a decent snare and a decent pedal are a must, obviously.
for the snare, get something that would be very versatile. Pork Pie's Big Black is a great, all around snare modeled after the Black Beauty. It's a black nickel over brass shell, so while you get the crack of metal, the combination of nickel and brass give you a bit warmer sound than a traditional metal snare. Also, the drum sounds good at nearly any tuning range.
Second choice would be a Tama Metalworks snare, specifically ST1465BN or the ST1365BN. It's a plain steel shell that is, like the Big Black, coated in a black nickel, which warms up the sound quite a bit, while still retaining a very definitive metallic bite. Either in a 14 inch or 13 inch diameter, the 6.5 inch depth is the way to go, it gives you a wider tuning range.
another good choice would be the Tama Starclassic Brass, SBS1455H. Killer drum...the sound and the volume will break your face. Powerful loud. Die cast hoops also provide for a more consistent tuning, as well as giving a slightly drier sound. Rim shots will have a bit more punch as well. like the Big Black, it's a brass drum, which is ALWAYS my preference for a snare. You get a good crack from the drum, the sound cuts through quite well, it's very sensitive, and the brass sounds a bit warmer overall than steel.
If you've got the $$$, i'd say find yourself an old Rogers Dynasonic . I've got two that are functional, and i've got a third that I need parts for, and they are, hands down, the best snare drum I've ever played. Period. However, because they haven't been made since the 1980s, they're somewhat hard to find, at least at prices that aren't painful to pay. However, I'd nearly guarantee that if you got one, you'd never need another snare.
Also, if you've got more money than you know what to do with, the Yamaha Mike Bordin signatures is a great, somewhat unique, snare. It's made of copper, with black hardware. Half of the drum has a hammered shell, half the drum has a smooth shell. Great sound. Warm, but loud.
As far as pedal goes, the most bang for the buck would be the Pearl Eliminator, the P2000C. It's got four interchangeable cams included with it, meaning that you're basically buying 4 pedals at once. Very solid, very smooth, and very responsive. Plus, it can be tailored to nearly any feeling desired. Comes with a soft sided case.
A close second would be Tama's Iron Cobra, HP900P. Smooth, fast, extremely simple. Few adjustments other than beater angle and spring tension, but it's great right out of the box. Also comes with a hard case.
My personal choice is the Axis A Longboard double pedal. Excellent pedal, but unlike anything else out there, except for the Trick Pro-V, but that's fairly hard to come by, and a very different pedal, though comparisons between the two are inevitable. That's neither here nor there. I would highly recommend ANY Axis pedal, however I would offer caution that they are very unique, and they make switching to another brand of pedals very difficult due to their unique feeling.
I would absolutely, without a doubt, stay away from any Yamaha or DW pedal. The Yamaha pedals are typically made with cheap metal, and some have lots of plastic parts. DW products are, in my opinion, overpriced for what you actually get. I also don't like the feeling of any of them. The 7000 is crap that falls apart, the 5000 feels like Ive got a brick strapped to my foot, the 9000 feels like stepping on a sponge over and over, and the 8000 is a combination of the 5000 and the 9000, so it's like stepping on a sponge with a brick tied to your foot.
Now, all of the products I've mentioned are not terribly cheap. But here's the thing....you're stepping on a pedal over and over and over and over, generally with great force. Also, there are multiple moving parts. Does that sound like something you should go cheap on? It would be akin of buying a Mercedes, but asking for a Yugo break pedal. You wouldn't, and shouldn't, do it.
Also, the snare, in my opinion, is the most important part of the drumset, along with the bass drum and the ride cymbal. If those three things don't sound good, the whole drumset with sound like shit. You need a snare that will be versatile, articulate, and loud. After all, it is one of the main parts of the actual beat of a song. Think about it...take your favorite song by your favorite band, and replace the snare drum with a pillow. Sucks, doesn't it. Don't skimp on the snare, because you'll have a good one forever, and a shitty one will be gone in a month. Also, like a pedal, you're going to be hitting the snare a lot, and most likely fairly hard. If it's a cheap drum, dollar wise, logically it will have cheap parts that won't take much of a beating, and you'll end up replacing them, thus spending more money to make a shitty drum not as shitty, but still inferior to a good snare. Spend the money the first time and get something good.
Just my two cents. Yes, by the way, I sell instruments for a living.
