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Thread: How I Tune My Heads

  1. #1

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    Default How I Tune My Heads

    In this post I will tell people how I tune my toms, I will leave my bass drum and snare out of this, and I will only tell people how I tune my 10", 12" and 14". The main reason I'm only doing these three drums is because no matter what kind of set you have these drums (Give or take the 10" tom, I've never used a 13" tom so I can't tell you how I tune it.)

    I won't tell you how I tune my snare because I believe that everyone has their own unique snare sound depending on how the big snare or what the snare is made out of. I prefer metal snares and some other people prefer the warm touch of birch or maple. The reason I'm leaving my bass drum out of it is because I really haven't found that sound that i want out of it without taking the resonate head off and stuffing a pillow in and not even bothering to put the resonate head back on. I reckon that if I have to do that to get the sound I want then I'm doing something wrong.

    I will also tell people how I tune my 8" and 16" toms if asked.

    Basic Rule For Resonate Heads:
    I always tune these tighter than the batter head, if you tune it almost like the batter head then you get this extremely open sound when the drum will ring with over-tones that even Lucifer himself doesn't enjoy listening to.

    10" Tom:

    I tune this tom tightly (Until I got my 8" tom) same rule with the resonate head, I attempt to make this tom sound like a timbale, and I tend to just brake down and do a Latin solo on in the middle of the song for a few seconds.

    12" Tom:
    Before I got my 16" I tuned this like it was a floor tom, resonate head a little less tighter than the 10" tom but still tight enough so that the head is smooth. I tune this as low as I can get it without it becoming an almost toneless thud. I enjoy a few overtones but none or to much (the open sound from the not tight enough reso head.) can be irritating.

    14" Tom:
    I tune this as low as possible, the resonate head will be looser than the top head on the 12" tom, meaning that it might crinkle, but I try to make it smooth. I like to make my floor toms sound open, with a little more over-tones that the other toms. But I do try to keep the resonate head a little tighter than the batter head, I usually check this every week to see if it's in working order.

    I hope this has helped somebody, I'm not to good with the "Make all the crinkles go away and then turn the knob three turns" kind of stuff but I hope what I've said can give people an idea on how to tune their toms until they find their own sound.

  2. #2

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    How about pressure levels from torque keys? Anyone have measurements they use. Kev i think u posted something once.
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  3. #3

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    Stevo, torque keys are mainly for helping to get all the tension rods to be an even tension all around. They don't have "readings" on the settings - at least mine doesn't, and I've got the same torque key as Kevin. I use a combination of the standard drum key, and the torque key to get the sond that I want.

    I will say, though, that the real test of my tuning ability comes tomorrow. My original drum teacher has recovered from his back surgery, and he's coming to my home tomorrow to give me a lesson, and to check the tuning of my drums. This guys an awesome drummer, and a new Christian, so I can't wait!
    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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    Well, update on my last drum lesson. My teacher (40 years as a drummer)came to my house and saw my set. Loved the way I had it set up, and complimented me on the tuning. Loved the bass sound, and the toms. He worked on tightening up the snare, because I told him that I loved the sound of the snare in the Gretsch kit at the music store (he works there and tunes all the drums stictly by ear). Now I've got a better "pop" on the snare, and he cut the Rem-O, that I had on the snare, in half (width of the ring). Sounds really awesome now!

    I'm feeling pretty good tonight, because he told me that I know what I'm doing with the tuning, because I had done a pretty good job. Of course there are 6,798 other things that I don't know yet, but let's not go there. I'll just bask in what I do know for right now!!
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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  5. #5

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    yay for pastor bob all knowing all caring! :>
    Roland TD 30KV
    Gretsch Birch Catalina Wine red.
    Paiste PST5's
    Paiste Alpha Paiste Dark Energy
    Gibraltar Hardware Pearl 2002c Eliminator

    Minute 36 - Facebook
    Tai Fighters

  6. #6

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    Thanks Stevo, but I'll stick with sort of knowing, although I do care!
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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    Buy Gifts for Drummers. And don't miss the free Drum Lessons!

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