Cleaning my drumkit

[kelinu]

Can anyone give me any recommendations on how to tune my drumkit?
I usually just use a duster and dust them of, but is there any special something for the drumkit?

[kay-gee]

what is the finish on your drumkit? Is it natural wood or wrap?

all the best...

[pastor_bob]

Welcome to Drum Chat Kelinu!

KG is right when it comes to cleaning your kit. Whether it is a wrap finish, or a lacquered finish makes a big difference.

The question about tuning is an age old drummer's question, and it gets a lot of attention around here. Here are some links that can help you:

http://www.drumsdatabase.com/index.htm#Tuning

This one is a duscussion that we had here at Drum Chat.

http://www.drumchat.com/showthread.p...ghlight=Tuning

Hope this helps.

[coke_can]

hey welcome to drumchat.

i cant really tell what your asking for because the thread says cleaning my drumkit, and then the first line asks how to tune.

but i think PB has got you covered

[backtodrum]

All I can say is if your kit is Lacquer, never use wiindex or any product that contains ammonia on it it will cloud the clear coat. if it is a wrap kit yo clean it with any house hold cleaner!

[STICKSWIZZARDDRAGON]

All I can say is if your kit is Lacquer, never use wiindex or any product that contains ammonia on it it will cloud the clear coat. if it is a wrap kit yo clean it with any house hold cleaner!

Hola como estas BACKTODRUM *CREATIVE ARTISTIC ARTIST DRUMMER (CAT)
EXCELLENT ADVICE *As you always have great THINGS to STATE*KNOWLEDGE*GRACIAS

[pditty]

damp cloth avoid paper products as they are made from wood pulp and can scratch. Get as much as you can with a damp cotton cloth. Use the appropriate cleaner for your finish only when needed. Zildjan cymbal cleaner for the cymbal's Keep in mind the cymbal cleaner will also take off any branding prints so if you like the branding be careful.

[fiacovaz]

Yes, there is a product called Drum Shell cleaner made by Dunlap. I have used this for years as I clean my kit every month before taking it to a gig. I buy this at a local music store and I'm sure you can find it or something similar. In my case, my finish is a sparkle wrap. You do want to be sure that you choose a product that will be appropriate for the finish on your drums.

[livewire80]

damp cloth and then a nice soft cloth to wipe dry and polish up. I dont believe any chemicals are needed to clean. I will be pulling my kit apart today and giving it a nice clean

[bassist learning drums]

I was told by some drummers that cleaning your cymbals takes away the warmth. Is there any truth behind that?

[HBdrummer]

wood or wrap..Powerchord spray cleaner (pump spray) Hands down The best I have used! www.POWERCHORD-US.com

[HBdrummer]

I was told by some drummers that cleaning your cymbals takes away the warmth. Is there any truth behind that?

What cleaning your cymbals will do (besides the obvious) is rid the lathe lines (sound grooves) on your cymbals of built up sweat, skin oil & patina.. (the greenish looking tarnishy substance) that accumulates over time thus letting the cymbal vibrate more uninhibited and causing the cymbal to sound brighter.. Some guys/gals (myself included) shy away from cleaning cymbals except for my A customs..I want those sounding and looking bright! My Avedis, and K customs..I don't clean..nice and d a r k sounding! -HB

[backtodrum]

All patina and tarnish are is a form of rust (corrosion) some purists say never clean your cymbals. When I got my old ride cymbal it was really dirty, it had never been cleaned in 40 + years I guessed. I played on a number of gigs that way but really I couldn't live with it that way so I cleaned it and polished it. I don't think it changed the sound in the least and it looked a heck of a lot better. So I really don't buy into the whole warmer sound thing. I think it is an old "drummers tale" so to speak.

[pastor_bob]

I tend to agree with you BTD, although my experience doesn't carry much weight. I cleaned up the 20" Zildjian A Medium Ride, and I didn't hear any appreciable difference in the sound. I think it looks a whole lot better.

[Stevo42w]

Hm i watched the sound of my new cymbals change. There are storys of people taking new cymbals and burying them in the back garden for a few hours before playing them. Its kinda make sence when you think about how there made, what there made to do and how this would affect its sound.

[livewire80]

I gave the kit a really good clean. pulled it all apart, shined up the chrome and buffed up the wood (just with a soft cloth), cleaned the edges of dust on both batter and reso side. That was all on Saturday. Then on Sunday I cleaned up the cymbals and then put the kit back together. Re-tuned it and it is rockin! What a great feeling

[backtodrum]

I gave the kit a really good clean. pulled it all apart, shined up the chrome and buffed up the wood (just with a soft cloth), cleaned the edges of dust on both batter and reso side. That was all on Saturday. Then on Sunday I cleaned up the cymbals and then put the kit back together. Re-tuned it and it is rockin! What a great feeling

I bet you feel like a new man now Livewire!

[cdaug]

lacquer finish on mine and i just hit em with the swifer duster (no cleaning agents) when they look dusty. when i replace heads i give em a good wipe down with a damp soft cloth.

[Destroyer]

Great tips. I keep a couple of my kits set up in rehearsal spaces and I keep them covered with a non-fitted bed sheet after cleaning and polishing. I use King size sheets because they cover more and this helps to keep the dust down a bit.

This also works well if you keep your kit set up on stage during multi-night gig performances. I never leave my cymbals, pedals, or snare. Those go with me at the end of each night.

[Norske]

I use soft microfiber cloths for dusting my kit, and Eagle 1 spray-on nano wax. This was a tip from another forum and I've found it to work just great.

You can get a package of microfiber cloths at Wally World for about 4 bucks.

[STICKSWIZZARDDRAGON]

Great tips. I keep a couple of my kits set up in rehearsal spaces and I keep them covered with a non-fitted bed sheet after cleaning and polishing. I use King size sheets because they cover more and this helps to keep the dust down a bit.

This also works well if you keep your kit set up on stage during multi-night gig performances. I never leave my cymbals, pedals, or snare. Those go with me at the end of each night.

HOLA COMO ESTAS DESTROYER*CRETIVE ARTISTIC DRUMMER
ARTIST (CAT) THATS A FACT *I do THE SAME *EXCELLENT*GRACIAS

[begtimm561]

I was told by some drummers that cleaning your cymbals takes away the warmth. Is there any truth behind that?

i heard something almost like that, that the older the mellower, and warmer. dont use a bronze cleaner on cymbals, clouds.

and to the creator of this thread, those multi purpose pledge dusters, work good if you dont mind taking apart you set to get all the nooks and crannys

[ThePloughman]

100% soft cotton baby diapers are the absolute best. For cleaning a wrap, use a non abrasive cleaner polish that is good for acrylic. For lacquer, a good quality furniature polish is recommended. Stay away from abrasives, dont steel wool your chrome.

[backtodrum]

100% soft cotton baby diapers are the absolute best. For cleaning a wrap, use a non abrasive cleaner polish that is good for acrylic. For lacquer, a good quality furniature polish is recommended. Stay away from abrasives, dont steel wool your chrome.

Its funny I was getting ready to post the merits of diapers to. You beat me to it!

[fiacovaz]

i heard something almost like that, that the older the mellower, and warmer. dont use a bronze cleaner on cymbals, clouds.

and to the creator of this thread, those multi purpose pledge dusters, work good if you dont mind taking apart you set to get all the nooks and crannys

************************************************** *****************

Back in the Old Days, discriminating jazz drummers always opted for the K Zildjians. Although they were not very consistent, hand hammered as they were, a good sounding one became a treasure...just look around today and you see some surfacing at auction for $1,000, $2,000 and more. Anyway, these guys, perhaps superstitious, would not clean these cymbals. As they got dirtier over the years, the claim was that it added to the dark quality of its sound. Certainly, they did not want to do anything to the lathing or hammering that might otherwise affect its unique sound.