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Post by junkman306 on Jan 2, 2010 14:27:25 GMT -6
How do you guys do it? By ear? Drum dial? Torque key?
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Post by Rusty on Jan 3, 2010 19:09:35 GMT -6
I learned a cool trick from a guy that used to hang out here about tuning bassdrum heads. I tune by ear on the toms.Get the right pitch for each and then fine tune by by tapping about an inch from the edge in front of every bolt and match the pitch till the wave,or cycle is gone,just like tuning a guitar basically. lots of good videos on you tube. The best they can tell you is it's a preference thing. No clear cut answer.
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Post by junkman306 on Jan 8, 2010 8:52:55 GMT -6
Well, I picked up a drum dial as you see in my pic thread and I have to say it was money well spent. It got all of my tension rods in the same place (and boy were some way off lol) and from there I could tweak it to what i thought sounded good. For 12 year old heads, it's not half bad sound wise. ;D
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Post by em425c12 on Jan 8, 2010 12:00:57 GMT -6
*insert disparaging comment here about Junkman and 12 year old head*
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Post by Rusty on Jan 8, 2010 15:22:05 GMT -6
I had a guy tell me to put the 3/4 inch weatherstrip foam for you doors around the inside of the heads and it made these sound great. I loved the sound of his drums,and these sounds as good now. I'll snap a pic in a minute and post it for ya
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Post by bikerbassist on Jan 8, 2010 16:39:13 GMT -6
Tune like Rusty said. I never owned a dial in those 32 years of playin
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Post by junkman306 on Jan 8, 2010 17:44:28 GMT -6
Tune like Rusty said. I never owned a dial in those 32 years of playin Thats what I needed the dial for. It got me close. Then I just tuned by ear from there.
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Post by robotiko180 on Jan 13, 2010 3:11:56 GMT -6
I use a dial...they work good. They get the tone I'm looking for.
Robo
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Post by Rusty on Jan 13, 2010 14:38:44 GMT -6
I use a dial...they work good. They get the tone I'm looking for. Robo And that is the desired result no matter how you get there
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Post by mapexrick on Jan 30, 2010 17:35:07 GMT -6
I use the dial and the ear. I use the dial to get it close, then tap about an inch away from each lug to fine tune. I use to think the larger the drum, the lower the tuning on the lugs, which is true to a certain point. Old timer taught me to tune to the drum, which basically same tension (may be some differance between a 10" and a 16" tom), then fine tune by ear to assure they all match.
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Post by draynier on Feb 3, 2010 13:24:23 GMT -6
I've heard of some guys tuning thier heads to a bass guitar, Bass Drums to the E, each respective tomtom to D or G, and the bottom tom to A.
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Post by Rusty on Feb 3, 2010 14:36:14 GMT -6
I have actually been in a band with a drummer that did that. And it always sounded fine. Still even after you reach the right pitch you need to fine tune around the edge. I can hit the center of the head and if it has a cycle, or wobble in the pitch I can hear it,but I've been playing guitar so long I'm used to listening for that kind if thing,maybe it's something you have to train your ear for. Either way the drum will not sound right until the tension on all the points of the hoop are same tension. One thing to add,just because the tension on the bolt is the same doesn't mean the tension on the hoop is. There can be resistance in the threads of the lug,or dirty threads on the bolt itself,maybe a washer is missing, all this can affect the tuning of the drum. Also the contact points on the lip of the shell itself needs to be flat and free of nicks, I also her that some drummers wax the edge of the drum where the head contacts it. I haven't done this myself, maybe some one will chime in and express their experianced opinion since I'm a guitar player..lol
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