Why did I piss off the headline drummer?

[John Norris]

Re: Why did I piss off the headline drummer?

(only one manufacturer AFAIK offers a note target.. DW).

It's not a coincidence, either, that DW toms (except for the classic series - which is their vintage Ludwig homage; and the jazz series) come standard with damping rings on the batter heads, since the overtone damping makes it easier to tune to the desired fundamental note.

Another way to tune to a note relatively easy is to remove the bottom resonator head (a concert tom), which is how the old Ludwig Octoplus and Quadraplus and others were configured - toms that evoke the taped-down 1970s sound.

 

[John Roberts]

Re: Why did I piss off the headline drummer?

It's not a coincidence, either, that DW toms (except for the classic series - which is their vintage Ludwig homage; and the jazz series) come standard with damping rings on the batter heads, since the overtone damping makes it easier to tune to the desired fundamental note.

More evidence of what their customers want than anything else. The DW (shell resonance?) note target advice is for what I call the lug overtone (resonance mode 1,1), not the fundamental note (mode 0,1).

Another way to tune to a note relatively easy is to remove the bottom resonator head (a concert tom), which is how the old Ludwig Octoplus and Quadraplus and others were configured - toms that evoke the taped-down 1970s sound.

I don't know how easy that is if you have to reinstall the bottom head and re-tweak it every time you want to tune the top head. The two heads do interact so if you are playing with both heads mounted it is a good idea to tune with both heads mounted too (IMO).

In fact the lug resonance (mode 1,1) actually doesn't change after you mount the bottom head (which supports your approach for dialing in lug note), but the fundamental pitch and several other notes do change. I write about this and provide an example result at... http://www.resotune.com/About_drums.htm]About Drums

JR

 

[Dave Barnett]

Re: Why did I piss off the headline drummer?

It's not a coincidence, either, that DW toms (except for the classic series - which is their vintage Ludwig homage; and the jazz series) come standard with damping rings on the batter heads, since the overtone damping makes it easier to tune to the desired fundamental note.

I remember when DW drums came with Diplomats, and a little note that said "Please don't put 2-ply heads on this drum".

 

[John Norris]

Re: Why did I piss off the headline drummer?

I remember when DW drums came with Diplomats, and a little note that said "Please don't put 2-ply heads on this drum".

Diplomats? C'mon. Ambassadors, more likely.

Maybe Diplomats on the resonant head, sure; I and most drummers I know use them on the bottom, but DW's initial market, and still their primary one, is the rock n' roll market, not the jazz market, where the thin Diplomat would be more appropriate. (Although even for jazz, Diplomats on top still aren't that common, since most jazzers use either coated Ambassadors or Fiberskins, or the Evans or Aquarian equivalents.) Diplomats on top would suck big time for rock and R&B, unless one were going for a Motown tribute sound. Plus, they'd break much more easily under a rock assault.

The tom heads that they now ship with are still 1 ply, except for the area of the outer perimeter damping ring.

 

[Don Boomer]

Re: Drum tuning, what a concept..

Less,,, but some drummers think the cost is similarly out of reach. :-(

It probably seems that way because drummers never bought a tuner before. I broke down and bought one and it works great. I unfortunately tried to do it on the cheap and had also spent about half as much before on a Drum Dial before I bought the Resotune. But the Drum Dial didnt do the job so that expenditure turned out to be a complete waste of money. What was the old saying about buying the tool that actually does the job being the cheapest way to go ~~:smile:

 

[Jordan Lahr]

Or buy once cry once....