Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

I would get it, convert the 18 inch tom to a bass drum and purchase matching 10 and 14 inch toms and have 2 kits out of it. 24/13/16 and 18/10/14. Now that would be sweet.
 
Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

It really depends on what you're going for sound-wise. I prefer the larger drums and my kit is similar to what you're looking at (24x14, 13x9 rack, 15x14 and 18x16 floors). I really like it and have been using this configuration for 15 years (except the 24, which I love, but is only about 6 months old; before that it was the trusty old 22). It's true that the 18 can be a challenge but once it sounds good, it sounds really good, IMO.

I also have a 12x8 that I sometimes substitute in for the 13, but usually it's been the 13.
 
Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

I would really be careful about buying a drum set with sizes that are not standard unless you really know what you prefer.

Just curious, why. Really shouldn't it matter if it is standard or not, providing you like how it sounds, I use a 18"x14" kick and I've certainly never had issues with finding heads. The tone is much higher then a standard bass drum but it has never effected playing metal, it sounds a bit more unique, a good sound engineer can make a roto-tom sound like canon fire anyway.
 
Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

I've owned a Rogers XP-8 and a Pearl BLX. Both had 18" floor toms. I currently own a Spaun kit with an 18". A friend has loaned me one of his Ludwig kits with a 14/16/18/26. In every case,the 18" has been the easiest to tune,from a low thud to a lively "Bonham" sound. Yes, it's going to be loud. :)
A 24" kick should work in almost any situation. Every drummer ,that I know, buys vehicles that will hold their drums,not drums that will fit in their vehicles. :)
 
Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

If you like the sound of those sizes, get them.

You'll know what works for you when you sit behind it.

I love 24" bass drums (any depth). Don't really care for 22's, but I like 18" and 20" bass drums for certain things.

Sure, you can make anything "work", but do you like how it sounds?
Does it make you happy when you play them?

The reason you (or anyone) play the drums is because you LIKE TO, and it's FUN right?

Your drums should make you happy when you sit behind them, so get what YOU like and what will work best for you and the situations/music you want to play.

The bass drum size I've used for the last 10+ years is a 26. Before that, it was a 28 for 9-10 years (got sick of lugging the thing).

I've used a 20x26 for the last 8 years, and have played in rooms that hold between 100-2,000, and a few gigs at a 15-20,000 seat "shed". It's never sounded anything but great anywhere.

It works for me.

For everyone? Heck no, but it's what I like, and no one (musicians, sound guy's, sound engineers, recording engineers)has ever not liked how it sounded (or said/intimated/hinted or grumbled) that it was difficult to work with.
It sounds good played soft or hard too.

Everyone is different, so, get what you want.

The only thing I would caution on is a 6 lug 18" drum. It seems to me that it would be difficult to tune up because of how much space there is between the lugs for the hoops to hold any good, even tension.

Those Mapex Meridian drums seem pretty nice at the shop, but the lower lug count had me scratching my head.
Doesn't seem like 6 more lugs for a whole kit (16,18 and bass drum) would make it cost that much more on Mapex's end to jump it out of it's price point.

Good luck, and have fun with what you end up buying!!
 
Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

Just curious, why. Really shouldn't it matter if it is standard or not, providing you like how it sounds, I use a 18"x14" kick and I've certainly never had issues with finding heads. The tone is much higher then a standard bass drum but it has never effected playing metal, it sounds a bit more unique, a good sound engineer can make a roto-tom sound like canon fire anyway.

Standard sizes are standard because of their popularity and practicality. If you really love 24" or 26" bass drums, it's not a question of should I get it or not. You prefer it and anything anyone says shouldn't really sway you one way or the other. That was the point I was making.

The second drum set I bought when I was about 15 had 2 24s 13-14-16-18, they were Ludwig 3 plies. I bought it because I felt like that was the kit I should have; but after a few months, I really came to dislike it. I felt the drums were too big and loud, and I also broke a lamp that was hanging downstairs. I used to drive the neighbor behind me crazy with that kit. I think a lot of times teenagers, and I don't know how old the OP is, are not really thinking sensibly about the noise they are making, or the practicality of using this kit in your school jazz band perhaps.

One of my students just ordered a 26-13-16-18 three ply. I asked him why and he said he just had to have it. He's been wanting it for quite a while now. I asked him what his parents thought and he said, they're not looking forward to it.
 
Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

As far as a 24" BD goes, I love mine. I have a 24-13-16-18 and it sounds great. The 18" was tricky to tune for me just because I needed to find a good point where it sounded good and cut through. I love hitting both floor toms when my band gigs, and just hear the things bellow through the whole club.

Just get the drums you want the most. However, don't settle for a drum set. If there is nothing that makes you go "I need THAT!!" then just wait it out. I have done that in the past and regretted buying good drums, just because if I had waited I could have had better ones.
 
Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

Every "experienced" drummer you know ..... you need to find a new set of cats to hang with. Just about every drummer I know has more than one kit. I own two acoustic kits.​
My Ludwigs, 26x16, 12x8, 13x9, 14x14, 16x16, 18x16.​
My Yamaha Recording Customs, 22x16, 12x8, 13x9, 14x14.​
Buy the drums you want to buy. If you need a smaller kick later down the road, then buy a smaller kick. It's not like they're gonna suddenly stop making, selling, or outlaw 20" kicks anytime soon.​
So you're (thinking of) driving a 24, 13, 16, 18 ... nice sizes. Add a 20" kick, a year from now, if you need to. You don't have to take all your drums to every gig. Think versatility and flexibility. A 20, 13, 16 for some gigs ... 24, 13, 18 for others ... 24, 13, 16, 18 for still more .... and for the ultimate "throw down" get all Dave Weckl/Will Calhoun on people, and jam out on both the 20" and the 24".​
 
Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

Perhaps I'm an enigma in that I really don't care what is or isn't popular. Certain styles of music certainly favour bigger drums, 22"x22" kicks are close to the essence of hardcore drumming for example. It is also quite possible to mute anything for practice sake.


Standard sizes are standard because of their popularity and practicality. If you really love 24" or 26" bass drums, it's not a question of should I get it or not. You prefer it and anything anyone says shouldn't really sway you one way or the other. That was the point I was making.

The second drum set I bought when I was about 15 had 2 24s 13-14-16-18, they were Ludwig 3 plies. I bought it because I felt like that was the kit I should have; but after a few months, I really came to dislike it. I felt the drums were too big and loud, and I also broke a lamp that was hanging downstairs. I used to drive the neighbor behind me crazy with that kit. I think a lot of times teenagers, and I don't know how old the OP is, are not really thinking sensibly about the noise they are making, or the practicality of using this kit in your school jazz band perhaps.

One of my students just ordered a 26-13-16-18 three ply. I asked him why and he said he just had to have it. He's been wanting it for quite a while now. I asked him what his parents thought and he said, they're not looking forward to it.
 
Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

Bunch of bunk. Once I went to a 24", I lost interest in playing a 22". I just picked up another 24" after having gotten rid of the first one...and I'm never looking back. It's just as easy to play, if not easier, and sounds much nicer. You can tune it up or down and play any kind of music you want to. Whether or not it's loud, is a matter of how you play it. Volume is a function of the drummer, for the most part. Control your dynamics, and it matters not how big your drums are.
 
Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

People told me not to get a 26" kick when I had only been playing for around a year. I'm very glad I did. I am a drum hoarder now, and have 4 big kicks 2 24's a 26 and 28, and 4 18" floor toms. When I recorded recently I used a 24x16 and it sounded awesomed.

Also as far as positioning the toms I recently stuck a 12x8 and 13x9 over my 28 and there not that far out of the way for me ( I'm 6 feet tall). I think a 24 can fit most standard depth toms on top no problem and not be super high up for most people. If the kit is 1 up 2 down then no problem.
 
Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

Bunch of bunk. Once I went to a 24", I lost interest in playing a 22". I just picked up another 24" after having gotten rid of the first one...and I'm never looking back. It's just as easy to play, if not easier, and sounds much nicer. You can tune it up or down and play any kind of music you want to. Whether or not it's loud, is a matter of how you play it. Volume is a function of the drummer, for the most part. Control your dynamics, and it matters not how big your drums are.

This I certainly agree on. Bigger drum doesn't have to equate louder sound, quite often I find my smaller kick appears louder than big thudding ones due to the fact it cuts through a detuned mix more and I tend to really hammer it with wooden beaters on my pedals.
 
Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

One thing I would recommended doing is trying out a 24 kick before you purchase it if you can. My dad went from playing 10,12,14,22 to 14,16,18, 26. While i can get used to the bigger tom sizes I've never felt comfortable playing the 26 kick....and were talking more than a year later. And big drums sound great recorded.
 
Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

Perhaps I'm an enigma in that I really don't care what is or isn't popular. Certain styles of music certainly favour bigger drums, 22"x22" kicks are close to the essence of hardcore drumming for example. It is also quite possible to mute anything for practice sake.

A standard set is easier to resell if you decide you want to sell it.

This is really becoming silly because as I have said my intent was to say that it is a matter of preference. Why get a kit that you have to play softer or have to play a certain way because the kit is big? Bigger drums are louder, it is a fact. You can play them softer you can play them loud; but they are by nature louder.
 
Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

I have something I need to add to this thread:

Don't buy the kit in the picture. Period. Why? Because it's NEW! Buying brand new drums is one of the worst mistakes you can make, unless you are buying a new custom kit designed to your specifications. Look on eBay, Craig's List, etc. There are a TON of great deals out there right now. Most of the pro guys on here all recommend this move. I know it's cool to think of getting your first "new" kit, but a kit like that is what, around $800? For the same price, I have seen used (but great condition) Mapex Saturn kits (their top line), DWs, and Pearl Masters. It's rare and you have to be patient, but you can end up with a kit that is MUCH better than the one you are looking at for the same price. My favorite kit is my Mapex Pro-M (the former name of the Meridians). I got it used for like $450. You just can't beat it.

When it comes to drums and cymbals, you should always buy used. Check it out to make sure it's in great condition, of course, but always buy used.
 
Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

When it comes to drums and cymbals, you should always buy used. Check it out to make sure it's in great condition, of course, but always buy used.

I agree with this completely. I've made this mistake only to find what I was looking for online a week later for a fraction of the cost.

Other than that, buy what you like and play it how you like! Just because someone on here is against 24" kick drums doesn't mean you should be. It's your kit.

Buy it, play it, if you don't like it you can always sell it and get something different, or keep it shelved for a future time when you need a specific sound that kit will provide.

EDIT: Just make sure it fits in your car! :)
 
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Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

A standard set is easier to resell if you decide you want to sell it.

This is really becoming silly because as I have said my intent was to say that it is a matter of preference. Why get a kit that you have to play softer or have to play a certain way because the kit is big? Bigger drums are louder, it is a fact. You can play them softer you can play them loud; but they are by nature louder.

By nature they are also deeper, I find tonality very important when it comes to choosing the right drum kit. Anything can be louder then anything else amplified, it hardly matters, it is how it is mic'd. You are correct though, by nature they are louder acoustically if struck with the same intensity and I didn't really think about reselling, it's not something I've really ever considered.
 
Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

By nature they are also deeper, I find tonality very important when it comes to choosing the right drum kit. Anything can be louder then anything else amplified, it hardly matters, it is how it is mic'd. You are correct though, by nature they are louder acoustically if struck with the same intensity and I didn't really think about reselling, it's not something I've really ever considered.


My philosophy is I never met a bass drum I didn't like because of its size. Manny's NYC had a beautiful late 1930s Slingerland 28 inch bass drum with a small 12" snare, which used to be sold together. It was Mahagony/Maple and that thing was a beaut. I don't know what they wanted for it; but it sat there for a couple of years and then was in Sam Ash when they bought out Manny's. I fantasized about setting that thing up with an extension bass pedal. Man that thing would shake the house.
 
Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

That is one beautiful kit! Don't worry about being to loud, if your a good drummer you'll play with dynamics! Even possible choose the right kind of sticks for whatever music your playing.

I also don't find drums hard to tune once you figure out what heads work best on them for your sound, I've re-headed every new kit I ever bought. If you find the floor toms a bit ringy just use a moon gel that will fix it. Tuning is key with any kit.

In my experience small drums were fun to play but they didn't tune low enough. To further help you I would like to know what kind of music you play and what you plan to do with them and I would gladly give you tips to find that sound you want out of your drums.
 
Re: Everyone tells me NOT to buy a kit with a 24" bass drum! (24"BD owners, please comment!)

My philosophy is I never met a bass drum I didn't like because of its size. Manny's NYC had a beautiful late 1930s Slingerland 28 inch bass drum with a small 12" snare, which used to be sold together. It was Mahagony/Maple and that thing was a beaut. I don't know what they wanted for it; but it sat there for a couple of years and then was in Sam Ash when they bought out Manny's. I fantasized about setting that thing up with an extension bass pedal. Man that thing would shake the house.

haha, yeah, a drum teacher I've met at a local music store is endorsed by Lesoprano, his kit is truly a thing of beauty. I'd be afraid to play it in case I damaged it, an absolute work of art.
 
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