Bonzo's Felt Strip

[Crydevil]

Hello everyone, I have a small question concerning the Jeff Ocheltree DVD I just saw.
I'm a big Bonzo fan, and I noticed something while watching the DVD where Jeff explaines Bonzo's awesome green sparkle kit.

But what I noticed was that I never saw Bonzo using felt strip on his bassdrum (not live, atleast), not on the Maples, not on the Vistalites, not on the SS kit, ...

Now is it just me who's losing my sight, or is there only a specific time he used it, or maybe another method which gives a similar result compared to using felt strip?

Thanks alot in advance guys :D !

Greets !

[harryconway]

I don't think you'll see the felt strip on the Vistalite kit. He played with a Controlled Sound head batter on that kick. http://www.vistalites.com/legends/bonham.htm I have seen photo's with the felt strip in place on the Thermo Gloss kit. It's a pretty hard feature to spot. Since most drummers cut the felt to be un-obtrusive and most photographers tend not to make the felt tab the focal center of any picture... Using a richie ring can give similar results. Clear Remo Powerstroke 3 head batter was what I used on my 26x14. I don't think they made the Powerstroke 3 head when Bonham was alive, but I'm sure he probably knew how to cut a richie ring.

[Crydevil]

Then I guess I'll go for the felt strip, because I don't know how to cut those rings, and still prefer the looks of coated heads on both sides of my bassdrum. :D

But thanks on the info, much appreciated ! :D

[pcmckay]

I wondered the same thing after I saw that video. But if you look closely at pictures of his vistalite kit you can see a felt strip going across the batter head underneath where the beater strikes. It's basically just below the black dot on the batter side. My theory is that he used the felt strip on the batter side in the same manner on his other kits, and left the reso side wide open. It's a theory. I have also thought that maybe what Ocheltree was talking about was what Bonzo did in the studio, by using felt strips on the reso and batter side but he may have forgotten to specify that. Because clearly you can not see a felt strip on the reso side on any of his kits in concert pictures or videos.

[Crydevil]

Yeah, you may be right indeed. I've also doubted the fact if he was only talking about studio performances or not, and it does look like it to me.

But anyway, thanks for replying :)

Greets !

[harryconway]

While certainly nothing is ever hardly "written in stone", even those nice folks at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bonham state "He never put pillows or other laundry in the bass drum and he only used a felt strip on the batter side from time to time." Here's a site with tons of Bonzo photo's http://www.picsearch.com/pictures/music/musicians/drummers/john%20bonham.html and I haven't come across one yet that shows a felt strip on the reso. head.

[phyjy]

Could some one please explain how and where a felt strip is applied/attached?
Also what size of felt are we talking here?

[nickg]

Could some one please explain how and where a felt strip is applied/attached?
Also what size of felt are we talking here?

i use felt strips, one on both the batter and reso. i have them both placed at about 3"-4" from the left side of the heads running top to bottom. the strips are about 2-1/2" or so wide. and NO port on the front head. that setup really helps get that "Bonham" type sound from your kick.

[pcmckay]

[QUOTE=phyjy;409956]Could some one please explain how and where a felt strip is applied/attached?
Also what size of felt are we talking here?[/QUOTE

The felt strip is put between the drum shell and the drum head. Take of your bass drum head and rest the felt strip on top of your bearing edge. Then place the head on the drum,
adjust the felt strip so that it is even and not bunched up, tune up the drum and the tension of the head holds the felt strip in place. Some drummers put it vertically on the drum to the left side or the right, or horizontally across the bottom of the drum or the top. Or you could put it right down the middle, it is completely up to you depending on how much muffling you want. The typical strip is about 2 1/2 inches wide or you can make it as wide as you want again depending on how muffled you want your drum to sound.

[phyjy]

Thanx pcmckay!!!!!!!!!!!
The exact response I was looking for.....