Results 1 to 14 of 14

Thread: bass tuning help

  1. #1

    User Info Menu

    Default bass tuning help

    I just switched over from an Evans Emad batter and Evan eq3 reso on my bass drum to a Coated Emperor batter and ebony ambassador reso and i'm having alot of trouble getting a good sound out of my bass. Ive been trying to go for a really boomy sound with alot of projection like bonham had, but i keep getting this really empty click with alot of overtones. I put a pillow in it and it helped a little bit, but it still is no where near a sound I like. Does anyone have any advice on how I should tune this to get a good sound?
    The drums!
    Tama Starclassic Birch 5 piece
    14x6.5 Brass Pork Pie big black snare
    12",14" DDrum Deccabons
    Batter- Aquarian Response 2 coated
    Reso- Aquarian Classic Coated

    The Cymbals!
    17" Paiste 2002 Wild Crash
    19" Paiste 2002 Power Crash
    20" Paiste 2002 Crash
    20" Paiste 2002 Ride
    14" Paiste 2002 Sound Edge Hi hats
    10" Wuhan Splash
    16" Wuhan China

  2. #2

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: bass tuning help

    This is a great method by Bob Gatzen. Check it out.

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga8Q12mKYxI"]YouTube - Bob Gatzen - Bass Drum Tuning[/ame]
    "it is what it is"

    "Dont rent anything you cant afford to burn in the backyard while drunk." - ThePloughman

  3. #3

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: bass tuning help

    empty click sound might be you have too much tension on your batter head, and make sure it is in sync, and resonating with your reso head. for a start, tune the two heads to the same note (pitch) at the fundamental note or 'sweet spot' for your kick drum. the coated batter works but you way want to put a 5 inch wide felt strip on either of those two heads, for a slight muffling. different folks have views on putting any stuffing in the drum. I go without but if you want to cut out lots of resonance, try laying a folded towel in the base (or previous posts Gatzen video). Many tips on the John Bonham bass drum sounds can be seen on u-tubes by Jeff Ocheltree...as fro the 'boom'.... don't forget he had a 26 inch kick !

  4. #4

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: bass tuning help

    Also check your technique. if your a player that bury the beater in the head you wont be able to get that huge open boomy sound
    you need to get the beater off the head ASAP to let it resonate
    MY KIT
    LUDWIG CLASSIC MAPLE SALESMAN
    13, hanging toms,16 ,18 floor toms,24 Kick, 14x5.5 snare,
    CYMBALS
    Paiste 2002 ,22 big beat , 18 med , 18 crash , 16 crash , 18 china , 14 sound edge hats

  5. #5
    Larrysperf Guest

    Default Re: bass tuning help

    Really cant help much as I use Emad for reso and beater and tune them just up from w rinkle and get lots of comments on how good it sounds

  6. #6

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: bass tuning help

    John Bohnam had a 14 x 26 bass drum so it was big and thin.

    Bonham played Remo drum heads throughout his career. For his wood drums, he always used Remo Coated Emperors (or Ludwig equivalent) on his batter sides, while using coated ambassadors on the resonant side of his toms, and a Diplomat or clear Ambassador on the resonant side of his snare drum. The bass drums front head was always a medium weight head, for instance a Remo Coated Ambassador. The batter head was always tuned medium-tight, (almost jazz-like) and the resonant head was always tuned way up, for a full, round sound. He never put anything inside his bass drum (although his band members have said that he would sometimes fill it with crumpled tin foil, so that it would project). He only used a felt strip on the batter side occasionally. The bass drum heads were also tuned a lot higher than one would think. Some have claimed he used to make "Ritchie Rings" cut out of old drum heads for his front bass drum head, but this anomaly is simply the surrounding light producing a shadow from the hoop on the white drum head producing the ring effect (you can produce the same effect with a front bass drum head, as long as the head is coated). Hope this helps or gives you an idea of how to get that big boom sound of Bonham.
    Last edited by Pearl MCX Man; 04-10-2011 at 08:19 AM.

  7. #7

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: bass tuning help

    Quote Originally Posted by Pearl MCX Man View Post
    John Bohnam had a 14 x 26 bass drum so it was big and thin. To get his sound you would have to have that size of a drum. He had nothing inside his drum (no pillows, blankets etc). To get a good boom out of your drum you would have to tune it as low as possible just a bit over the creases. Same with the reso but a little tighter. Do you have a port hole on your reso head? if not then leave the inside of your bass empty. See if this helps any. Hope you find your sound.
    MCX Man is right with his info about Bonham. But Bonzo also tuned both heads much higher than you might think.

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMqHqADnREY"]YouTube - Drum Tech Jeff Ocheltree (John Bonham's kit)[/ame]

  8. #8
    Larrysperf Guest

    Default Re: bass tuning help

    Yep thats why I use Ludwig Med head on snare, oh its a supraphonic

  9. #9

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: bass tuning help

    Downtime your batter and tune your reso up high. It'll be nice and low and it'll also be boomy because of the reso. Tuning your reso low is what gives that clicky sound.
    So itchie, how did the kick sound?
    Quote Originally Posted by itchie
    like godzilla humping a mountain
    Quote Originally Posted by CycleDude View Post
    You, my friend, owe me a keyboard... I just spit coffee all over mine...
    Get counted! http://www.drumchat.com/showthread.p...ers-12079.html

    Check it.
    http://www.reverbnation.com/allihave

  10. #10

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: bass tuning help

    thanks for all of the responses! Im going to take the pillow out and mess with the tuning a lil more and see what i can come up with
    The drums!
    Tama Starclassic Birch 5 piece
    14x6.5 Brass Pork Pie big black snare
    12",14" DDrum Deccabons
    Batter- Aquarian Response 2 coated
    Reso- Aquarian Classic Coated

    The Cymbals!
    17" Paiste 2002 Wild Crash
    19" Paiste 2002 Power Crash
    20" Paiste 2002 Crash
    20" Paiste 2002 Ride
    14" Paiste 2002 Sound Edge Hi hats
    10" Wuhan Splash
    16" Wuhan China

  11. #11

    User Info Menu

    Smile Re: bass tuning help

    Quote Originally Posted by marko138 View Post
    MCX Man is right with his info about Bonham. But Bonzo also tuned both heads much higher than you might think.

    YouTube - Drum Tech Jeff Ocheltree (John Bonham's kit)
    I saw that video awhile back and to me is the best yet about Bonham's drumkit. Not to crazy about the kid drummer though in the video. I would love to see a vid on Jason Bonham just to see if he has inherited his father's talent.

  12. #12

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: bass tuning help

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mciP59WSnNw"]YouTube - The Jason Bonham Band - Wait For You[/ame]

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJotq5YdoBI"]YouTube - Jason Bonham - Drum Lesson[/ame]

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlUblCvGDVE&feature=related"]YouTube - Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience! Drum Solo[/ame]

  13. #13

    User Info Menu


  14. #14

    User Info Menu

    Default Re: bass tuning help

    One method I saw produced one of the best sounding kicks I've heard. It was a pearl vision 18x22(depth x diameter) if you can believe it. He had an Evans emad with no internal muffling tuned fairly low with no kick pad and had a Remo ebony powerstroke 3 on the reso side which was tuned very high. It was thunderous. It had booming sustain. When my wood beaters finally come in I'm probably going to buy a new head and give that a shot at least for live applications. Oh, also it had a port hole, smaller sized one.

    The only two constants I have are DW and Zildjian.

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •