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Thread: Floor Tom Tuning

  1. #1

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    Default Floor Tom Tuning

    I'm having a little trouble getting the sound I want out of my floor tom. It's a 16X16 Gretsch Catalina Maple with a Remo coated emperor on the batter and a coated ambassador on the reso. I'm looking for that deep growl that I hear from some floor toms. Any tips?

    Thanks!
    Gretsch Catalina Maple (Broken down to a 4pc)
    Sabian XS Cymbals
    Paiste Signature 14" Hi Hats

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Floor Tom Tuning

    try to match pitches at the first point you hear the drum resonate
    ZildjianLeague/LP/Aquarian/Mapex/Pearl
    Snares: 4
    RIP- Frank, Wolvie, Les Paul
    Quote Originally Posted by Pearl MCX Man View Post
    I wish I was your wife
    Quote Originally Posted by amdrummer View Post
    if double bass is cheating then so is using two sticks

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  3. #3

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    Default Re: Floor Tom Tuning

    acq1, aside from the heads you are using, tell us what you have done so far. Also maybe you can explain a little better what growl you are looking to get. The reason I suggest this is that I get what I could call a growl from my 16X16 floor tom (also a Catalina Maple), and I am using a Remo coated Ambassador as the batter, and the stock Remo UT head as the resonant head. I am guessing that your idea of "growl" might be different from mine.
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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  4. #4

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    Default Re: Floor Tom Tuning

    Usually I try to tune it a quarter to a half turn past finger tight. What ends up happening is a thud rather than I nice fdeep resonate sound. I use very little muffling on all of my drums. Basicall just a pillow in the kick and a moongel on the snare. I will try to match pitches tonight just as it resonates and see what I get. Thanks!
    Gretsch Catalina Maple (Broken down to a 4pc)
    Sabian XS Cymbals
    Paiste Signature 14" Hi Hats

  5. #5

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    Default Re: Floor Tom Tuning

    acq1, that thud may be because you have the coated Ambassador as the resonant head. You're looking for a sound that's a little more open, but this low, so you probably want a single ply clear head on the resonant side to go with that coated Ambassador on the batter side.
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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  6. #6

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    Default Re: Floor Tom Tuning

    PB is spot on. Heads make a huge differance and in this case the coated is not going to get you the sound you looking for.

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Floor Tom Tuning

    I get my growl from Two-Ply clear heads.

    My Pearls and SC's have Evans g2 clears on top and g1's or Remo clear Ambassadors on the bottom.
    Signature here

  8. #8

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    Default Re: Floor Tom Tuning

    OK. So if I keep my coated emperor on the batter and grab a clear ambassador for the reso that would help?
    Gretsch Catalina Maple (Broken down to a 4pc)
    Sabian XS Cymbals
    Paiste Signature 14" Hi Hats

  9. #9

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    Default Re: Floor Tom Tuning

    Yes, that should take you from the "thud" to more of a "growl."
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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  10. #10

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    Default Re: Floor Tom Tuning

    if they are new heads yeah. the 2 ply top will give you the low pitch, and the single ply bottom will help sustain it beautifully
    ZildjianLeague/LP/Aquarian/Mapex/Pearl
    Snares: 4
    RIP- Frank, Wolvie, Les Paul
    Quote Originally Posted by Pearl MCX Man View Post
    I wish I was your wife
    Quote Originally Posted by amdrummer View Post
    if double bass is cheating then so is using two sticks

    Forum Rules
    DrumBum
    No metronome?
    The Rudiments

  11. #11

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    Default Re: Floor Tom Tuning

    floor tom should be tuned to match the mounted toms
    when you hit tom 1, tom 2 then the floor tom
    they should sound something like "connected" or "in sequence"

  12. #12

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    Smile Re: Floor Tom Tuning

    Quote Originally Posted by acq1 View Post
    I'm having a little trouble getting the sound I want out of my floor tom. It's a 16X16 Gretsch Catalina Maple with a Remo coated emperor on the batter and a coated ambassador on the reso. I'm looking for that deep growl that I hear from some floor toms. Any tips?

    Thanks!
    Hi, i am new to this site, but saw your intersting note on the floor tom and its tuning, i think most people struggle with tuning floor toms the most, i have tried many techniques .. i always start with bottom tom, do baby turns until creases go, then do the top same style, then go back and up the tone on bottom head then retune top head, i find this makes a fantastic sound, i also use some muffling if desired to rid of any unpleasant rings or over tones,

    hope this works for you too.
    daz c.

  13. #13

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    Default Re: Floor Tom Tuning

    +1 on the sequence idea
    ZildjianLeague/LP/Aquarian/Mapex/Pearl
    Snares: 4
    RIP- Frank, Wolvie, Les Paul
    Quote Originally Posted by Pearl MCX Man View Post
    I wish I was your wife
    Quote Originally Posted by amdrummer View Post
    if double bass is cheating then so is using two sticks

    Forum Rules
    DrumBum
    No metronome?
    The Rudiments

  14. #14

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    Default Re: Floor Tom Tuning

    "Growl" is a subjective term, but if you're looking for a wide open resonant sound, or better "boom" from your floor toms (I also have Catalina Maple kit), I'd suggest going with a good 2 ply clear head, and I use the Evans resonant heads on the bottom. If not those, then you want to use a thin single ply of any kind on the bottom - that provides more resonance and doesn't stifle the sound. Tune both sides to the same pitch. Also, like someone mentioned above, tune each lug to the same pitch as your mounted toms (the bigger drums will naturally lower the tone overall, and you get a more natural step progression in tone across all toms as you strike each one on the way down.

    Using this method, my floor toms have a delicious thundering boom to them - I love it.
    My Kit: Gretsch Catalina Maple 6 piece (1 up, two down, 1 not used); Pearl 12" Porkpie Snare; Sabian cymbals (except the Zildjian 20" med. ride); Evans EC-2 heads all around with G1 resos; DW-8002b double pedals.

  15. #15

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    Default Re: Floor Tom Tuning

    get rid of the res head , its killing the sound

  16. #16

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    Default Re: Floor Tom Tuning

    Quote Originally Posted by itchie View Post
    get rid of the res head , its killing the sound
    I wouldn't agree with that. A properly tuned res head that's tonally matched with the batter head has always yielded far richer and fuller response in my experience. But, it's a matter of opinion of course.
    My Kit: Gretsch Catalina Maple 6 piece (1 up, two down, 1 not used); Pearl 12" Porkpie Snare; Sabian cymbals (except the Zildjian 20" med. ride); Evans EC-2 heads all around with G1 resos; DW-8002b double pedals.

  17. #17

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    Default Re: Floor Tom Tuning

    Thanks everyone. I have been tinkering with this for a few weeks and have discovered a way that works for me. Similar to what someone had mentioned I tune the res head first. Give it only about a half turn or so. Then I do the same to the top. I pitch up the res to try to match my rack tom's res as close as possible. Then I go back and try to match the pitch of the batters to the resos. Seems to work good for me, but now I just have to decide how high or low to pitch the drums. Thanks for the tips guys I have been using a combination of a lot of your methods.
    Gretsch Catalina Maple (Broken down to a 4pc)
    Sabian XS Cymbals
    Paiste Signature 14" Hi Hats

  18. #18

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    Default Re: Floor Tom Tuning

    Getting the right sound depends a lot on you and what you are looking for. Sequencing is is the foundation then the fine tuning from that point is up to you. Heads do make a differance. I use Evans on my entire kit. Glad the forum is able to help you.

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