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Thread: 14X24 bass question

  1. #1

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    Default 14X24 bass question

    I’m getting close to ordering a new Ludwig Classic Maple kit and can’t decide between the Fab 22 or the Pro Beat. At the moment I’m playing an older Classic Maple Fab 4 with a 20 kick.

    I use my double pedal for rudements, feels, big song endings and things like that...not so much speed metal. I’m really wanting to venture off into 24” kickland but it scares me a little bit.

    I’ve heard that a 24 will be harder to play, takes lots force to move all that air and will be less double pedal friendly. Since I’ve never played a 24 I have no clue as to if these reports are accurate. I have lots of questions about making suck a drastic change but figured I’d start with these concerns. For the record I play classic rock, country, contemperorary Christian and blues. Thanks!

  2. #2

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    I don't think they're harder to play. It's just that they cause your rack toms and cymbals to be substantially higher leading to shoulder / arm fatigue. That's what I've found. I have an old Fibes kit with twin 24s. When I got back into playing I bought a new kit with a 20 incher for that reason.

  3. #3

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    Had a 24" kick and as bob said I really never got comfortable with the higher rack toms which is significant. Went back to a 22" which IMO is more than adequate for what your doing. I would be more concerned with the depth than the diameter. I love a 22 x 16 but they are scarce.
    Ludwig Classic Maple 22x16,10x8,12x9,16x16
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  4. #4

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    I’ve taken the tom and cymbal height into consideration and in my mind it won’t be a big issue. I don’t plan on mounting my 1 tom (9X13) on my bass drum. It usually rides on a mount. I’m 6’1” and sit up kind of high.

    I guess my main concerns are if I can run a double pedal on a 24 as easily as with a 20 and if the notes will be articilate, and will my right foot be numb by the end of a gig from using so much force to push a 24.

    I do enjoy my 20” kick but feel as if it’s a tad shy to me. I’m seeing LOTS of guys using 24s and this leads me to wonder if I’m missing out on something.

  5. #5

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    I've been playing with a 24" kick now for going on 7 years. To me, it's all the same. Double pedal, single pedal.....whatever.

  6. #6

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    I tell you what... I HATED playing double bass on a 24 inch kick. NOPE NOPE and NOPE.

    It's not like omg the world is going to end different but when trying to do super fast and technically challenging patterns it sucks

  7. #7

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    Spaz is right, only good for classic rock etc.DSC01715.jpg

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by *Shane* View Post
    I’ve taken the tom and cymbal height into consideration and in my mind it won’t be a big issue. I don’t plan on mounting my 1 tom (9X13) on my bass drum. It usually rides on a mount. I’m 6’1” and sit up kind of high.
    I guess my main concerns are if I can run a double pedal on a 24 as easily as with a 20 and if the notes will be articilate, and will my right foot be numb by the end of a gig from using so much force to push a 24.
    I do enjoy my 20” kick but feel as if it’s a tad shy to me. I’m seeing LOTS of guys using 24s and this leads me to wonder if I’m missing out on something.
    Shane...................
    I play a 14X24 bass and I have been gigging with it since I got it new in 1977.........................to me, its the best.
    Depending on the double pedal you plan to use, I think it can make a big difference.
    If you are going for speed and you have a direct drive pedal, you may not like the 24 any more than other sizes.
    If you use a chain drive and play with power, the 24 will sound so awesome.

    I'm using a Speed Cobra double -- I changed out the slave driveshaft with a TRICK shaft and I swapped out the Tama beaters for traditional Yamaha medium-hard felt beaters.
    I also use an Aquarian SK10 batter head.......................drum sounds bada$$.....................soundmen love it.

    I don't mount any toms on the bass so the height thing is something I have worked around.........................running 1-up, 2-down..................13/15/18...............see below:

    IMG_2387 (3).jpg
    Gretsch USA & Zildjian
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  9. #9

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    Yeah, I have a 15" w/ a optimount on it that I can suspend next to the 16X16 floor if I want.

  10. #10

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    I'm with Marc and Ricardo on this. I've played a 24" BD for 50+ years. If you get it in your head that there will be a difference, there will be a difference in how it plays to you.

    I went from 20" (my 1st set) to 22" (my 1st Ludwigs) then went to 24" (which I've been playing ever since).

    I really can't speak to double bass pedals because I only mess around with them, but I definitely take Ricardo's word on it.

    I did go down by my drums and because I have a Speed Cobra double pedal, I put them on my Pearls (22" BD) then moved them over to my Ludwigs. (I did this before I responded to this post). I did the same with my Speed Cobra single and, SURPRISE, no difference.

    This post reminded me of a post years ago (I don't remember whether it was this forum or the other 1 I was on) where some guy was letting the tuning of a 13"x 9" tom drive him nuts. He treated it like he needed some mathematical formula to tune it.

    If I use all my toms, which are: 12x8, 13x9, 13x10, 13x12, (2) 14x10's (soon to be 3), 15x12, 16x16, and 18x16. I tune the 12x8 the same way I tune the 18x16, and over the years, I've had way more people tell me that they like the sound of my drums vs the 1's who didn't.

    I had a 5'10" brunette GF and a 5'2" blonde GF. Both tuned the same, and there was absolutely no difference in the double pedal move, mainly because I treated them both the same.

    DON'T OVERTHINK THIS STUFF AND TREAT THEM THE SAME AND THERE WILL BE NO DIFFERENCE!!! (by the way, didn't Bonham play a 26" BD? Didn't seem to bother him any).
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

  11. #11

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    Thanks for the attention to my concerns guys. Guess I’ve got some thinking to do, but without overthinking lol.

  12. #12

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    "but without overthinking lol."

    Too many drummer's do overthink certain things to do with drums. Tunings, sticks, cymbals, pedals, etc.

    This isn't rocket science. If you assume that there will be a difference then there will be a difference.
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by noreastbob View Post
    I don't think they're harder to play. It's just that they cause your rack toms and cymbals to be substantially higher leading to shoulder / arm fatigue. That's what I've found. I have an old Fibes kit with twin 24s. When I got back into playing I bought a new kit with a 20 incher for that reason.


    Quote Originally Posted by MDK View Post
    Had a 24" kick and as bob said I really never got comfortable with the higher rack toms which is significant. Went back to a 22" which IMO is more than adequate for what your doing. I would be more concerned with the depth than the diameter. I love a 22 x 16 but they are scarce.
    With all due respects guys, it's 2" not 2'. When I went from 22" to 24", I moved my up tom 1" to the left. Problem solved.

    Quote Originally Posted by SpazApproved View Post
    I tell you what... I HATED playing double bass on a 24 inch kick. NOPE NOPE and NOPE.

    It's not like omg the world is going to end different but when trying to do super fast and technically challenging patterns it sucks
    Zack, I don't do super fast and technically challenging patterns, but I do know, even with my limited ability compared to your's, when I moved my Speed Cobras from 22" to 24", there was no difference.

    On a lot of things, what we assume will happen, in reality, is different from what really happens.
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

  14. #14

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    i think these days 22x14 is the sweet spot.

  15. #15

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    " I’ve heard that a 24 will be harder to play, takes lots force to move all that air and will be less double pedal friendly "

    All of that is bull****. If any of that was a reality, when I play my Pearls with 22"x 20" BD's, the BD's should be difficult to play, yet they aren't.

    When I put the Speed Cobra double pedal on either set, I treat them the same, ergo, they play the same.
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

  16. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by rickthedrummer View Post
    This isn't rocket science.
    DING DING DING DING DING...........we have a winner.

  17. #17

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    I started with a 20 went to 22 and since 94 been using 24's. Currently 24x18 with minimal muffling.. the sound is big but i love it. 26 just seems like too much... one thing you'll most certainly need to adjust will be the beater height. Maybe not too much if you go with 22 but the 24 will need an adjustment. It'll take some time to get use to the new feel but shouldn't be that big of a deal.

    Maybe adjust your beaters now and see how you like the different heights to get an idea.
    Last edited by slinky; 05-23-2018 at 08:32 AM.
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  18. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by rickthedrummer View Post
    With all due respects guys, it's 2" not 2'. When I went from 22" to 24", I moved my up tom 1" to the left. Problem solved.



    Zack, I don't do super fast and technically challenging patterns, but I do know, even with my limited ability compared to your's, when I moved my Speed Cobras from 22" to 24", there was no difference.

    On a lot of things, what we assume will happen, in reality, is different from what really happens.
    It doesn't take much to affect your ease of playing and age is a factor as well when it comes to holding your arm up for a prolonged length of time. (think about the distances of string height on guitars and their ease of play)
    My Fibes had two toms on each bass drum and the one under the ride cymbal was a 14 X 10 I think... so that made the ride quite a bit higher. Now my toms are shorter, the bass is lower, and the up toms offset so my ride is sweetly tucked in my pocket.
    Another thing is 24" bass drums are inherently louder and boomier than smaller basses so I wouldn't worry about having to hit it / working harder.

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by noreastbob View Post
    It doesn't take much to affect your ease of playing and age is a factor as well when it comes to holding your arm up for a prolonged length of time. (think about the distances of string height on guitars and their ease of play)
    My Fibes had two toms on each bass drum and the one under the ride cymbal was a 14 X 10 I think... so that made the ride quite a bit higher. Now my toms are shorter, the bass is lower, and the up toms offset so my ride is sweetly tucked in my pocket.
    Another thing is 24" bass drums are inherently louder and boomier than smaller basses so I wouldn't worry about having to hit it / working harder.
    I have 2 up toms. 1 is 14x10 right in front of my snare, the other is 13x10. My 14x10 is about 2" up from the rim of the snare and has been at that height for over 50+ years. My ride is in the same place for that same 50+ years, which is close enough that I never had to reach for it.

    As for age, I can get around my drums pretty close to as fast as I did 30 years ago.

    Set the drums up as close as you can so you don't have to reach 6' to hit a crash. I've known drummers over the years that have their drums set up to look good as opposed to having them set up for ease of playing.

    To the OP, buy the 24" BD. As far as I know there is always a period of time within which you can return it.
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

  20. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by inthpktplayer View Post
    DING DING DING DING DING...........we have a winner.
    I must have said something right because it's usually it's 3 dings.
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

  21. #21

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    I went 20" to dual 24"s to single 22"s (with and without double pedals) and currently running an 18" for convenience. If you mic it, you can achieve just about anything you desire with tuning and other options....including ported or unported, size of the port, yes or no to Kickport, to stuffing the innards with stuff and junk.
    Signature here

  22. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bish View Post
    I went 20" to dual 24"s to single 22"s (with and without double pedals) and currently running an 18" for convenience. If you mic it, you can achieve just about anything you desire with tuning and other options....including ported or unported, size of the port, yes or no to Kickport, to stuffing the innards with stuff and junk.
    I've played everything from 18s to 26s and they can all do a good job...............................and even fewer problems if you mic it up and run an equalizer.
    My favorite of all would be the 24, but only at the 14 inch depth -- all the other smaller diameters could be deeper (16 or 18), depending on the shell maker.
    Back in the day, the 22" bass was by far the most popular.......................I'm not certain, but I would guess that is still true today.
    Gretsch USA & Zildjian
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  23. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ricardo View Post
    I've played everything from 18s to 26s and they can all do a good job...............................and even fewer problems if you mic it up and run an equalizer.
    My favorite of all would be the 24, but only at the 14 inch depth -- all the other smaller diameters could be deeper (16 or 18), depending on the shell maker.
    Back in the day, the 22" bass was by far the most popular.......................I'm not certain, but I would guess that is still true today.
    For the record my 18 is 14 deep. I agree about 22 still being the most popular at least in terms of advertised products. Every model seems to offer a 22" version. Specialties, seem to be the 18 and 26 of which they are out there and plentiful.
    Signature here

  24. #24

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    All my BD's have been 14" except for the Pearls which are 22"x 20".
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

  25. #25

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    The bigger the head, the tighter it will need to be to get the responsiveness. The shallower depths like 14” help offset that, the same way shallow “fast” toms do. Some of it also has to do with the beater striking in the center of the head and being 90* vertical when it contacts the head. If everything is adjusted correctly, I doubt there would be a significant difference between 20”, 22” and 24”. When you venture into 16”, 18”, 26” and 28”, then the adjustment issue becomes more challenging.
    My 16” definitely required getting used to, but with a riser kit it’s very comfortable to play and effortless. I don’t use a riser on my 18”, but I have to elevate the front a little to get the batter head tilted back closer to the pedal. The beater height is so low that it must travel past vertical to touch the head if I don’t. 3-1/2 hours into a 4hr gig, I can definitely notice if things aren’t adjusted correctly.
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

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