Quest for the throne (stiffness in lower back)

Someone's Dad

Senior Member
I know that there are a lot of threads about thrones, but I wanted to get specific.

My boy is 15 in September and is currently a 6ft beanpole with lower back problems. Paediatricians and physiotherapists have been consulted and attributed it to growing pains. So he does a lot of stretching exercises to relieve stiffness and core strengthening exercises (swimming, plank etc), but he still looks like an old man standing up after any prolonged period of sitting down.

Which brings us to drumming. His posture at the drum kit has deteriorated and a hour at the kit is a sure fire way for his back to stiffen up.

I'm looking for a new throne and I'm hoping a back rest has the potential to encourage the right posture and maybe provide relief. Any opinions? Anyone had a similar experience (tall, lower back pain)? Any specific recommendations?

I'm comfortable spending on this (I'm not going to scrimp if it will make a difference). Looks like a Gibraltar throne with backrest is about £180, but I'd double that if there was real benefit to be had.

Common sense says take the boy to a drum store and try out a bunch to see which suits (round, tractor etc). So anyone in or around London (UK) with a recommendation of a store that's likely to carry a wider range of thrones?

Appreciate all thoughts.
 
Put a big mirror next to the kit so he can check his posture. Bad posture = back problems.

My friend has a throne with a back rest but he says that it doesn't really help. It still might be worth trying though.
 
One of the best, most comfortable thrones I've sat on is the Tama Ergo Rider with the backrest. With that said, it's expensive - $279 US. It's also big - it will take up a lot of space in a hardware bag if he's gigging a lot.

Ultimately I think that you are on the right track to find something with a backrest.
 
I use a chair with a back rest and it will help with posture if it is positioned properly and he is consistant with using it.
 
Put a big mirror next to the kit so he can check his posture. Bad posture = back problems.
That's a good suggestion - thanks.

I use a chair with a back rest and it will help with posture if it is positioned properly and he is consistant with using it.
Thanks, it won't take away from the need to be aware of his own body/posture, but I'm hoping a back rest will help.

One of the best, most comfortable thrones I've sat on is the Tama Ergo Rider with the backrest. With that said, it's expensive - $279 US. It's also big - it will take up a lot of space in a hardware bag if he's gigging a lot.
Cheers. The Ergo Rider is one that seems to be in stock in a lot of online UK stores. I'll try to track down one in a real store. It is expensive, but if it helps him, it will be worth it. Portability isn't an issue right now - I end up ferrying him to and from all his performances, so it will be my back carrying the extra load...
 
What throne does he have now? It may not be the throne, but set up and positioning.

I'd start by looking at throne height. The most neutral position should be where thighs are parallel with the floor when sitting on the throne. If he feels like he is balanced while keeping his back straight and the throne is supporting his weight properly, it may not be the throne at all.

If he's hunching over, it's most likely because the drums are positioned too low. A lot of folks naturally want everything very low, probably because it implies that the greater distance involved getting the sticks to the heads leads to more power, but that really isn't the case. It can also be hard to ignore a photo or video of a famous drummer that has a very low set up.

I've seen a lot of drummers that want to rest or support their snare hand against their thigh, leading to a snare drum below the top of their legs. Raising the snare above the thighs, and the rest of the kit accordingly, should help prevent the feeling of needing to hunch over toward the drums, and helping keeping the back upright and better supported.

This may not be an easy transition, and depending on how low and how long he's played in a certain position this might even seem completely impossible at first. I was in my 30s before I finally realized I needed to unlearn what I had been doing and really focus on a centered and balanced posture and drum set up. Having a throne that supports you properly and setting up the drums around you ergonomically seems like the easiest thing in the world, but it often isn't. It wasn't for me, but I play a lot better now and I'm a lot more comfortable now that I was 10 years ago.
 
I used to have a really tight burning sensation between my shoulder blades when I finished a gig. I bought a throne with a back rest and it changed everything for me. I don't lean into it for support, but try to play with it just lightly touching my back. I find it really helps make me stop slouching over while playing.

I just recently upgraded to a Tama Ergo rider with a back rest myself, and although I haven't gigged it yet, I'm expecting it will be great. It's definitely worth checking out a backrested throne IMO. You don't notice at first, it's about a couple hours in a session of playing that I realise I have much more energy.
 
Another advocate for good posture here. Pushing the entire lumbar forward, and keeping it there. I had to force myself to do this at first but now it's second nature. An arc in your son's back should be avoided like the Plague. I have a beanpole son too...6 foot 5 and maybe 175 lbs. Long skinny back. He has to be careful.

The only throne that is truly different from the rest is the Carmichael (split seat) drum throne. The part where you sit on is split in 2 so your spine is over the gap. Certain members here gush about it. Les Ismore I know loves his. I myself have never tried it, but you may want to look into it.

(My opinion) A backrest is not only unnecessary, it's detrimental IMO. Personally, I don't want to have my torso weight leaned against anything when I'm playing. It's my responsibility to keep my back straight. It's the most healthy way to sit for long periods of keeping time :)

The "regular" thrones....Roc & Soc, Gibraltar, Tama, DW, Ludwig, Pearl et al, as long as they are the double braced, heavy duty thrones...they are all fantastic thrones. Your only real choices for the business end of thrones are: hydraulic height adjustment or spindle height adjustment, round shaped or motorcycle seat shaped top, collapsing or non collapsing support for the seat top. The Carmichael is the only one with a split seat, I want to say it's seat shape is round with the split.

I like the spindle height adjustment variety. It's rock solid. I've had hydraulics fail on me at gigs, but I do like the bounce you get with hydraulics. Plus with the hydraulics...the R&S at least...the seat top doesn't detach from it's support. That part makes it a dealbreaker for me.

It's nice to see that you are really interested in seating your son properly, way to go.
 
What throne does he have now? It may not be the throne, but set up and positioning.

Good thought. Nothing wrong with his existing throne in itself - it's a Pearl D-790; basic, but sturdy. I will revisit his practice set up with him again - he's grown about a foot since he started drumming and while the throne height has been adjusted, I don't think we've changed much in the rest of the set up. Most of his performances are on a shared kit with shorter kids, so there's probably compromise there as well.

I bought a throne with a back rest and it changed everything for me. I don't lean into it for support, but try to play with it just lightly touching my back. I find it really helps make me stop slouching over while playing.

Cheers, that's what I had in mind. His back problems are wider than drumming, but I was hoping that this would be a way to encourage correct posture when he's playing (other than watching over him and occasionally barking "sit up straight!")

(My opinion) A backrest is not only unnecessary, it's detrimental IMO. Personally, I don't want to have my torso weight leaned against anything when I'm playing. It's my responsibility to keep my back straight. It's the most healthy way to sit for long periods of keeping time :)

Oh, that's a good point. If a back rest encourages him to be lazy about his posture and slump back into it, it's going to be counter productive. I'm going to have to get him to try a few different thrones and see how he sits in each. And thanks for your thoughts on hydraulics (I'm a gadget man, so I was getting tempted in that direction...)

Appreciate everyone's comments. Need to find a music store with the widest possible range.
 
I have major back issues from 3 surgeries to remove a tumor. My spine is severely compromised. I have severe arthritis in it now. The best throne for me has been Roc n Soc Nitro with cycle sorta saddle design. The issue that causes a lot of back pain when playing drums is getting leverage needed to work pedals and play with your hands/ move around the kit. You end up using your back incorrectly. The "saddle" design of Roc n Soc gives me that leverage naturally. The back of my thighs push against the saddle configuration naturally. A round throne doesn't allow for this.

FYI I tried the back rest that comes with it but that didn't work well. I use without the back rest.
 
I am also a 6' beanpole that has constant issues standing up straight when I get up. I spend a lot of time at work hunched over, this seems to be a big player with a sore back for me.

Have your son stand up straight next to his throne. The top of the seat should be even with the top of his knee at the very minimum. This will put his thighs parallel to the floor while seated and having his feet on the pedals.

Now have him sit down, and without sticks, reach out and touch the center of all his drums and cymbals. He should be able to do this without having to lean forward or hunch. If not, stuff needs to be raised or readjusted.

Now look at his feet/ hip position in relation to his torso. Are all 3 in alignment? Meaning are the torso and hips on the Sam horizontal plane? They should be, and his toes should also be parallel to this same line. If not he is twisted and once again, stuff needs to be readjusted.

Or think of it this way, the seat is the center of a clock. The feet should be at approximately 10:30 and 1:30, and the hips and torso should bisect the clock from 9 to 3. If this isn't the case, he is sitting twisted and will only twist more while playing. Hope this helps.
 
Hope this helps.

The best throne for me has been Roc n Soc Nitro with cycle sorta saddle design.

Apologies fellas - didn't respond earlier, but I'm grateful to both of you for your responses.

So I took the boy to a nearby(ish) music store and tried a bunch of thrones. We discovered the following...

He prefers the saddle shape over round thrones - they seem to prompt better posture for him.
He likes the bounce on the pneumatic/hydraulic thrones, but it doesn't actually help his posture.
The thrones with backrests that we tried wouldn't adjust into a position that would have benefitted him (combination of the specific thrones and his body shape, I guess).

So... I bought a Roc n Soc saddle with a manual spindle in the tall size. We also took the opportunity to adjust his kit from scratch (with advice from here and a couple of videos).

So far, very happy. The Roc n Soc is solid and comfortable. There's definitely been a meaningful improvement to his playing posture and noticeable reduction in his post-playing stiffness over the last two weeks. Although how much of that can be attributed to the change of throne, adjusting the kit, additional swimming sessions, or just being more aware, I don't know. Haven't sourced a mirror yet, (which I think is a great suggestion) but have had him videoing himself a couple of times.

Thanks again to everyone who responded.
 
Question: does he keep the seat from spinning? Or does he like it loose?

That could be the culprit right there - keep the seat from spinning, because when it's loose like that, your lower back is now forced to hold everything together and your stressing out the muscles unnecessarily. But if he likes a locked throne, I'm not sure what the culprit could be. You might want to have a chiropractor visit him while he plays to see what he's physically doing to his back while playing.
 
I'm a huge fan of the Smart Ass drum throne made by Ford Drums.

It has Swedish memory foam and has done wonders for my back. It can take a while to break in but it is worth it.
I own two of these thrones and added a back rest for one of them. Personally, I wouldn't worry about the back rest
at all. Just start with the throne and see if it helps alleviate your son's back issues.

Contact Jay at Ford Drums directly for details: https://www.forddrums.com/sa-thrones
 
In addition to the new throne, I would highly encourage you and him to seriously look at his set up. A few years ago I was playing an offset tom set up of 2 toms to the left of the bass and hanging floor tom to the right. If I played that kit my back would hurt. If I hopped on one of my others, I would not experience any issues.

I am 6" too, long legs, short torso and scoliosis. If I stand for 10 minutes without shifting my weight I get a burning sensation in my lower back. I can play basketball for 2-3 hours without getting the same feeling. I do get stiff when I stop playing ball after that period though, as you would expect :)

Try adjusting tom, snare and cymbal height as well as how close/far these things are away from him. Look at where his ride cymbal is and his arm positioning for that and his HH.

Try taking everything apart and putting it back together a piece at a time after starting with where his feet hit the floor to place the pedals. Build the kit from there. Make sure his thighs are parallel to the floor and adjust the throne height accordingly.

Good luck!
 
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