Should I get a rack?

AtomicFlapjack

Senior Member
I am thinking of getting a Gibraltar curved rack, though I have never seen one IRL, only thin internet, my local music stores dont have any racks. You could argue I don't really have enough kit for a rack, but then personally I feel it would help the versatility of my set up, to help me have it all where i want it. Atm i have a crash, two splashes and two toms all on one stand. It can probably handle it, its tama roadpro, but still... plus cause its all one stand, the stand is more central than i'd like, and the bass drum off to the side.

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So, what would convince me is if anyone has any experience with the rack? Also, generally, how easy/hard is a rack to transportand set up? How fast/slow?

Thanks.
 
Yeah, I think the rack would work great with your setup, however with your primary crash (The right one) I feel you may not be able to place that thier awfully well unless you consider a side extension. otherwise its alright having a stand spare.

Set up time , Ive gotta say is alot faster. The clamps mark off where I want my stuff so its allright. Plus I leave my boom arms how they are set up to add even more speed. Also dont limit yourself to Gibraltar. Pearl make quality racks, I should know. Im using one ;)

Bill
 
Thanks for the reply. Yeah i was thinking just leaving it on that stand, and if I ever get, say a china, then I'll ge a side extention. Cool, so how do you get on with it? I'v got to say I'm really picky with hardware, I need it to be sturdy and can't stand flimps fiddly hardware, hence why I use so much Tama Roadpro. How is yours, and which model is it?
 
I think that you are a borderline case for a rack.
You really don't have that much stuff.
I don't think that a rack will save you time.

I could carry that kit in in three trips and set it up in about 20 mins.

Do you move your kit a lot?
Also, A rack takes more space.
 
Racks are great if you can leave all arms on and extended so all you have to do is unfold and mount cymbals....I even leave my blocks and bells on it (2 each)...I have a Gibraltar and really like it...I carry alot of stuff on my set so it has knocked a good amount of time off the set-up....Big Plus is they really look good!!!! compared to all the stand legs.
 
If you are a stickler about placemnet like I am and you wanna be able to repeat it quickly the rack is the only wat to go!

I have all of my stuff on my rack except the bass, snare and hi-hat. Durring gigs I can set up 90% of the kit and it only takes two people to move it in to place. Set up durring band change out is under 5min's tops!

Please excuse the rude gesture...
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Thanks for the reply. Yeah i was thinking just leaving it on that stand, and if I ever get, say a china, then I'll ge a side extention. Cool, so how do you get on with it? I'v got to say I'm really picky with hardware, I need it to be sturdy and can't stand flimps fiddly hardware, hence why I use so much Tama Roadpro. How is yours, and which model is it?

Its an older model of a DR-50 Rack, essentially the same except it doesnt support Cymbal Arms at the edges and you cant adjust the height of the rack so its at a fixed position always. Got it 2nd hand for £50 and loving it. Only thing I dont like is how you dont get much reach to side areas, but that can be easily solved when I buy a side extension.
 
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Most of the benefits to owning a rack come if you are able to transport the rack in major pieces, and with as much hardware as possible attached. It also depends on how much stuff you are putting on the rack. And of course, if you don't ever move your kit, a rack is great.

Having said that, the weight of a rack can be as much, if not slightly more, than with stands.

Rack users and stand users are like the "great taste - less filling" argument on the old Miller Lite commercial. I've used and schlepped both, and it finally came to a point where I couldn't carry as much stuff any more (bad back). So I downsized the kit, and with that, decided to sell the rack. (Still for sale by the way... check the classifieds thread...)

But as far as setup flexibility goes, racks are great. But, if you have enough tripods and clamps and booms, so are stands.
 
I have a 7 piece Ludwig Epic (3 up/2 down) with a virgin kick. The ride toms mount on tom holders that mount to cymbal stands, 1 single and 1 double tom mount. It seems to take forever to set tom and cymbal elevations just right because they go hand in hand. I recently saw a spanner rack (Gibralter?) that interests me. I would have 3 ride toms and up to 3 cymbals on it. Does it halve to be curved for my sety up? I'm looking to save set up / tear down time. Do you guys have any recommendations for me?
 

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I have a double bass set with three toms up top. I had been using the Gibraltar stuff, but as you add more weight to the rack, the tighter you have to go with the clamps that prevent the pipe from turning all of your stuff downward due to gravity. I really like the Pearl rack gear, as the square shape gets rid of that problem.

Being a woodworker, I decided to make the square rack pieces out of wood and use the Pearl clamps as the size reference. The pieces are all 48 inches long and are curved by laminating several 1/4 inch strips together and bending them in a form while the glue dried.

I have one stand on the floor and everything else is on the rack. It wasn't any cheaper to do it that way, but I have the only one like it!
 
Yeah, with your setup (ie., offset), I would recommend the stealth configuration. I have recently switched to this setup and it is a big improvement over stands. Its much more stable and precise. It also gives you a lot of room to grow. The down side to switching to a rack system is the cost. This stuff is not cheap...the clamps and boom arms are expensive. I also recommend Gibraltar....they seem to be the leading manufacturer and most popular. If you want to save money, you can find these racks used. Good luck !
 
I got a rack after 13 years of using stands and 6 years later I can tell you I'm glad I did. Go for it!

One caveat: I sold my stands to help pay for the rack and now I regret it--there are smaller venues where I use fewer cymbals/drums and I feel like having to bring the rack both looks silly with that small set-up and defeats the purpose of a minimal kit. So don't sell those stands unless you have to!
 
I got a rack after 13 years of using stands and 6 years later I can tell you I'm glad I did. Go for it!

One caveat: I sold my stands to help pay for the rack and now I regret it--there are smaller venues where I use fewer cymbals/drums and I feel like having to bring the rack both looks silly with that small set-up and defeats the purpose of a minimal kit. So don't sell those stands unless you have to!
A good point. Keep your stand tripod bases & use the cymbal stand arms on your rack, then it's simple to switch for that smaller setup if required.
 
Will Yamaha cymbal stand top-halves work with a Gibralter rack though?
 
Will Yamaha cymbal stand top-halves work with a Gibralter rack though?

Yes.................................................................................
 

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