Renee

Hi, Walter, I just started playing three months ago. I didn't want to spend a lot of money. After talking to different people about electronic kits, I decided on the Alesis Surge Mesh. I got it on Amazon for $579. One of my musician friends advised me to purchase the extended warranty, which I did. That was $80. You'll need headphones for when you want to play without disturbing the rest of the house. The following month I got the Alesis 8" drum amp so I could also play without headphones. I'm not a drum expert and have never played them before now, but after reading many reviews and watching a lot of them on You Tube, the Surge seemed like a better option than the Nitro, but they both have good reviews as far as getting good bang for your buck. Yamaha has good reviews as well. I've been happy with my kit. As far as choosing between Alesis and Yamaha, I'm not sure but I think Yamaha has rubber heads instead of mesh. My drummer friends have told me that mesh is a more realistic feel and has better bounce, but Yamaha makes great products and is always named in top choices of all the e-kit review lists. I've had a Yamaha keyboard for years. I don't think you can go wrong with either choice. Like you, I didn't want to spend a lot because I didn't know if I'd be able to get the hang of the drums. If I failed all that money would be wasted, but so far I'm doing okay. No regrets. One more thing. The nice thing about Alesis is that they include the hi hat and kick pedals, so you don't have to pay $600 for a kit then buy the pedals separately as with most e-kits. You will need to get a throne but you can get one way cheaper than pedals.