being versatile: conversion spurs

multiperc
Posts: 241
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 3:14 pm

being versatile: conversion spurs

Post by multiperc »

Hi
Lightly related to cocktailing, I'm doing a bit of customizing and am looking for spurs similar to those shown on the Slingerland Radio King Combo Drum in The New Gallery.
Ideally the spurs would be adjustable (ie retractable) and would be clamp-on types that I could add to either a flanged rim or a wood hoop. Anyone seen modern versions such as what I'm describing?
Thanks in advance for your ideas.
jmettam
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Bass Purs

Post by jmettam »

Hey Multiperc,

Chek out:

http://www.drummaker.com

They have lots of bass drum conversionproducts including clamp on spurs for wood hoops. I thought someone out there made them for metal rims but I haven't found them yet...

- John

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mangorockfish
Posts: 182
Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:23 pm
Location: arkansas

Post by mangorockfish »

Man, John, those that are shown on the regular bass drum are super cool. May have to pic a set of those babies up.

Multiperc, you migh want to use one of the RIMS floor tom mounts. You could use floor tom legs for Cocktail set up or fold out spurs, i.e. old Ludwig style for traditional set up.
Mangorockfish
multiperc
Posts: 241
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 3:14 pm

Post by multiperc »

Thanks buds.

John - Thanks for finding these - not sure how I missed em. They look to be the answer if they hold ok on a flanged rim. Have you used these spurs (with or without the riser component)?

Mango - good idea. The drum I want to mod has a RIMs mount and I have some old Lugwig swing-out spurs but they're held in the bracket somehow (perhaps an improvement from an earlier design) Have you done this yourself? If so, clue me in as I'd be almost home free.
mangorockfish
Posts: 182
Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:23 pm
Location: arkansas

Post by mangorockfish »

multiperc wrote:Thanks buds.

John - Thanks for finding these - not sure how I missed em. They look to be the answer if they hold ok on a flanged rim. Have you used these spurs (with or without the riser component)?

Mango - good idea. The drum I want to mod has a RIMs mount and I have some old Lugwig swing-out spurs but they're held in the bracket somehow (perhaps an improvement from an earlier design) Have you done this yourself? If so, clue me in as I'd be almost home free.
No I haven't tried this, but it seemed like it was a workable proposition. You may have to remove the brakets to get the legs out. Gook luck with this project. Mango'
jmettam
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Post by jmettam »

Hey Multperc,

I have used several combinations of these items to convert toms into bass drums:

** My favorite at this moment is the Danmar Baby Kick RIser -

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It's just under $100 and is rock solid support for the drum and the pedal.Of course it is more bulky and heavier than all of the other solutions!

** The I don't know the proper name of this one but you can find it on drummaker.com under Baby Kick Riser C -

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I have one that was made by a company called Trick. It's juts the plate with rod and an LP claw bracket. Small, lightweight, easy to mount. Because the Claw always tightens at an angle (not perfectly parallel to the drum shell) I find this solution to be much less stable and comfortable, especially on long gigs.

** The Pearl Jungle Jig conversion is cool too. It comes with the Pedal Plate and spurs for use in floor leg brackets. You still have to have a Pearl ISS mount. Also a bit heavier but quite solid.

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Unfortunately the spurs I showed before are for wooden rims only. I remember seeing some for metal rims a few years ago but I believe they were vintage creations!

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Maybe it'stime to add that wooden hoop!

- John
multiperc
Posts: 241
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 3:14 pm

Post by multiperc »

Wow John, thanks for all the info! Nice bunch of options.

This inquiry started because i wanted to try my 16x16 cocktail lying down, jungle kit style, for the forward projection it offered. Up to the present I'd tried it a bunch of times simply laying it in some PC styro packing pieces glued to a wooden piece for pedal attachment. It worked ok but I would never trust it on a gig.

The other thought for the rim mounted spurs was for an (antique?) 14x27 Gretsch bass drum - a dance-era beaut with calf heads. I've use it before without spurs and it's ok unless I try to mount something on the drum....then it starts rolling away! I'd prefer not to drill that shell. So the inquiry began!

Since you have a current fave in this bunch and have tried a few, here are a couple more questions:

The Trick thingy - I have a friend who got an apparatus at one of the non-48th street drum shops in NYC and I'm wondering if this is it....exactly what kind of rim did you attach it to (triple flanged, die cast, or stick-save rounded)? Might a standard triple flanged rim provide for more of a secure vertical mount? Did you use something, like spurs, to support the other side of the drum?

Have you ever tried the DW kick cradle? It doesn't appear to be in stock aywhere and is way more expensive than most you're showing here, but I've considered it because it's so adjustable, it seems you can lay almost anything in it (small to med sized tom, djembe, marching drum, dumbek, whatever...). That may be the way to go but it would be more of a fringe use that I don't think I'd want to drop that much dough.

I've eyed the Danmar mount you like and it's great to get an experienced recommendation. I might go with it and see how many different sized drums I can use it with.

Thanks again for the ideas, and yours, too Mango - it sure gives me a lot to consider and some good options for use with other things i just might want to play with a kick pedal!
jmettam
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Post by jmettam »

multiperc wrote:The Trick thingy - I have a friend who got an apparatus at one of the non-48th street drum shops in NYC and I'm wondering if this is it....exactly what kind of rim did you attach it to (triple flanged, die cast, or stick-save rounded)? Might a standard triple flanged rim provide for more of a secure vertical mount? Did you use something, like spurs, to support the other side of the drum?
I have been using it with a 12x15 Ludwig tenor drum that I converted to a kick. I attach actual bass drum spurs to the shell and used the Trick setup for a while. Then I added a Ludwig tom mount to attack the Trick plate. I had to add about an inch ofr rubber between the shell and the mount to give it enough clearance from the rim. But now the Trick plate sits properly angled to the drum and the whole thing is much more stable!
multiperc wrote:Have you ever tried the DW kick cradle? It doesn't appear to be in stock aywhere and is way more expensive than most you're showing here, but I've considered it because it's so adjustable, it seems you can lay almost anything in it (small to med sized tom, djembe, marching drum, dumbek, whatever...). That may be the way to go but it would be more of a fringe use that I don't think I'd want to drop that much dough.
I've never had a chance to try one but it sounds cool!
multiperc wrote:I've eyed the Danmar mount you like and it's great to get an experienced recommendation. I might go with it and see how many different sized drums I can use it with.
I think that they say it will fit 14-16 inch drums but I imagine it is more flexible than that. The drum depth is adjustable and the frame clamps to the actual lugs between the rim and the lug casing with a rubber padded clamp. it really works quite well!

John
multiperc
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Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 3:14 pm

Post by multiperc »

The Danmar solution sounds ideal and flexible. Will be looking around for it.
Thanks again!
mangorockfish
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Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:23 pm
Location: arkansas

Post by mangorockfish »

multiperc wrote:The Danmar solution sounds ideal and flexible. Will be looking around for it.
Thanks again!
I've actually used the Pearl Jungle Kit setup and it works great. However, I didn't use the ISS mount, but used a Pearl Opti-Mount and it made it rock solid.
Mango'
jmettam
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Pearl Jungle Kit

Post by jmettam »

Hey Mango,

Is this the mount you are talking about:

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I have tried the Jungle Jig with my 15" kick with built in spurs and it was too high when I used the ISS bracket. I'll bet that mounting this bracket straight on the shell would make it just right!

-John
Last edited by jmettam on Sun Apr 09, 2006 10:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
mangorockfish
Posts: 182
Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:23 pm
Location: arkansas

Post by mangorockfish »

John, that is the same bracket that is on my Opti-Mount, but if you used an Opti-Mount with your drum, it would probably be too high also, but just the bracket alone would more than likely work just fine.
Mango'
jmettam
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Optimount

Post by jmettam »

Ah, I see now. The optimount attachest to the lugs instead of the rim:

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Cool!

JM
jmettam
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Post by jmettam »

Now here's some funny timing! Check out this item on ebay. I have seen these before but never knew where they came from. Actually a very simple design that would be easy to make yourself if you have a few tools!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... Track=true


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multiperc
Posts: 241
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 3:14 pm

Post by multiperc »

Hey John
That's funny. I believe this is the piece that my friend recommended to me by way of the modern drum shop NYC...

For others considering this, it's a very clever way to approach this solution and should work well for most drums. You'll need to drill your shell, though. A couple years ago I did something very similar on an old 10x14 tom - I used a single retracting spur (held over from my 60s Gretsch kit) as a single foot for the drum. That foot sat in a cutout hole in a piece of plywood used as a pedal clamp. Since the drum won't balance on a single point, I used a tom mount above attached to an arm on a nearby cymbal stand. Ugly as anything and barely strong enough for that sized shell, but It worked... marginally!

I'm still on the hunt for a good price on the danmar cradle you mention above and here's why: my 16x16 that I want to use is part of a larger kit that I want to keep in original contidition. I want to freely use that drum upright (as a tom), as a vertical kick or as a horizontal kick with no modification to the shell. The drum doesn't have tom legs (it has a RIMS FTT cradle) and while I'm fully comfortable drilling shells, this one I won't.

However, if I happen upon a stray 12x15 or 15x15 or similar sized shell, then this little piece looks bedddy good to me....
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