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Thread: Anyone Ever Convert a Floor Tom

  1. #1

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    Default Anyone Ever Convert a Floor Tom

    Caitlin did an acoustic show with her band yesterday and used a modified kit. Just snare, bass drum, High hat and a tambourine.

    She has 16" floor Tom that she doesn't use and I was wondering, has anyone ever converted a floor tom into a mini bass drum?

    If yes, I have two questions.

    1. How do you make the conversion? ( attach the pedal and add legs)
    2. How do you make it sound more like a BD and not a floor tom?

    Thanks for the help. Chris

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Anyone Ever Convert a Floor Tom

    I was considering converting an old set with a converted floor tom (into a bass drum). There are kits you can get to do this conversion. If you're planning on playing in small venues, this is the way to go.

  3. #3

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    Yamaha C__O__C__K__tail drum kit. You might be able to use just the pedal and rig it to Catlin's floor tom?
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdAIG-NCUTE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdAIG-NCUTE[/ame]
    Last edited by late8; 09-09-2010 at 01:39 PM.

  4. #4

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    Default Re: Anyone Ever Convert a Floor Tom

    Quote Originally Posted by late8 View Post

    Yamaha C__O__C__K__tail drum kit. You might be able to use just the pedal and rig it to Catlin's floor tom?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdAIG-NCUTE
    OH boy what will they think of next? this works...but its weird...of course this is coming from an Old dude!!
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  5. #5

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    Default Re: Anyone Ever Convert a Floor Tom

    Found this DIY inverted bass drum pedal for floor tom conversion on another forum:


    Quoted from another drum forum "Osakabop" writes:

    "I reversed a simple Pearl P-120 pedal and there is no loss of power at all- I use it to perform live all the time. Striking at an angle may mean that your pedal adjustments and the height of the upright bass drums need to be adjusted.

    The height is exactly 10" from the floor to the drum head. For me this is a constant - I put memory locks on the 3 floor tom legs to make set up quicker and it`s always the same distance. For muffling I throw a thin plastic dry cleaners bag into the upright ****tail drum.

    This lightly rests on the bottom head providing just enough muffling for me. For the top head I use muffle rings- Remo O-rings pictured here but I also cut my own from old drum heads as well- it`s a really easy way to recycle used heads. I often place three concentric O-rings - pictured here is a 16" 13" and 12" fitting right inside each other.

    I can take them on and off as I need during the performance. I also have a small black towel I will sometimes throw onto the top head for added muffling for a given song or a really small venue. You can really adjust the bass drum sound on the fly with an upright. Also during playing you can push the bass drum beater up into the head to change the batter sound for an added effect. Doubling effects are also achievable if you tune the bottom and top heads the same.

    In general for tuning, the bottom head is tuned as low as possible and then tighten up just a hair above wrinkle. The top head is one step above that- low as possible, then just above wrinkle and then 1/2 turn of the key all around. I think of that as "low as you can go" on the bottom and then "1-Step Up" on the top I change it up.

    I use both this Blue Onyx 16x16" and a White pearl Vision 14x14 as upright bass drums- believe it or not, if mic'd properly the 14x14 can sound big and fat. Easy to carry!
    For the pedal- as I said 10" from the floor. The Pearl p-120 was not hard to flip around. I put some felt to cushion the moving chain section. I adjusted the pedal board height to get enough play and finally adjust spring tension. No problems."
    End quote

    I hope this helps!

  6. #6

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    Default Re: Anyone Ever Convert a Floor Tom

    So I just ordered the Pearl Conversion Kit. It was $29.

    Now my question is....how do we tune or dampen it to sound more like a bass drum? Any thoughts.

    And drum head suggestions?

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Anyone Ever Convert a Floor Tom

    Quote Originally Posted by Kaliguitar View Post
    So I just ordered the Pearl Conversion Kit. It was $29. Now my question is....how do we tune or dampen it to sound more like a bass drum? Any thoughts. And drum head suggestions?
    I would use felt strips on both heads to muffle it down....

  8. #8

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    Default Re: Anyone Ever Convert a Floor Tom

    Gilbraltar R_Class Bop Conversion kit will answer all your daughter needs.



    Manufacturer link

    http://www.gibraltarhardware.com/ind...d=470&pid=2285
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  9. #9

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    Default Re: Anyone Ever Convert a Floor Tom

    Here's a cool idea I stumbled across this morning...


    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJcZ7FueR9c"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJcZ7FueR9c[/ame]

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  10. #10

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    Default Re: Anyone Ever Convert a Floor Tom

    Thanks CLRIZZ Nice! The BD sounds great. we'll do combination of this idea and a few others we've seen. I do like the all-in-one set up in this video.

  11. #11

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    Default Re: Anyone Ever Convert a Floor Tom

    Quote Originally Posted by Kaliguitar View Post
    So I just ordered the Pearl Conversion Kit. It was $29.

    Now my question is....how do we tune or dampen it to sound more like a bass drum? Any thoughts.

    And drum head suggestions?
    Quote from other forum...You must of missed it above so I'll post again:

    In general for tuning, the bottom head is tuned as low as possible and then tighten up just a hair above wrinkle. The top head is one step above that- low as possible, then just above wrinkle and then 1/2 turn of the key all around. I think of that as "low as you can go" on the bottom and then "1-Step Up" on the top I change it up.

    I use both this Blue Onyx 16x16" and a White pearl Vision 14x14 as upright bass drums- believe it or not, if mic'd properly the 14x14 can sound big and fat. Easy to carry!
    For the pedal- as I said 10" from the floor. The Pearl p-120 was not hard to flip around. I put some felt to cushion the moving chain section. I adjusted the pedal board height to get enough play and finally adjust spring tension. No problems." End quote
    Last edited by late8; 09-13-2010 at 01:18 PM.

  12. #12

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    Default Re: Anyone Ever Convert a Floor Tom

    Thanks so much...this is perfect!!!

  13. #13

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    Default Re: Anyone Ever Convert a Floor Tom

    Quote Originally Posted by MartyM View Post
    OH boy what will they think of next? this works...but its weird...of course this is coming from an Old dude!!
    cool video late 8. sounds alot like jo jo mayer
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  14. #14

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    Default Re: Anyone Ever Convert a Floor Tom

    Quote Originally Posted by drum'z View Post
    cool video late 8. sounds alot like jo jo mayer
    Thanks!

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