What to buy first?
Well I would say a good set of hi hats should be first or a good ride if you are a jazz player.
Snare drum is a huge part of a good drum set sound but with good drum heads and tuning you can make most cheap snares sound pretty good.
You can't really do anything to cymbals. They either sound good or they don't.
Hi hat should be your first choice because it is used the most. It's your main time keeper. On 90% of the songs you play you are probably playing 8ths or 16ths on the hat.
A good kick, snare, and hat sound can get you through a lot of gigs.
