Trouble with setting up drum rack

[borknagar6]

I recently bought this drum rack. http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-2007-DRUM-SET-RACK-TITAN-1000-SERIES-SALE_W0QQitemZ280109322711QQihZ018QQcategoryZ10173 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It came with everything in the pic and it came in today.

Now here is the fun part. I put it together and the curved bars on it slide in and out too easily. I tighten then in the tightest it can go and it still slides a tad too easy. The bar way to left in the pic droops down under the attachments weight. I honestly have no idea how they kept it up in the pic; I'm assuming they're using strings to hold it up. I've tightened everything with all of my strength (I'm rather strong so no use in making jokes about me being too weak).

I couldn't find this rack outside of ebay so I have no way of knowing anything about it outside of pictures.

Help would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you could post how you setup your drum rack (if you have one).

Thanks.

[fourstringdrums]

It looks to me as if the rack is supposed to have another vertical bar/feet on either side connecting to the horizontal bars that are seemingly floating in the picture. It's possible that those are an addon that you need to complete the rack.

[borknagar6]

Well like I said, I googled the drum rack and nothing came up other than it was on ebay. I have no idea where or even if I can buy an addon for this other than buying another full rack.

[fourstringdrums]

Well like I said, I googled the drum rack and nothing came up other than it was on ebay. I have no idea where or even if I can buy an addon for this other than buying another full rack.

I asked someone about it and they said they've seen racks like these, so I guess it's supposed to be like that.

Is the rack not staying up before or after you put your drums on it?

Honestly you may have just bought a rack that isn't very sturdy to begin with and just not that great of quality. Do you have a return policy on it?

[borknagar6]

It's not staying up before I put my drums on it. I guess I'll screw with it more tomorrow and if it doesn't work out I'll return. There is a return policy so that shouldn't be a problem.

At least I now know what not to look for in a drum rack.

[harryconway]

I bought a used Pearl DR-100 for $100 around 15 years ago. Great workhorse of a rack. Paul Jameson, Jeff Porcaro and Pearl basically invented the drum rack back in the early 80's. I recently sold all my rack clamps on eBay (PC-10's). $15-20 is usual. If you can't afford to buy new, buy used, and stick to a name brand. Pearl worked for me for a decade-and-a-half.

[GRUNTERSDAD]

http://store.nationalmusicsupply.com/items/item.aspx?itemid=3625080

If you can blow this picture up and make sure its all there.

also there are 4 T-pieces ...two for the arms and two for the front cross piece...make sure they are identical and that you dont have them switched.

[SLEEPY BRiGHT EYEZ]

Are you using the memory locks? If it can't even hold itself up without drums... well there is no point in even keeping it. I would return it.

Here is a thread that talks about it.

http://vdrums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11315

It seems it may be intended for an electric set, but I may be mistaken. I'd really love to have that mounting plate.

[fourstringdrums]

Are you using the memory locks? If it can't even hold itself up without drums... well there is no point in even keeping it. I would return it.

Here is a thread that talks about it.

http://vdrums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11315

It seems it may be intended for an electric set, but I may be mistaken. I'd really love to have that mounting plate.

You're right, I do think it may be intended for electronic drums. Just by looking at it it doesn't look like it would have the stability to hold up the weight of acoustic drums.

[borknagar6]

Yeah, I think you guys might be right about the electric drum thing. To make it fit over my bass drum, I had to move the lower horizontal bar way up.

I will most likely return it within this week.

Are there any cheap drum racks that are easy to assemble and add on too WITH being reliable and sturdy enough for a good beating.

[fourstringdrums]

Yeah, I think you guys might be right about the electric drum thing. To make it fit over my bass drum, I had to move the lower horizontal bar way up.

I will most likely return it within this week.

Are there any cheap drum racks that are easy to assemble and add on too WITH being reliable and sturdy enough for a good beating.

How cheap are you talking? If I were buying a rack I'd personally get a Pearl Icon, but that's probably out of your price range. Other than that I'd like into Gibraltar or PDP. But you can always look for those used on Ebay again.

[borknagar6]

That is not really in my price range but would the DR80 be good enough?

Thanks fourstring, you've posted in virtually all of my threads helping me.

Also thanks to everyone else who helped.

[harryconway]

The DR-80 is a very good rack. That actually was the rack Paul Jameson and Jeff Porcaro developed. The DR-100 is a larger square bar. The DR-100 became the Icon. It was the DR-80 that I was gonna buy when the salesdude at Guitar Center said "I'm selling a DR-100 with 4 clamps for $100. Interested?" You really can't go wrong with either rack. And you won't need memory locks to lock the clamp tight on square tube.

[SLEEPY BRiGHT EYEZ]

I use a Gibraltar rack. I love it. I would search for a used one on eBay to keep the price down. I got mine used and I want to find extra parts for it.

[borknagar6]

I just realized that the Titan drum rack is technically "used". I cannot return under their policy.

From the description of the rack on National Music Supply's website, it looks to me that it isn't made from e-drums. The horizontal side pipes don't really fall, they droop down like... how can I explain this. The bar in the picture comes out from the vertical pipes. If you looked at the pipe it would have a curve off to the side.

The problem with mine is that because the pipe is curved it twists down under its own weight so when you level your viewpoint with it it is curved downward. I need someway of making the clamps for where the vert pipe and the hori pipe connect have a much better grasp so it doesn't twist down.

I'm not sure if I made this clear about how it was twisting in my original post.

[GRUNTERSDAD]

That eBay ad says that they are "new" why wouldnt they take it back.

[fourstringdrums]

That eBay ad says that they are "new" why wouldnt they take it back.

He might mean that because he put it together it's technically used.

No, you can send it back. Just make sure everything is in the same condition it was when you got it, that you hvae all the pieces, and that you put everything back as it was when it came in the boxes.

[Trommur]

I bought a used Pearl DR-100 for $100 around 15 years ago. Great workhorse of a rack. Paul Jameson, Jeff Porcaro and Pearl basically invented the drum rack back in the early 80's. I recently sold all my rack clamps on eBay (PC-10's). $15-20 is usual. If you can't afford to buy new, buy used, and stick to a name brand. Pearl worked for me for a decade-and-a-half.

Hey, Harry. Is that the first Pearl Rack Series? I have the Dr-1 Rack... Is that the same.?

Joe

[SLEEPY BRiGHT EYEZ]

Are you using the memory locks? Memory locks should have little notches that fit into the joints and multi-clamps to prevent them from twisting and slipping.

I think it's pretty lousy the company won't let you return it. Sounds to me like they know they are selling bogus stuff.

[borknagar6]

The memory locks only fit with the clamps for toms or cymbals, they aren't for the bars themselves. I've probably looked 10 times but the clamps for the bars have no space for the memory locks to fit in. It only comes with enough memory locks to fit with the clamps it comes with.

The reviews on this rack from another say that it is extremely sturdy. There must be something they're doing that I'm not. I'm just completely clueless as to what it is.

[Leadfoot]

If I understand your problem correctly, try this; loosen the clamps that hold your side bars, all 4 screws. Then, tighten the screws on the horizontal bar first, then snug up the screws on the vertical bars. If I understand what's happening, the screws on the vertical bar are too tight and not allowing the other half of the clamp to grip the horizontal bar. If that's indeed the case, you can actually damage the clamp by overtightening it.
Good luck.

[borknagar6]

Sadly, I thought of that but it did not work. I loosened the screws on the vert bar completely then tightened the ones on the side bar but it kept twisting downward.

[Leadfoot]

Sadly, I thought of that but it did not work. I loosened the screws on the vert bar completely then tightened the ones on the side bar but it kept twisting downward.

I'd just about bet that the clamps are bent or de-formed then.
you probably need something like this http://www.gibraltarhardware.com/?fa=detail&mid=270&sid=86&cid=31# just make sure your tubes are the same size as Gibraltars road series..

[SLEEPY BRiGHT EYEZ]

Can you post a pic of the clamps for the bars? If nothing else, you could probably get some nice Gibraltar clamps for the bars if the tube is a standard size (1.5"). Of course, that may end up costing just as much as the whole rack did to begin with.

[baz]

...Bork.

A couple of things that may help. (if you have the rack set as in the picture)

Swap the two T clamps that hold the main horizontal front bar with the ones holding the two feet.

Take those two clamps holding the foot bars and use them for the wings.

Use the two clamps currently on the feet to hold your main horizontal front bar.

Take a little fine grit sand paper and slightly rough up the bars where they will be held by the clamps. Do the same to the insides of the clamps.

If you do not want to use sand paper, you can use a couple of small strips of scotch tape on the ends to give your clamps a little more grip.

If you have the clamp wing screws tightened as much as you can yet the clamp does not hold the bar tight, try adding another washer or two to the screw as that may give you a few more threads worth of torque. If the clamps inner diameter is what is loose, refer back to the tape on the bar.

If you get the chance, try to find some memory locks, and use them on all of your horizontal bars.

Swap the support bars that are attached between the two vertical bars and feet to the wings. Even though the wings are curved, you should be able to do this.

Good luck, and let us know how it all turns out for you.

Barry

[borknagar6]

Very very good news!

Thanks to Baz, I've put everything together. It was actually a combination of things that I did wrong.

1. The bars were not all the way in the clamp. The clamp has tighter grips as you push the bar into it. I did not push it all the way in so it was just basically keeping it from falling.

2. The sandpaper idea also worked wonders. The finish on the bars is virtually frictionless but the sandpaper completely solved that problem.

I would post a picture of it on here but I do not have a digital camera. That's one of the things on my to do list to get. I'll post a picture of it as soon as I am able to do so. Once I do, I'm hoping that you guys will analyze it to see if anything could be better put together or just any tips at all about what I could do.

Thanks for all the help from everyone who posted. I could not have done this without you guys.

[harryconway]

Hey, Harry. Is that the first Pearl Rack Series? I have the Dr-1 Rack... Is that the same.?

Joe
I believe the DR-1 and DR-80 are similar (smaller square bar), and use the smaller and lighter PC-3 and PC-8 clamps. My DR-100 has the same size (larger) square bar as the Icon. I had PC-10 clamps. The PC-50 and PCX-100 clamps are also sized for the larger bar.

[tamadrummer132]

i thought memory locks were so that you could mount things faster, because you alredy had the same placement as you set it in the first place.

[fourstringdrums]

i thought memory locks were so that you could mount things faster, because you alredy had the same placement as you set it in the first place.

Yes, but memory locks also give you a bit of insurance in case the main wing nut or whatever you use to tighten slips.

[GRUNTERSDAD]

Very very good news!

Thanks to Baz, I've put everything together. It was actually a combination of things that I did wrong.

1. The bars were not all the way in the clamp. The clamp has tighter grips as you push the bar into it. I did not push it all the way in so it was just basically keeping it from falling.

2. The sandpaper idea also worked wonders. The finish on the bars is virtually frictionless but the sandpaper completely solved that problem.

I would post a picture of it on here but I do not have a digital camera. That's one of the things on my to do list to get. I'll post a picture of it as soon as I am able to do so. Once I do, I'm hoping that you guys will analyze it to see if anything could be better put together or just any tips at all about what I could do.

Thanks for all the help from everyone who posted. I could not have done this without you guys.

I am glad it worked out because I was going to say, the more I looked at the rack the more convinced I was that it was for an electric drum set.

[borknagar6]

Well now that I notice... Why would an acoustic drum rack have a mounting plate?

Aren't those only for edrums?

The bars are starting to slide when I hit cymbals that are attached to them as well. So, I think I just tightened them so much that it could hold up an acoustic set for awhile.