[Jax]

Originally Posted by chrisso

That's why I always recommend drummers put together an arsenal of 'the usual suspects' before they do anything else.
They aren't all expensive.......
6.5" Supraphonic
6.5" Black Beauty
A single-ply snare drum or two. The most famous being the Radio King, but more modern drums sound great and are easier to find a good one = N&C Classic, Slingerland Radio King reissue (90's), Craviotto limited edition Maple and Black Cherry.

Perhaps a 60's Acrolite (Ludwig).
Once you've got a few of those you can branch out into the boutique drums like Brady Jarrah, Ayotte and stuff like the Joyous Lake and Ocheltree already mentioned.
Recordingwise you can go a very long way with a quality 6.5" brass drum (ala BB) and a quality 6.5" single-ply wood drum (ala Radio King).

This is great advice.