How to get your rack toms so low?

[SPLASH]

I see drummer all the time with they're rack toms flat and below them, by they're knees. I can't lower mine that low because my bass drum stops them from going that low. How do they doit

[UnderFire]

There are two ways I know how to do it, you can mount the tom arm on a cymbal arm with a clamp or or on snare drum stands

[dave0549jv]

My old exports had super deep toms, i couldnt ever get my 13" tom as low as i wanted because of it. i eventually just stopped using it.

could also be a chronic aversion to the number 13...

[Pearl MCX Man]

Magic that's how. How else?

[xsabers]

Offset the toms. Or get short stacks...

[AlexGoodwin]

The fad nowadays is to have the tom round the same height as you snare, the only ways to do it are with snare stands (like me :D) and with a clamp

Like this -
Clamp-
Snare Stand-

[Nechre]

Or a rack, like myself.

[tah821]

offset the toms. Or get short stacks...

+1

[yohin]

Offsetting toms and using snare stands, like what's already been said. But if you have toms any deep than 9" or 10" you'll run into trouble getting them that low.

[bloodylipp]

yep, people can do it more cause they are getting smaller tom sizes and toms that are not as deep. so if you have a 12 and 13, its gonna be pretty tough. your other option if you really have to look cool and be like everyone else is sit supre high.

for me, ill tilt my toms and play comfy.

[=^-..-^=]

Remember: the ball and L rod on your tom holder can go straight DOWN as well as up. That's how I mount my 12" so low. You can kinda see it here in this pic:



It shows up better on this pic of my old kit:

[xweasel]

I can get my 12" and 13" toms down low enough so that I don't have to move so much to reach them.

But then I have my seat up as high as it can go and my snare is real high up too. Because I'm 6'4", I don't have much trouble at all reaching them.

[Martinez12]

I can get my 12" and 13" toms down low enough so that I don't have to move so much to reach them.

But then I have my seat up as high as it can go and my snare is real high up too. Because I'm 6'4", I don't have much trouble at all reaching them.

I guess that's not his case though.. lol

[IAmNotATable]

I mount mine with a clamp off of the cymbal stand. I also play a simple four piece kit, so if you have a 12" and a 13", it's a problem. Even if you offset them, there's not enough room for both. Short stacks are how people do this flawlessly. I setup my kit that way, but I try to creep the rack tom up the bass drum as far as I can. So it does end up looking much more normal, and I like it that way. I just had to fix the height of some of my stuff, mainly the snare and throne.

If your kit is the typical first-kit setup, then a clamp will solve your problem. It'll set you back anywhere from 10 to 25 bucks.

On a side note, the l-rod that goes into the mounting on my tom broke. Both did, actually. So I've ordered a DW mount to screw in to the rack tom, then I'll get an actual L-rod. Should look much better.

[dave0549jv]

It shows up better on this pic of my old kit:

Woah, how have I never seen this kit before!!?

[IAmNotATable]

I too found that kit very busy, and therefore entertaining.

[Nik276]

The fad nowadays is to have the tom round the same height as you snare, the only ways to do it are with snare stands (like me :D) and with a clamp

Like this -
Clamp-
Snare Stand-

Do you have trouble getting from the rack to the floor when you're playing fast?

[=^-..-^=]

Woah, how have I never seen this kit before!!?

Yes, How could you have missed it? It was visible from space when I covered them that way.

I was real happy with that finish - for about 3 months, then it got old

But you can see the toms stand is at its lowest setting, and both tom L-rods are inverted to get the toms lower, so I guess they were really "7-rods"

[kourso]

I have the same problem, not being able to get the 12 & 13" toms down to a level where I am totally comfortable. I have to really raise the Tom rack mounting bar out of the bass quite a bit to be able to then angle/tilt the toms downward to a point within 1 in. of either one hitting the bass drum. I love for my snare/toms rims to be even with each other, giving a nice flat uniform flow from one drum to the other when moving across the drumset.
I always had it this way on my old 4 pc. as well.
I am short, like 5' 6" so I am at a big disadvantage on this. I have tried to raise my drum throne and snare stand several times.
I thought I could adjust the two toms to a flat, level position and then lower the tom rack mount bar downward into the bass and get them much lower than what they are now but that doesn't work. The bass drum is always within striking distance with the toms still too high compared to the snare height.
This is a good question on a sizable problem for a lot of drummers.
I hope someone can give some advice and solution.

[AussieDrummer]

I have the same problem, not being able to get the 12 & 13" toms down to a level where I am totally comfortable. I have to really raise the Tom rack mounting bar out of the bass quite a bit to be able to then angle/tilt the toms downward to a point within 1 in. of either one hitting the bass drum. I love for my snare/toms rims to be even with each other, giving a nice flat uniform flow from one drum to the other when moving across the drumset.
I always had it this way on my old 4 pc. as well.
I am short, like 5' 6" so I am at a big disadvantage on this. I have tried to raise my drum throne and snare stand several times.
I thought I could adjust the two toms to a flat, level position and then lower the tom rack mount bar downward into the bass and get them much lower than what they are now but that doesn't work. The bass drum is always within striking distance with the toms still too high compared to the snare height.
This is a good question on a sizable problem for a lot of drummers.
I hope someone can give some advice and solution.

You need to get a kit with toms that are not attached to the kick.

[Russ]

Try a 20" bass drum sometime. Go to your local drum shop, and ask to sit behind and play a kit with that size, and see how it feels. You might fall in love with the idea!

[AlexGoodwin]

Do you have trouble getting from the rack to the floor when you're playing fast?

To be honest, I cant say I really notice it, maybe its the music I play, but I'm not really aware that its so much harder to reach the floor from the rack tom

[kourso]

I really love my Mapex Bass drum, oh, how that sucker is sooo deep and booming.
I don't think I could go down to a smaller Bass drum after having this one.
I am not sure if it is a 20 or 22" but I have a stardard drumset.
I JUST WANT my toms down, down, down. I didn't think it would be a major ordeal to get that done on a stardard set !!!!

[kaosotis]

I really love my Mapex Bass drum, oh, how that sucker is sooo deep and booming.
I don't think I could go down to a smaller Bass drum after having this one.
I am not sure if it is a 20 or 22" but I have a stardard drumset.
I JUST WANT my toms down, down, down. I didn't think it would be a major ordeal to get that done on a stardard set !!!!

Probably not going to be able to get it where you want with standard size 12 and 13" toms like you have. The flat drums thing is kind of new, and is really personal preference. Personally it would feel weird to me to have flat toms, but that's probably from being used to them titled for so long.

Your kick is 22" by the way.

So you happy with them? I don't think I ever heard.

[areFish]

If your short like me (5' 6"), getting the toms off the kick is a must if your trying to go flat. Couple of clamps should do it.