20 x 16 Bass Drum Sound

aboylikedave

Senior Member
Hi guys

I've got a Yamaha Stage Custom which is great, but I just can't get a decent sound out of the kick drum.

I've heard that the bass drum is the weakest thing with these kits - is this true? Or is it the size and 20x16 kicks unlikely to get a really good sound?

I'm no expert but tuning high or low on either batter or reso or or both or changing heads seems to make little difference, it's just a rather thin, slappy sound. Currently a PS3 batter with Aquarian Superkick Reso, small port hole (4 inches)

One thing I would say it I've played two others at our rehearsal studio and can't say I've been blown away with either (these are 22s) but then I've not got a great deal of experience playing different kits full stop.

Any ideas? If it's the kit then any suggestion for the next level up (can't afford to go much higher). BTW I play a whole range from funk to ...to coin a 70s term...new wave.

Thanks
 
That combo. of heads is probably a little too much muffling. I had Powerstroke 3 heads batter and reso, on my little Yamaha 20x14 (no port), and it was quite punchy. I'd try replacing the Aquarian with a Remo Ambassador.
 
That combo. of heads is probably a little too much muffling. I had Powerstroke 3 heads batter and reso, on my little Yamaha 20x14 (no port), and it was quite punchy. I'd try replacing the Aquarian with a Remo Ambassador.
The catch is when it had the PS3 with the stock single ply reso it sounded no better. With a ported reso might I find the ambassador a great improvement still?
 
The catch is .....

You'll find lots of catches. You may not like the sound of a 20" kick. You may not like the sound of the Yamaha Stage Custom. You may not like the sound of the P3 batter. You may be the pickiest guy on the planet to please. Etc...... So what you might want to do is go "listen" to as many kick drums as you can. And I don't mean recorded. I mean real. Live. When you hear a kick you like, take note what head combo is being used, and then try to replicate it. And for this, you should be listenning to drums "similar in size" to your Yamaha. Also remember that what your drums sound like "from the drivers seat" vs. "out front" can, and usually are, two completely different things.
 
a 20x16 drum kick from experience will give you more slap than low boom...to tell you the truth the only 20' kick that blew my mind is by RMV...yes that's right.....I've own them a few years back the toms are ok. However, the 20' kick drum is just killing it. I own a 20' kick Yammie's Oak custom kick now and I find that tuning the drum to medium low give me the best boom and slap combination.
 
Hey mate,

I play a DW Collector's 20x16 kick for plenty of my gigs. I personally love my 28x20, but sound guys pretty much unanimously prefer my 20...both for attack and low end.

Here's the setup:

Batter: Aquarian SuperKick I (clear)
Resonant: Remo FibreSkyn Powerstroke 3 -NO Hole
Muffling: factory DW pillow
Bass Drum beaters: Danmar 'Zoro', Danmar 'JR' wood
Mic: Beyer M88TG mounted on KellyShu internal mount; wired via a May shell mount XLR socket.
Supplementary Mic: Yamaha Subkick

Tuning, depends on the gig. With a medium-low tension tuning on both sides, that setup yields a low, rich, hi-fi kick drum sound. On gigs, I often ask engineers what (if any) EQ they applied to my gear. Since I added the KellyShu and M88 to the drum at the start of this year, more often than not they tell me they haven't had to touch the kick channels' EQ. Great for multiple band bills where you gotta get on quick with little to no sound check ;)

Specifically for your Stage Custom; in my experience setting up Yamahas, the venerable clear Pinstripe is a go-to. I've also liked the low-end from the Evans EMAD and EMAD2 batters.

Hope that helps some!

Regards, --Joe
 
I play a Tama Starclassic Performer 16X20 kick drum. Aquarian SKII for batter and the Regulator resonant head. I just put a towel in the drum and push it up against the batter head. It's the best sounding kick I've ever owned. I haven't owned a lot but it's better than any of the following:

16X22 Ludwig Super Classic
18X20 Phattie Custom Maple
16X22 Yamaha Recording Custom
18X22 Tama Starclassic Performer EFX

I know it's been said several times probably on every drum forum out there but it is really difficult to find out what sounds the best by asking on a forum and getting opinions. You without a doubt have to play, listen, and try these things out for yourself 'cuz everyone's ears are different and like different things...good luck
 
I have owned a couple different 20" kick drums. One is a stave shell drum 20x14" (my preferred size), and the other was a Catalina Birch 20x16" which I recently sold.

It's pretty easy to get a punchy full sound with the right head combination. I have had a lot of success with the clear Evans one-ply Emad head for a batter, and either a Remo Ambassador or FibreSkyn with a felt strip on the reso side, no internal muffling and no front port hole (definitely go with a thinner skin on the front). This will give you a nice open full round sound with good punchy attack, and beater rebound. I usually tune the reso and batter head to the same tension and let the Emad muffle ring and front side felt strip clean up the overtones. Internal muffling can be added if you want a drier sound.

The Catalina drum sounded great with this treatment and I figure your Stage Custom is probably even better quality.
 
from my experience if you tune the bass drum too low and have thick heads, you can actually lose bottom end and alot of tone, i tune my kicks a bit higher so they are resonating and you can hear the tone, then you can add some muffling after that. I have also owned a few Yamaha drum kits, maple absolute, oak custom and recording custom, to me, and from what i've heard from other drummers, Yammies aren't renowned for there bass drum sound, their toms are awesome but the kicks could be better.
 
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