HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

I converted a bass drum to a 'free floating' design like drums were made in the olden days. This entailed removing the lugs from the wooden shell. These are held on by screws through to the inside of the drum. These lugs are what the tension bolts screw in to - the bolts that are tightened or loosened to change the tension of the head (skin) and thus change the pitch of the drum. I also removed the tom tom mount on the top and the spurs which stop the drum moving when playing. Well the drum doesn't move on carpet with those removed. I use a homemade rack so don't need the mount for the tom toms.

So now i have a drum with lots of holes in it that need plugging and the drum needs recovering. The idea behind removing all the metal work from the shell is to let the wood vibrate to it's full potential rather than being hindered by lots of heavy metal. The tone of the drum is said to improve and it has.

To enable the skins to be tensioned i cut ten lengths of 6 mm round brass bar to just the right length and put threads on each end to accept nylon locking nuts. The drum can be tensioned now without anything touching the wooden shell. Only thing is now the top and bottom heads have exactly the same tension. Before this modification you could tune the bottom head higher which is useful in some situations.

I plan to do this to all my drums and recover them in the same finish. Rack and cymbal holders are all home made out of 50 mm square aluminum box section and the cymbals sit on lengths of 8 mm aluminum round solid bar. Not sure how to finish the aluminum ye. It doesn't take paint well unless you use etching primer. I could just polish it up and put some lacquer on to make it as similar to chrome as i can.

I will put some pictures up when i can be arsed. Not exactly a home made drum kit but parts of it are and they will all be modified in some way. Just can't help myself. One good thing about it is other drummers who happen to use it won't be able to change any settings or the arrangement. Nothing i hate more than others fffing about with your kit when you told them not to. Hi hat stand doesn't have any legs anymore as it is clamped to the rack and acts as one of the four legs to stabilise the rack.

Played at a wedding last night. Everything went according to plan. Very posh place.

Two hours of playing with a break in the middle. Finished playing at 11.30 and got home 12.30. Left drums in the car except cymbals and snare as i really could not be arsed to put them away. Had a few cans when i got home and went to bed at 2am. I am always pumped up after a gig and can't get to sleep so i knew i needed to dull the brain a little with a few beers.

Weddings are very entertaining when you are sober and observing whilst playing. Some very amusing drunks around and some bad dancing. Also some attractive eye candy in varying amounts of clothing which is also a bonus. We got a request for a Fleetwood Mac song and there wasn't one in the set list. The rest of the band knew one as it is on their list of songs to chose the set from. I agreed to learn it in the car during the break between sets . Half an hour later i was playing The chain to a very appreciative audience and it went without incident. Result.

I hope to get quite a few gigs from this band as a kind of job share with their regular drummer.

Played a gig at a popular music pub in York last night. Highly amusing watching the drunks. Crowd was very good, lots of dancing and singing along. The best bit was a group of lads who during jumping jack flash took it in turns to do their best jagger impressions. We were in stitches .

Don't enjoy the setting up and packing down very much but until i can afford a roadie i will just have to endure it. Bit old for groupies now.

Last nights set list

Jumping Jack Flash
I Saw Her Standing There
Tainted Love
Brass In Pocket
The Chain
Hanging on the Telephone
Rocks (Get Your Rocks Off)
Shut up and dance
I Can’t Explain
Somebody Told Me
Dakota
Mr Brightside
Kiss
Locked out of heaven
Superstition
Times Like These
Disco 2000
I Predict a Riot (Diet)
I Love rock n roll (sausage rolls)
Are you gonna be my girl
Bet you look good on the dance floor
Valerie
7 Nation Army
---
Don’t Want To Miss A Thing (yeah really)

What’s the name of ur group- post if if in York or near Doncaster again

That group is called The Players. I am on a job share so its 50% chance of me being there. Doing a wedding in Donny on 7 September.

No way- I’m getting married on the 7th






Not

You’re welcome to come and see me set up

:I'm getting married on the 14th September. Sadly the doc can't come.

Edit

I've just seen the bottom of your post. So you are not getting married. Sort of makes my post superflous

A few pics of my main drum kit (it changes now and again). Yes i have been busy with the camera.



The 20" kick drum and two toms above(12" & 14") are Premier Genista from the 1990's. Very much sought after. The two floor toms are Pearl Export 16" & 18" monsters. I love those two drums as they go so deep and make the Led Zep tracks we play sound a bit more authentic. More on the bass drum later.



The rack i designed and made myself except the Pearl clamps that hold the square box section on the round tube uprights. All metal was salvaged from something else on the farm and it's all aluminum so very light. I made it as small and easy to set up / take down as possible and still leave scope for adjustments.The hi hat stand has had it's legs removed and acts as one of the four uprights for the rack. A stroke of genius there.



The cymbals are supported by 8mm aluminum rods that are screwed in to the rack - bit of tap and die work went on here. They obviously can't be moved so i had to make damn sure that was where they needed to be. If i need to re position then i will have to drill and tap another hole. Can't see that happening as i am settles on this set up now and should last me out. The 8mm rods can be bent a bit to perfect the position and angle of the cymbal.

The rack is still unfinished as i need to paint and put some plastic stoppers in the ends of the tubes. I have managed to spray the left hand section of the aluminum box section with etching primer. Paint does not stay very well on aluminum so you need etching primer which works well. Haven't decided on top coat colour yet and it will need some clear lacquer over the top of that to protect.

stu