The Drums Pron Thread

[G650 14278]

1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

Next question:  what's the best rec for road cases?  

Soft side OK, or are those thick "cardboard-y" cases always more rugged?  The kit I built her is getting beat to hell in the back of the van.  (No shit.)

 

My drummer uses ABS plastic cases

[ohchaucer 1443]

In cases, if she’s touring or gigging heavily, skb or gator hard are good.

On the kit - and I say this with full humility as a gear head - y’all are overthinking it. Consider the wood and configuration you want and weigh in some reputation… but ultimately get the kit you love. Any drum set in the $2500-4k range is going to be as amazing as you could want. And only ever as amazing as how you tune it and until you play it until your hands bleed and your heartbeat skyrockets.

Buy drums. Rock drums. Then we can talk hoops and offset lugs and shit.


PS - just based on what I “know” of you, your taste musically, and your daughter’s potential plans, I’d go Ludwig all the way. Super versatile, excellent quality American build and, to G650 comment, maple shells that can be both as maple or as attack-y as you want.

[rungeflash 322]

I would not be overly concerned about USA vs overseas production. The only thing Ludwig makes in north carolina is the shell. The hardware is made overseas. Almost all the manufacturers (Ludwig, DW, Pearl, Tama, Gretsch, etc) use either China or Taiwan for many of their drums.

For example, Yamaha has not made their drums  in Japan since 2011 when they ended their shell arrangement with Sakae. They moved the entire operation over to Xiaoshan, China for the past 12 years. All the recording customs, absolute hybrid maples….made in China. High end stuff and highly reliable. The only Yamaha kit still made in Japan today is the PHX phoenix kit. 

[ohchaucer 1443]

The only Yamaha kit still made in Japan today is the PHX phoenix kit. 

If only I had $8-10k just sitting around……

[rungeflash 322]

Ya they’re something else, killer sonics

 

 

 

[rungeflash 322]

 

[jimmyjazz 46184]

Wow, I much prefer the Ludwig Classic Maple to the Hybrid, but it sure seems like it's tuned differently.

[rungeflash 322]

Ya that’s the best demo vid by a drum shop of the classic maples I have come across, that’s why I posted it. They really captured the tuning, mic placement, etc to bring out of the best. It sounds very good

[Handcruser 2805]

Wow, I much prefer the Ludwig Classic Maple to the Hybrid, but it sure seems like it's tuned differently.

So what finish is in the lead?

[jimmyjazz 46184]

6 minutes ago, Handcruser said:

So what finish is in the lead?

Piano black, followed by probably satin antique blue burst or silver oyster pearl, depending on whether you ask her or me. 

Heavy bands seemingly need dark drums.  I can't really argue with the theory.  It's not a universal truth, but I get the point.

Edited August 5, 2023 by jimmyjazz

[Handcruser 2805]

Piano black, followed by probably satin antique blue burst or silver oyster pearl, depending on whether you ask her or me. 
Heavy bands seemingly need dark drums.  I can't really argue with the theory.

Nice!

They use to make a granite sparkle that was really pretty.

[ohchaucer 1443]

Hard to go wrong with a perfect piano black with the lights glinting off the hardware and cymbals. I love me some pretty drums, but if I were to ever be a road warrior again, I think I might just go black and not look back. Also makes it easy to bring in all sorts of other drums or accessories from any maker and still “match.”

[rungeflash 322]

I like the high gloss piano black as well. The lacquer jobs by Gretsch are VERY deep like a fine multi stage paint job on a hot rod. In fact, if it does get minor scratched and/swirled over time you can polish it out with a mild auto polish and then seal with paint sealant or a carnuba wax topper. Good as new. Maybe better. The satin finishes or wraps….you’re basically screwed. 

 

 

 

[Handcruser 2805]

Piano black, followed by probably satin antique blue burst or silver oyster pearl, depending on whether you ask her or me. 
Heavy bands seemingly need dark drums.  I can't really argue with the theory.  It's not a universal truth, but I get the point.

What’s the hold up man? We need closure!

[jimmyjazz 46184]

We're getting there, just hold your horses.

[rungeflash 322]

On 7/20/2023 at 11:10 AM, sidis said:

Welp, tried my best to make @rungeflash, @ohchaucer, and @Handcruser proud. Full set of K Dark Customs coming tomorrow. 

Did you get it all setup!? In for full kit pics….

[jimmyjazz 46184]

46 minutes ago, rungeflash said:

Did you get it all setup!? In for full kit pics….

Man, that finish is absolutely fantastic.

[sidis 9832]

5 hours ago, rungeflash said:

Did you get it all setup!? In for full kit pics….

i did...i'll grab a pic and post shortly.

it's been a really fun set to play.  the black beauty snare has got some serious pop to it...and it fucking loud.  jesus is it loud.  i've been reviewing the fundamentals for the most part since it has come in but holy shit, what a beautiful sound and a gorgeous kit to play.  the zildijan k dark ride may be my favorite element of the whole kit.  love that thing.

[ohchaucer 1443]

Less type-y, more pic-y.

(And glad you’re liking the snare)

[Handcruser 2805]

Man, that finish is absolutely fantastic.

Renown’s had that finish too.

[Handcruser 2805]

Man, that finish is absolutely fantastic.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RN2-J483-BM--gretsch-drums-renown-3-piece-shell-pack-with-18-inch-kick-blue-metal

[sidis 9832]

 

 

 

Edited August 11, 2023 by sidis

[ohchaucer 1443]

Gotdamn! That’s a beautiful kit. Okay, what are we buying next? JJ, you’re up!

[rungeflash 322]

Nice sidis!

Are those dampening rings? Seems like a lot of tone killer 

[sidis 9832]

4 hours ago, rungeflash said:

Nice sidis!

Are those dampening rings? Seems like a lot of tone killer 

they are those clear/coated heads that remo does for dw.  the way they put it:

Quote

This hybrid head provides the "wet" attack and full resonance of a clear head, but with a coated silkscreened edge to provide just the right amount of overtone damping without sounding choked. DW Coated/Clear heads feature Remo's glued-channel crimped aluminum flesh hoops, which help to transfer the maximal vibrational energy between the head and drum and also keep the heads from pulling out through high tensioning.

there is plenty of tone in my estimation.  i currently have them in an unused room in my house (which is the only one with carpet to try and help with absorption) while i do a bit of reorganizing before they get to their final home.  

 

edit: speaking of resonance, based on the layout pictured above, any time i hit my mounted tom (and even sometimes with the floor tom), i am getting some residual snare rattle from the bottom of the ludwig.  any suggestions for mitigating that?

Edited August 11, 2023 by sidis

[ohchaucer 1443]

Try tightening or loosening the snares themselves. It’s the knob with the Ludwig logo on the snare throw. You could also play with tuning the tom(s) to different resonances but really you should get them to the tone you want and then adjust snare accordingly. Some people put a gel or dampener on the resonant snare head but I think that makes the snares sound too wet.

[rungeflash 322]

23 minutes ago, sidis said:

they are those clear/coated heads that remo does for dw.  the way they put it:

there is plenty of tone in my estimation.  i currently have them in an unused room in my house (which is the only one with carpet to try and help with absorption) while i do a bit of reorganizing before they get to their final home.  

 

edit: speaking of resonance, based on the layout pictured above, any time i hit my mounted tom (and even sometimes with the floor tom), i am getting some residual snare rattle from the bottom of the ludwig.  any suggestions for mitigating that?

Ok, interesting on those heads remo does for DW. Good info 

The situation with the snare is most often called “sympathetic snare buzz”…..the biggest culprit is usually that rack tom is tuned too close to a note that the snare is tuned to. Doesn’t mean they can’t be different frequencies but the note itself is too similar for the octave it’s in. 
 

You can tighten the snare wires with the micro adjustment knob on the throw off mechanism….but be careful because it’s very easy to take it too damn far and next thing you know you have a really choked snare wire. No good. You also will snap a snare wire prematurely as well. Some snare buzz is totally acceptable….but obviously you want it minimal. Other remedies could be flipping the snare over and loosen the 4 tuning rods immediately around the snare bed. Tighten the rods further away to compensate. 

[G650 14278]

Good luck on this quest.

[Handcruser 2805]

I wouldn’t worry about that snare buzz too much - just play them and adjust if needed as you go. I always have some but once I’m playing it doesn’t matter. If you sit there listening and play one note on that Tom of course you will hear some buzz. Don’t worry - just play.

Edit to add - I suck at drums. I did not inherit the gene.

[rungeflash 322]

21 hours ago, Handcruser said:

Renown’s had that finish too.

I remember seeing this on reverb….still there. Price dropped. It says a 2008 build year so it’s the renown generation made 100% USA, 7 ply NA Maple…..supposed to be die cast hoops. Only issue is it’s not really a rock sized kit with the 20 kick and only 14 floor. And this owner apparently swapped out the die cast for 302s it appears. But rare to see these at all

https://reverb.com/item/66162994-rare-gretsch-renown-4-piece-blue-metal-20-10-12-14?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=17432840058&utm_content=campaignid=17432840058_adgroupid=134779414742_productpartitionid=1685491152711=merchantid=707384714_productid=66162994_keyword=_device=c_adposition=_matchtype=_creative=602628468407&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7PSQysnVgAMVVSvUAR2thwHsEAQYASABEgIgrfD_BwE

 

 

[jimmyjazz 46184]

Pulled the trigger today . . . 4-pc shell pack (Gretsch Renown "Vintage Pearl", 22x18, 16x14, 12x8, 10x7).  No hardware or snare.  Ordered from Tommy's in Austin, I figured it was kind of a dick move to get a lot of advice from his shop and then buy from Sweetwater to save $150.  Should be in next week.  Next up, cases and a kick pedal.  Tama Iron Cobra or DW D5000, surly drummers?

[Handcruser 2805]

Dw9000.

I have the 5000 (double) and I want the 9000.

I had the MFG pedal and Hihat and much prefer the 9000.

But - out of those 2 5000 hands down.

https://store.dwdrums.com/p/dwcp5000ad4xf-5000-accelerator-xf-single-pedal?pp=10

https://store.dwdrums.com/p/dwcp9000-9000-series-single-bass-drum-pedal?pp=10

This thing was so complicated I got tired of tuning it:

https://store.dwdrums.com/p/dwcpmcd2-machined-chain-drive-double-pedal-w-case?pp=10

Congrats on the pearl!!!!!!

[Handcruser 2805]

Dw9000.

I have the 5000 (double) and I want the 9000.

I had the MFG pedal and Hihat and much prefer the 9000.

But - out of those 2 5000 hands down.

https://store.dwdrums.com/p/dwcp5000ad4xf-5000-accelerator-xf-single-pedal?pp=10

https://store.dwdrums.com/p/dwcp9000-9000-series-single-bass-drum-pedal?pp=10

This thing was so complicated I got tired of tuning it:

https://store.dwdrums.com/p/dwcpmcd2-machined-chain-drive-double-pedal-w-case?pp=10

Congrats on the pearl!!!!!!

[Handcruser 2805]

Tommy is good people by the way. I hope he gets fibes going again - they’re great. He’s had a tough run over the last 10 years so I always support him when I can.

Tommy is good people by the way. I hope he gets fibes going again - they’re great. He’s had a tough run over the last 10 years so I always support him when I can.

[ohchaucer 1443]

Nice, JJ! And agree. DW hardware is great and rugged. I have switched over time to Yamaha hardware primarily but I had a DW kick that got the absolute shit beat out of it for years and it never failed me.

And agree on Tommy. I miss that place in its older glory. I have an Austin badged Fibes kit that I’ve told the story about here. But I still have it set up as my playing kit. It has a few other pieces but I normally play the “large” setup with one rack and two floor. It’s sounds great.

You know what else is gonna sound great? Those Gretches!

Nice, JJ! And agree. DW hardware is great and rugged. I have switched over time to Yamaha hardware primarily but I had a DW kick that got the absolute shit beat out of it for years and it never failed me.

And agree on Tommy. I miss that place in its older glory. I have an Austin badged Fibes kit that I’ve told the story about here. But I still have it set up as my playing kit. It has a few other pieces but I normally play the “large” setup with one rack and two floor. It’s sounds great.

You know what else is gonna sound great? Those Gretches!

[jimmyjazz 46184]

What's the upside of the DW D9000 pedal over the D 5000?  Other than price?  Ha!

[sidis 9832]

well, well, well...look who has coming crawling back for some of that sweet, sweet dw quality.

 

on a serious note, @ohchaucer, @rungeflash, and @Handcruser, now that i am rocking and rolling with this set, i have no idea what i am doing maintenance wise.  what is your maintenance regimen for your drums, cymbals and hardware?  which lube do you use, what do you lube, and how often?  what about cymbal stuff?  anything you do to hardware beside keep shiny?

[Handcruser 2805]

What's the upside of the DW D9000 pedal over the D 5000?  Other than price?  Ha!

It’s smoother. More adjustable. Built a little better.

Both are great. Plenty of pros play 5000 pedals.

But daughters usually get the 9000’s.

[Handcruser 2805]

well, well, well...look who has coming crawling back for some of that sweet, sweet dw quality.
 
on a serious note, [mention=820]ohchaucer[/mention], [mention=1502]rungeflash[/mention], and [mention=214]Handcruser[/mention], now that i am rocking and rolling with this set, i have no idea what i am doing maintenance wise.  what is your maintenance regimen for your drums, cymbals and hardware?  which lube do you use, what do you lube, and how often?  what about cymbal stuff?  anything you do to hardware beside keep shiny?

Keep the lugs lubed
Polish your cymbals if you want. The petina can change tone. You don’t need to worry about that.

Other than that, play ‘em.

[jimmyjazz 46184]

20 minutes ago, sidis said:

well, well, well...look who has coming crawling back for some of that sweet, sweet dw quality.

In all seriousness, no argument about quality.  It's just the giant circular lugs that I hate.  The rest?  Top notch.

[sidis 9832]

1 hour ago, Handcruser said:

Keep the lugs lubed
Polish your cymbals if you want. The petina can change tone. You don’t need to worry about that.

Other than that, play ‘em.

How often do you live the lugs to “keep them lubed?”

[ohchaucer 1443]

Yeah DW has never been my cup of tea but they are beyond good quality.  And the hardware is bad-ass.  You don’t get to be THE name in pro touring gear for nothin’

I probably don’t have enough finesse, but I personally wouldn’t notice much difference between 5 and 9 series pedals. Maybe double kick but I never play double. IMO, save the money for stacked cymbals and other cool noise-making shit. 
 

I also probably should do more maintenance but I don’t ever use any lubricant on lugs. I do make sure they’re clean and in good shape whenever I change heads. And unless you’re filming a music video for 1980s hair band, don’t polish those cymbals! (Personal opinion)

[Handcruser 2805]

How often do you live the lugs to “keep them lubed?”

Not very often - if your changing heads a lot then maybe once a year if that.

I had an issue on my bass drum where my Tom holder wasn’t holding tension. A little lubed fixed it right up. It hasn’t been lubed for prob 20 years.

Drums are pretty maintenance free. Change heads when they need it and go.

Keep a microfiber cloth handy and wipe down what’s wet. If it isn’t wet - don’t worry about it.

Yours are wrapped right? If shells are dirty/dusty get a mild cleaner (like misty) and get a towel and clean them off.

Jimmy I almost stopped by Tommy’s today around 1. We’re you there then?

[rungeflash 322]

On 8/18/2023 at 5:24 PM, sidis said:

well, well, well...look who has coming crawling back for some of that sweet, sweet dw quality.

 

on a serious note, @ohchaucer, @rungeflash, and @Handcruser, now that i am rocking and rolling with this set, i have no idea what i am doing maintenance wise.  what is your maintenance regimen for your drums, cymbals and hardware?  which lube do you use, what do you lube, and how often?  what about cymbal stuff?  anything you do to hardware beside keep shiny?

sidis, if your kit is always inside, never outside or in humid areas….i would not lube the tuning rods/lugs at all….unless they became extremely difficult to turn. If those do get lubed, they tend to back off too easily and the drum will lose the tune. Not sure if your kit has them or not….but DW is about the only company that uses fine pitched threads on those rods….like 50/inch. It gives you more infinite tuning but it also takes more turns to tighten those down. Be careful with those and be sure they’re squared up before torquing those down. Almost every other drum company uses standard threads, so if you lose a DW true pitch rod do not grab a standard rod by accident to replace.
 

Now hardware like the kick pedal or high hat stand….absolutely lube those mechanisms per DWs recommendation on lube type.

I believe your DWs are finished with a clear coat….so a microfiber rag and a detail spray (something like mcguries quick detail spray) would be just fine. If you really want to get snazzy, you could add a carnuba wax occasionally.

Cymbals can be polished….however, some come out of the factory with a coating on top. You cannot polish those, just wipe them down. Personally I do not polish cymbals….just a wipe clean occasionally. The sound will darken slightly over time. My zildjian K Custom Brilliant ride has darkened and it sounds better now than when I pulled it out of the box.

[rungeflash 322]

On 8/18/2023 at 2:18 PM, jimmyjazz said:

Pulled the trigger today . . . 4-pc shell pack (Gretsch Renown "Vintage Pearl", 22x18, 16x14, 12x8, 10x7).  No hardware or snare.  Ordered from Tommy's in Austin, I figured it was kind of a dick move to get a lot of advice from his shop and then buy from Sweetwater to save $150.  Should be in next week.  Next up, cases and a kick pedal.  Tama Iron Cobra or DW D5000, surly drummers?

Looks nice! But the floor is not squared off….16x14. I guess the burnt orange kit is the only renown to get the squared off floors 14x14 and 16x16. Also the 22x14 kick

Regardless it’s a very nice kit and will sound and look great

[jimmyjazz 46184]

51 minutes ago, rungeflash said:

Looks nice! But the floor is not squared off….16x14. I guess the burnt orange kit is the only renown to get the squared off floors 14x14 and 16x16.

Currently the Renown Limited, which is natural mahogany, has a 16x16 tom and a 22x14 kick.

The standard Renown line has a 16x16 tom bundled with a 24x14 kick and 13x9 tom, with or without a 14x6.5 snare.  She wanted neither kick, so we compromised on the floor tom (and rack toms) to get the right kick.  If things take off, after-market single drums are options.  She can pay for those.

[rungeflash 322]

I was going to port my factory white coated kick reso, but decided I’d try a different head altogether. This is a single ply ebony ambassador. Got the little port cutting tool (which worked great btw) and the protective ring. I really like the sound of it, also easy to maneuver any dampening inside the drum. The beater bounces (dribbles) quite a bit less off the batter head. A different playing experience for sure versus unported. 
 

 

[ohchaucer 1443]

I’m fully on Team Port. Runge, what is that floor mat/rug you’re using?

[jimmyjazz 46184]

I cut the port in my daughter's current kick drum by hand.  I will not be making that mistake again.  The Renowns will get the tool + protecting ring.  Since we're swapping out the batter head for the Aquarian Super Kick II (already here), I suspect we'll try the unported reso head first, maybe with interior damping, just to see how it sounds.

[rungeflash 322]

3 hours ago, ohchaucer said:

I’m fully on Team Port. Runge, what is that floor mat/rug you’re using?

The top rug is a zildjian drum rug. Underneath that is a couple of squares of rubber gym flooring….leftover from when I converted a bedroom into a workout room. Then of course the carpet and carpet pad. I figured the more layers separating the concrete slab from the drum kit the better.