T rods on bassdrum batter side at bottom vs floor tuning issue

Hi everyone,

thanks for you help in advance!!

My Gretsch Renown Kit comes with T rods on the 22'' bassdrum.

My problem:
The two bottom T rods (on either side of the Yamaha HW780 pedal) can't keep their optimal/properly tuned orientation as they will touch the floor.
There is not enough space and I can only set those two T rods to a horizontal orientation.

The reso side doesn't have this problem as the spurs allow it to be tilted upwards.

How do people with T rods on the batter side do it then?
Swap the two bottoms ones out?
Just live with an improper tuning?
Or be limited to just a proper tuning dictated by the two horizontal T rods down there?

I'm very curious if I'm doing something very wrong here or if this is really a common problem that can't be overcome?

Many thanks again for helping!
regards
 
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Does a 1/4 turn make THAT big of a difference???
 
I'm sure opinions differ, but if you don't change tuning constantly during a setIwho does that?) I find T rods just annoying.

Personally I'd change them all. Rods are cheap.
 
Just swap out the 2 rods---seems like a no-brainer to me! Personally I would swap them all out, and eliminate the hassle of re-tuning every time you move the drum and bump the t-handles.
 
So a bump (1/4 turn) will be enough knock it out of tune? Really?
 
So a bump (1/4 turn) will be enough knock it out of tune? Really?

No, I do the same on an old Slingerland bass drum. The bass drum head being a large head, a 1/4 turn on those two rods makes no difference.
I'd replace those two with normal rods, but the threads on some older drums are not all the same and its a PITA to find the right rod threads at times.
 
I also have two drum sets with T rods.

I find this thread amusing. Because it made me realize that I always make small adjustments to both bass drum heads before I attach the bass drum pedal. I do this EVERY time I set up my drums. And I remember now why I have this habit. Many years ago I used to have calfskin drum heads. And their tension changes a lot day to day and venue to venue. And T rods make this continual adjustment very easy to do.

.
 
Thanks everyone for the many replies!

I understand that some will swap at least the two T rods down there.
(btw: I'm not moving the drums as they are just for the studio room)

Your comments sound encouraging to not bother too much about the 'different tensions' of those two rods .... and I will try and see again if a quarter turn difference on those two rods down there should make no difference on a 22'' batter head.

But let me just think out loud:
When I turn all rods a 1/4 turn than that makes quite an interval difference (and feel difference as well).
Now when I get all other 8 (out of 10) tuned correctly and only those two down there differ by let's say a 1/4 turn... will this not actually have a effect on how the bass and attack develops as the two 'out of tune lugs' are next to each other/ in one spot? Just wondering....

Thanks again!
 
I like T rods, but putting them on the bottom two near the bass drum pedal is stupid.
Exactly and it’s been a long time since a drum company ever done so, even for front hoop. Still I don’t think Renown ever came with T rod ???
It’s not genuine part I guess.
 
If you've spent the time to clear the head, yeah, a 1/4 turn will put that out. That may or may not be a big deal to you, but it does make a difference.
 
I tend to tune my kick drum with T-rods so that the handles all line up with the hoops when it's tuned. I don't quarter-turn T-rods, I half-turn them. I check the tuning as I set up every time, and I have never experienced significant detuning on this drum.
 
Exactly and it’s been a long time since a drum company ever done so, even for front hoop. Still I don’t think Renown ever came with T rod ???
It’s not genuine part I guess.

ahhhh.... that makes sense.... I bought my kit in very good shape but used. Ok, then Gretsch would never approached it this way at the pedal as I understand it.
Thanks for mentioning that!

If you've spent the time to clear the head, yeah, a 1/4 turn will put that out. That may or may not be a big deal to you, but it does make a difference.
'clear the head' means having it in 'perfect tune' ?
thanks!
 
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I tend to tune my kick drum with T-rods so that the handles all line up with the hoops when it's tuned. I don't quarter-turn T-rods, I half-turn them. I check the tuning as I set up every time, and I have never experienced significant detuning on this drum.

Hi,

who knows maybe I'm still too fussy about tuning?!
I'm still finding my way around what pitches I prefer in relation to the reso pitch... but right now - imho- tuning the batter in intervalls of 4-5 halftones appears quite like taking 'giant steps' :)

if you tune in 1/2 turns than that will change the batter head in steps of roughly 4-5 half tones, right?

thanks and regards
 
My old Slingerland kick has T handles- I tune one higher on one side and lower on the other side of the pedal just to get the handles to be horizontal. This makes the tension even out between the two. I’ve also discovered you can use just 4 tension rods equally spaced as possible around the drum to get your sound.
 
But let me just think out loud:
When I turn all rods a 1/4 turn than that makes quite an interval difference (and feel difference as well).
Now when I get all other 8 (out of 10) tuned correctly and only those two down there differ by let's say a 1/4 turn... will this not actually have a effect on how the bass and attack develops as the two 'out of tune lugs' are next to each other/ in one spot? Just wondering....
!

Don't lose sleep over this, but if you don;t believe me, try listening without the bass drum pedal on, hitting your bass drum with a mallet. Tune all your rods as you like them then turn the bottom 2 rods a 1/4 turn and see who big a deal it is....or not. There is a lot of area on a 22" bass head.
 
I have read dozens of threads on here about how important proper tuning is to making your drums sound good---and now I'm hearing all this nonsense about 1/4 turn makes no difference? Even HEAD tension at all lugs is the most important thing! Rod tension, counting turns, or witchcraft will not make a drum sound good if the head is not tuned evenly to itself!
 
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