bass drum batter is sluggish? is there anyway to correct this? I never had this problem when I used to play the 22"

the way to correct this is to use a smaller drum (or pack it with pillows and blankets against the batter but then you'll kick will sound like paper) you could also crank the head tension but again, that will defeat the purpose of a big bass drum.

bigger bass drums will be sluggish. one of the things you have to deal with when going to bigger drums. if you want i tighter feel stick with 20 or 22 inch drums. with the right heads and tuning you can make an 20 inch kick sound HUGE! especially with the right sound man.

but the sluggish feel just comes with the territory. bigger bass drum just arent really made for fast intricite (spelling) foot work. the drum is just to big and boomy. im not saying it cant be done. just takes the right heads and a great tuning ear. also wooden or plastic beater will help with the attack if you're also having a problem with that.









Last edited by drummert2k on Thu May 03, 2007 8:28 pm; edited 2 times in total

I gotta agree 26" is really an unnecessary drum size in the world of mics ect

that maybe so....

drummert2k wrote:

if you want i tighter feel stick with 18 or 22 inch drums.

There's a Gretsch kit in our store that has an 18"
It has a bracket that holds the rim off the ground and places the center of the drum right where the beater strikes
You have to extend the spurs but the side effect is that it brings the drum completely off the ground
That kick stands up to most of the 22's on the floor
We have a 26" Gretsch kick and it does have the sluggish problem








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Yeah. It's a simple matter of physics. A 26" drum has to move more air than an 18" or 20". Smaller kicks tend to sound tighter and deeper, because they focus more. Larger kicks look cool on stage, but can sound like doody if you can't control the air in the drum.








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well...you can't expect to have a big drum with a small sound. if you can get a good head and tune it right then you can get an amazing thunderous sound out of a 26". or you can get a head with a muffle ring or put a folded blanket along the bottom of the inside to get a deep but muffled sound.








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Speak the rhythm with your hands.

http://www.myspace.com/yjamband



Pearls, Zildjians, Vics, Evans.

Bonham wasn't very "sluggish"








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Tama Starclassic Birch kit #2
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jeff ocheltree (i believe that was bonhams drum tech) is a genius when it comes to the science behind drum tuning.








_________________
Speak the rhythm with your hands.

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Pearls, Zildjians, Vics, Evans.

Here is a link to another drum tuning genius: Bob Gatzen


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHABZtDxRTE

I hope it helps you!


Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com

http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw

For all the fast bass drum stuff that I have to play, I found that smaller bass drums give a much better response and definition to the sound.

However, you can make them much deeper to really get them sounding like canons... you could even add a bass drum woofer to get even more.








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thanks for the good info guys

yeah. i have an 22"x18" and its nice and punchy. the key is to actually tune the heads just the opposite of other drums. with snare/toms, you tune loose for a low sound and vice versa... with a BD, tune it tight for a warmer, beefier sound, since the drum is bigger, you need more tension to bounce the sound off of a larger interior. so go smaller, tune tight, and youll get depth AND response!








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lowdrummer wrote:

Bonham wasn't very "sluggish"

I agree.....so what did he do different?

Bonham Cranked the shit out of is resonant and about the same but a little less for his batter. I have jeff ocheltree's(bonhams tech) DVD, he shows you the sets, and the tunings bonham used in the studio and on stage. But yeah, crank those heads up like a snare drum and you'll get the bite and definition you're looking for. Also get some felt strips to focus the sound, rather than blankets which will dampen alot more than you need, specially if you tune up tight