Well, the GP75 arrived the other day. I've never owned a drum kit, I mean heck, I'm a noob to drums, having "discovered" them while learning bagpipe and side snare in a pipe and drum band.
Anyway, I thought the GP75 would be a good way to get going without spending a whole lot. So far, so good--you get what you pay for, but it's a nice looking kit even if the edges of the shells are a little ragged. The heads, even to my ears, are junk. One thing at a time, I guess.
I have some very definite ideas of what I want to hear from drums, and I'm working toward that end. I found that I could get that nice, wet-sounding rock THUD! from the kick end by cutting a velor blanket to the same size as the head and taping it inside the shell against the resonating head.
I like toms to sound like "sing, sing, sing" so I am dialing in the upper end of the 15X24 as well as the 10" tom to sound like that. My snare sound is not there yet. Generally, I've managed to get the kit tuned in 4ths, C-F-B, low to high. I have no idea if that's right, but it's OK enough to play for now!
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Getting set up to go!
Hmm...the experiment continues. I went back--still happy with my kick sound, but not really happy with anything else. I was tuned too high--like a set of bongos. I went back, turned everything down to "just above wrinkle," and kept at it until I could hear the natural voice of the drum open up. Waaay better....
I'm sure it's a never-ending process...
I'm sure it's a never-ending process...
It's really all about what sounds good to YOU. Have fun and keep experimenting. I am still in search of that elusive perfect thud but it's coming slowly. The closest I've gotten to a wet sound is with a hydraulic head, but with a single-ply on top it still rings too much. I've tried e-rings but no other dampening so far.
There's a guy working at a local drum shop who has a truly magic touch tuning drums, not sure how he does it. He can get any sound as live or muffled as he wants with nothing but a drum key, no rings or gels, no mechanical dampening, all with tuning. It's pretty impressive. I went to a workshop he did and learned some valuable insight, but the drums in his shop sound wicked good, something I still seek out of my own. Perhaps I'll get there some day.
Good luck.
There's a guy working at a local drum shop who has a truly magic touch tuning drums, not sure how he does it. He can get any sound as live or muffled as he wants with nothing but a drum key, no rings or gels, no mechanical dampening, all with tuning. It's pretty impressive. I went to a workshop he did and learned some valuable insight, but the drums in his shop sound wicked good, something I still seek out of my own. Perhaps I'll get there some day.
Good luck.
Heads are really not that expensive so I think you're right. Makes you wonder how much a drum maker actually saves by putting throw-away heads on there in the first place. Maybe they figure everyone has their own favorite models so putting heads on at all is mostly a waste because most people will just replace them right away anyway?
That's gotta be it. I've played guitar on and off for most of my life as well, and whenever you buy a new guitar, you junk the "store strings" that came on it before you even take it out of the case at home! 
Been experimenting with "moon gel" as well, and I am geting very good results with it. I've got a couple of pieces on the kick head (instead of the blanket I was using) and one piece on the top. So now the kick "thuds" and the tom "booms". Much closer to what I want to hear.
Perhaps it's just the sound I hear in my head--everyone may be different--but the 8X5 demi-snare sounds better as a small tom than as a snare. In a concession to sound quality over portability, I've added my s/s Pearl 14" snare back in to the kit, and use the 8X5 as a tom only. Anyone else do this, or am I just mental?
I have a cymbal set coming from evil-bay. The crash/ride that's on the kit resonates like my wife' frying pan, and the high-hats are dead sounding. Again, throw-away stuff by the manufacturer...
I truly have no idea about cymbals, but from what I understand, the set of Sabian B8's I ordered are good enough for an advanced drummer to practice on. Since I'm not advanced, they ought to sound real good to me! The set comes with a 14" high-hat, and dedicated ride and crash cymbals. I have room to put them on my tree, but I need a couple more mounts and mufflers.
My wife thinks I'm going through a mid-life crises. I told her at least drumming doesn't involved trading her in for a younger model. That went well....
Been experimenting with "moon gel" as well, and I am geting very good results with it. I've got a couple of pieces on the kick head (instead of the blanket I was using) and one piece on the top. So now the kick "thuds" and the tom "booms". Much closer to what I want to hear.
Perhaps it's just the sound I hear in my head--everyone may be different--but the 8X5 demi-snare sounds better as a small tom than as a snare. In a concession to sound quality over portability, I've added my s/s Pearl 14" snare back in to the kit, and use the 8X5 as a tom only. Anyone else do this, or am I just mental?
I have a cymbal set coming from evil-bay. The crash/ride that's on the kit resonates like my wife' frying pan, and the high-hats are dead sounding. Again, throw-away stuff by the manufacturer...
I truly have no idea about cymbals, but from what I understand, the set of Sabian B8's I ordered are good enough for an advanced drummer to practice on. Since I'm not advanced, they ought to sound real good to me!
The set comes with a 14" high-hat, and dedicated ride and crash cymbals. I have room to put them on my tree, but I need a couple more mounts and mufflers.My wife thinks I'm going through a mid-life crises. I told her at least drumming doesn't involved trading her in for a younger model. That went well....
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jim kooser
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Sat Aug 26, 2006 3:39 pm
Those "ragged" edges may cause some tuning problems as well. Are they badly cut, or just in need of a good smoothing and polishing? Leveling a bad edge isn't hard to do with a good flat surface and some sandpaper. If you have a decent router and table, re-cutting edges isn't too hard. If they're cut okay, fine sanding, finishing and waxing should smooth them .
LOL. Having played on school kits in high school and such, I bought my first drum set at 38. My dad took up stone carving in his mid life. I don't know if these are crises or not, but as far as I'm concerned anything that broadens the mind or enhances creativity is a good thing. Maybe we should call it mid-life creativity. In any case it's a lot more interesting than a red sports car. Well probably not for everyone. :-)Daddy-O wrote:
My wife thinks I'm going through a mid-life crises. I told her at least drumming doesn't involved trading her in for a younger model. That went well.... :wink:
I have added an old but nice sounding 13X10 rack tom, which I mount on a concert snare stand. I now have a complete roll in 4ths up and down the kit.
I know stand vs. sitting has been discussed here before. I want to have the ability to do both. As such, this kit is sort of morphing into a "combo" kit configuration. I have a matching 21X18 kick bass on order, and I have already bought a Ludwig hi-hat. My demi-snare is now sounding good, so I can either use it or the Pearl 14 s/s.
What this does for me (in my own twisted mind) is allows me to add or subtract components at need, based upon what and where I'm playing. Whatcha think about this theory?
I know stand vs. sitting has been discussed here before. I want to have the ability to do both. As such, this kit is sort of morphing into a "combo" kit configuration. I have a matching 21X18 kick bass on order, and I have already bought a Ludwig hi-hat. My demi-snare is now sounding good, so I can either use it or the Pearl 14 s/s.
What this does for me (in my own twisted mind) is allows me to add or subtract components at need, based upon what and where I'm playing. Whatcha think about this theory?
snare sounds
I have found Pearl Firecrackers, 10 and 12 with the right heads are pretty decent sounding little snares, I personally prefer the metal ones, we offer them with our kits.
Matthew@metrodrum.com
Matthew@metrodrum.com