won’t be a cheap addition. But you need to have them in order to have a fully set up drum kit.

PROS

  • True-Pitch tuning rods and MAG snare throw-off are great
  • Lots of attack and low-end
  • Lively and opens up when hit hard
  • High-quality DW hardware on the shells

CONS

  • No tom mounts included

The Pearl Crystal Beat is the direct competitor of the DW Design Series kit. It comes at a similar price and has similar features. However, there are a few things that differentiate it and may just potentially cause you to like it more.

I found this kit to have a massive amount of projection and attack. This is especially true for the bass drum which seems like it’s shaking the floor when you kick it with the pedal. It’s the perfect tool for rock and metal situations where you need a huge sound.

All acrylic kits are loud, but I think it’s fair to say that this kit is slightly louder than the DW Design Series. So, I’d suggest getting this kit if you’re only planning on playing loud styles of music since it’s not as versatile.

The Crystal Beat has a slight edge over the Design Series thanks to the choice of finishes. While the DW kit only has one finish option, the Crystal Beat lets you choose between a few different ones. They’re all transparent, but you get a transparent orange or red as well as a clear or frosted finish.

The downside to this kit is that it doesn’t come with a snare drum. You’re only getting the toms and bass drum. The Crystal Beat snare drum is available to be purchased separately.

I think the only reason Pearl doesn’t include it in this shell pack is to keep the price competitive with the DW Design Series kit.

If you buy the snare separately, the price will end up being higher. You could use any other type of snare, but I can see that looking a bit out of place if it isn’t transparent like the rest of the kit.

Overall, it’s another great choice of acrylic drum kit that I’ve noticed has actually been a bit more popular over the years than the DW Design Series kit.

PROS

  • Massive projection and attack
  • Great for rock and metal
  • Few different finish options

CONS

  • No snare drum included

Let me say straight away that this kit is about double the price of the previous two kits. It’s a kit that is aimed at collectors or anyone who has the funds to put down on a prime drum set. It has so much history behind it, making it one of the best acrylic kits on the market.

The Ludwig Vistalite was the first acrylic kit ever to be introduced to the drum world. The famous drummer John Bonham made it famous. This kit is modeled after his unique setup when he played drums for Led Zeppelin.

My favorite thing about this kit is the sheer size of all the drums. The bass drum is a massive 26-inches, making it sound like a big canon whenever you play it.

The larger-than-life toms make this a rock drum set through-and-through. I wouldn’t suggest anyone getting this kit if they weren’t going to use it to play rock music.

I found that the toms have a fairly narrow tuning range. However, they sound incredible when you tune them just right. You’ll definitely know when you’ve found the sweet spot. If you add some muffling, you’ll be able to get them to sound flat like John Bonham’s toms.

I love how Ludwig has added a Supraphonic snare to the mix. It’s one of the best snare drums in the world, giving you a killer snare tone to match the large sound of the drums.

I’ve mostly seen drummers who own multiple drum sets use this kit. It’s definitely a drum set that has a very specific use. I can’t see too many people wanting to carry a 26-inch bass drum to every gig.

So, I’d suggest getting it if you’re someone who loves collecting rich parts of drum history, or simply if you want the biggest drum sound you could possibly get.

PROS

  • Great collector’s item
  • Huge sound from large shell sizes
  • Modeled after John Bonham’s kit
  • Included Supraphonic snare is fantastic

CONS

  • Very expensive

Choosing an Acrylic Kit

When choosing an acrylic drum set, there are a few things to take into consideration that may affect the decision you make. These may be small thought processes, but they’ll have big effects in the long run. So, make sure to think carefully about them.

Appearance

Appearance is arguably the main reason drummers go for acrylic kits. While they all have transparent shells, they don’t all look exactly the same.

Ludwig and Pearl offer their acrylic drum sets in a few different colors. You should consider getting those kits if you’re not keen on a standard clear kit.

I will say that clear kits are the best option if you plan to set lighting up with the drums. So, don’t count the DW kit out.

Size

Size is another major consideration when buying any drum kit. This is especially true here as the Ludwig Vistalite is so much bigger than the DW Design Series or the Pearl Crystal Beat.

You’ll need to decide whether you want the biggest drums on the market or a standard size kit.

Cost

The DW Design Series kit is the cheapest option from the above list. The Pearl Crystal Beat comes second, and then the Ludwig Vistalite may just cost an arm and a leg.

However, the Design kit doesn’t come with tom arms, increasing the price by a few hundred dollars. The Crystal Beat doesn’t come with a snare, thus, also increasing the price.

The Vistalite doesn’t have any hidden costs to it thankfully.

Whichever kit you choose, just make sure you factor in whatever extra components you may need to buy. All these kits are well worth the price they come at. So, choose whichever price suits you the best.

Acrylic Kits vs Wooden Kits

If you don’t already own an acoustic drum set, I wouldn’t suggest getting an acrylic drum kit as your first one. I used to think that the two types of kits were mostly similar other than their appearance. After playing on an acrylic kit, I realized just how different they are. While acoustic kits are good for everything, acrylic drum sets are good for one thing – playing live shows.

The volume and punch you get from an acrylic set are incredible to witness. The kit caters so well to live settings where you have the kit set up on a stage. It’s the type of kit you want to be playing at an arena show.

Conversely, you’re going to struggle a bit if you try using an acrylic beast in the recording studio. Acrylic drum shells are nowhere near as responsive as wooden drum shells. There are many tonal nuances that go missing, and those missing sounds stick out like a sore thumb in a recording environment.

Also, using an acrylic kit for home practice is going to come with a few noise issues. Since they are much louder, your neighbors will be more likely to complain about all the noise. You’d have less chance of that happening with an acoustic set.

The final thing to note is that acrylic drums are typically more expensive than most acoustic kits. If they share hardware design and build quality, the acrylic kit will always cost more.

Other Brands

The 3 drum kits that I mentioned above are the most popular acrylic drum sets among the drumming community. They’re the 3 kits that get manufactured and sold the most out of any other brand’s acrylic drums. The Ludwig Vistalite, in particular, has been one of the most popular acrylic drum sets since it was released in the 70s.

The Vistalite was the first acrylic kit to be invented, leading Ludwig to be the brand that pioneered the design.

If you want to find an acrylic kit from a brand other than DW, Ludwig, or Pearl, you’d need to look for custom drum brands that don’t mass produce drum sets.

Custom drum brands often have systems where potential buyers can order drum sets that are made to their liking. You could order an acrylic set this way. Just know that it will be much more expensive than getting one of the kits mentioned above!

Potential Issues with Acrylic Drums

I know several drummers who have sworn off acrylic kits due to past experiences that they’ve had. One of the main ones is having issues with tuning. Due to their shells not being made of highly reactive wood, they’re a lot harder to tune.

I’ve found that it’s always easier to use double-ply drumheads that control the sound of the drums a bit better. You’re never going to be able to get a beautiful resonating tone from acrylic drums. Instead, you’re going to get flat tones that are extremely punchy. Once you’re aware of this, you can tune the drums to get the best sound in that light.

On a side note, it looks a bit strange if you put coated heads on acrylic drum shells. Those heads become the few physical parts of the drums that aren’t transparent. So, I strongly suggest going for clear heads. If you have an acrylic kit that has colored drum shells, you may even find clear heads that are the same color as the shells.

Another problem that drummers have is the occasional cracking of their acrylic drums. I remember this being a big issue with the Vistalite kits two decades ago, but Ludwig has since fixed the issue with their newly built versions.

If your drum shells start to crack, you should contact the customer service lines of the brand. They’re usually quite good at sorting issues out. One of my old friends was even given a complementary snare drum after he went back and forth with the brand for a few months.

At the end of the day, these potential issues are another reason why I don’t think you should have an acrylic kit as your main kit. Wooden drum sets don’t have as many issues. They also have parts that are much easier to replace thanks to the larger number of them being around.

Wrap Up

Acrylic kits are a fantastic addition to any drummer’s collection of gear. I haven’t often seen drummers use them as their main kits, but I’ve seen plenty of drummers use them when they need a great looking kit on stage.

Remember that all acrylic drum sets are loud. Much louder than any wooden drum set. So, they’re best suited for rock and metal settings where the drums need lots of volume.

I’d never suggest using an acrylic kit in a jazz setting as it would sound fairly obnoxious.

These kits thrive with extra lighting as the light travels through the kit, giving off a cool aesthetic. So, consider getting an acrylic kit if you need something loud that looks great!

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About Brett Clur

Brett has been drumming for almost two decades. He also helps his students get better at drumming. He can be found on Instagram (@brettclurdrums), where you can regularly catch glimpses of his drumming.

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