Rant: Who's in charge at Gibraltar??

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I have standard clutch from Sonor that looks much like this Gibralter one. Come to think of it, the top hat is a little bit floppier than I'd like it to be, but not as bad as you are describing the Gibralter one here. Maybe they engineered a bad copy of Sonor's clutch design.
 
I remember seeing an older thread where the designer of the Catapult pedal shared his thoughts and put up with a good bit criticism too. Much respect for him defending his creation but that still is an abortion of a pedal.

John, I do think its a little heavy handed to discount all of Gibraltar's offerings based on a bad;y designed HH clutch and that abysmally designed pedal. After all, let's not forget that useless remote hi hat that lacks all the positioning versatility of a cable hat and the terrible response of the cable hat.

I really do like their flat base stands though. I also have a BD mounted cymbal arm on order.
 
Okay, so I dug up some nice plumbing washers and all should be well:

clutch2.jpg


A quick fix, but that's not the point.

Oh yeah... GET OFF OF MY LAWN!




Quite possibly GIBRALTAR could've given the wrong felts with that one hombre.
 
In straight engineering terms, that's a neat design in the making. If only it had a second roller on the back of the beater arm such that separation of the arm & pedal plate was impossible, it could be a good pedal. Would need adjustment possibilities looked at too though.

A holder for my beer that would flip it to me with the right kind of stroke would be good too. If only....

Of course, I have no idea about the improvements you've suggested. Might be something, but I only have inputs from people who've tried it while forming an opinion on these pedals.
 
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Okay, I think we can agree that the Gibraltar Catapult pedal from 4 or 5 years ago was a flop (and deservedly so) and their new, double zipper flat-folding bags have raised some "solution in search of a problem" observations. Based on those 2 products, I suggested that they're not consulting drummers on these ideas, and that whatever committee approves them for manufacture probably has no drummers on it.

Well, here's another for ya. Granted, this undoubtedly came out long before the Catapult pedal, but the design flaw is consistent with Gibraltar not thinking things through.

Consider this hi-hat clutch:

clutch.jpg


I recently bought this as a spare for gigs where a kit is provided, and I bring cymbals, snare and a pedal. Often, there's not a clutch, so I now pack one with my cymbals. I used it for the first time the other night, and was shocked at the egregious design flaw.

Yes, it has the unthreaded portion so the cymbals don't encounter needless friction (and so they don't wear away the threads...) But the threaded portion where the lock nuts live is too short - the nuts can't come down far enough to hold the cymbal (and the bottom plastic nut only screws on so far, then stops.)

The result: the cymbal is loose. No, I mean really loose, like on a cymbal stand flopping around loose! The foot action is greatly affected, as is playing open-close patterns.

Now, this isn't the end of the world, it was $11, and I have other working clutches laying around (guess I should have just nabbed one of those in the first place!) But it's another example of someone at Gibraltar apparently not actually trying this - with a cymbal, the way it was intended to be used - before manufacturing and distributing it! If they'd first run it by a drummer or two, they would have caught the problem immediately, and the upper threads could have been extended the necessary 3/8" or so.

I suppose I can get some washers and insert them between the lock nuts and the top felt to help push it down and secure the cymbal better, but why should I have to do that? And no, it's not that I want it to be a tight fit, which is good, because that would definitely be impossible with this clutch as-is. I just don't want the cymbal flopping around and affecting how I play. I'm a kick/snare/hat player, and the other night was very distracting for me.

So again I ask, who's in charge over there??

Bermuda

Bermuda. I think they sent you the wrong felts as the other fellow mentioned becuase I use that same Hi Hat Clutch and theres no problems with it at all and it is long enough.
 
I guess the wrong felts are a possibility, although they look like the common size. I can't imagine them needing to be significantly 'taller', when it seems more correct to extend the threads and let the lock nuts do the work.

Bermuda
 
I recently bought this as a spare for gigs where a kit is provided, and I bring cymbals, snare and a pedal. Often, there's not a clutch, so I now pack one with my cymbals. I used it for the first time the other night, and was shocked at the egregious design flaw.

Yes, it has the unthreaded portion so the cymbals don't encounter needless friction (and so they don't wear away the threads...) But the threaded portion where the lock nuts live is too short - the nuts can't come down far enough to hold the cymbal (and the bottom plastic nut only screws on so far, then stops.)

The result: the cymbal is loose. No, I mean really loose, like on a cymbal stand flopping around loose! The foot action is greatly affected, as is playing open-close patterns.

Now, this isn't the end of the world, it was $11, and I have other working clutches laying around (guess I should have just nabbed one of those in the first place!) But it's another example of someone at Gibraltar apparently not actually trying this - with a cymbal, the way it was intended to be used - before manufacturing and distributing it! If they'd first run it by a drummer or two, they would have caught the problem immediately, and the upper threads could have been extended the necessary 3/8" or so.

I suppose I can get some washers and insert them between the lock nuts and the top felt to help push it down and secure the cymbal better, but why should I have to do that? And no, it's not that I want it to be a tight fit, which is good, because that would definitely be impossible with this clutch as-is. I just don't want the cymbal flopping around and affecting how I play. I'm a kick/snare/hat player, and the other night was very distracting for me.

So again I ask, who's in charge over there??

Bermuda

I've wondered the same thing. I use that exact clutch on one of my kits. After messing with it for a while I figured the threads weren't long enough at all. I do appreciate the threadless portion though.

For a fix, I just stuck an extra hi-hat felt on the bottom to fill in the gap. So I have the one on top, and two on the bottom. It works great, but I agree, we shouldn't have to make modifications like this, especially to something as simple as a hi-hat clutch.
 
... but I agree, we shouldn't have to make modifications like this, especially to something as simple as a hi-hat clutch.

It's especially frustrating when all of their other clutches do work correctly! There's an obvious flaw on this model.

Perhaps a bad one slipped through?

Ok, new rant: who's doing QC at Gibraltar, Stevie Wonder??

Heh, I wish!
 
There is probably only one hi-hat clutch to use. That really stands up and out performs all others.

And since I don't use them I wouldn't know.
 
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Who's in charge at Gibraltar?? The British , much to the annoyance of Spain.....

( boom tish..........)
 
Slightly OT , but I bought a Gibraltar practice pad that sits on the leg, and its too wide/strap too long....the strap won't fasten to my leg. Ugh. I am 5'9 155 so I'd say design flaw.
 
I am 5'9 155 so I'd say design flaw.
Agreed ;) ;) ;)

Imagine trying to get in for the festival though with the Spanish authorities acting the way they have been lately.

Annoying mainland Europe is a tradition that lives on in England. I intend to do my bit.
Oh yes, it's good sport ;) Actually, Spain should remember that our net contribution to the EU pot almost exactly replicates their net receipts from the same pot. GET OFF OUR ROCK - DAMMIT!
 
Gibraltar's model is to make everything and make it cheap. They do make everything though.

I have spent a fortune buying different clutches (maybe an exaggeration- I have 5 clutches) and I have to say I found the perfect one: http://remo.com/portal/products/2/610/787/hh_clutch.html

It has no threads where the cymbal goes, never gets loose from the pole, has a good spring to keep the cymbal as tight as you intended it to be, quick release bottom nut that due to its design will never fall off or loosen. My quest is done.
 
Gibraltar's model is to make everything and make it cheap. They do make everything though.

I have spent a fortune buying different clutches (maybe an exaggeration- I have 5 clutches) and I have to say I found the perfect one: http://remo.com/portal/products/2/610/787/hh_clutch.html

It has no threads where the cymbal goes, never gets loose from the pole, has a good spring to keep the cymbal as tight as you intended it to be, quick release bottom nut that due to its design will never fall off or loosen. My quest is done.

And sure enough, Gibraltar makes one of those too. I actually bought one of those quick release clutches when I really needed one (forgot on at a gig...luckily the music store was 15 minutes away) and it was the only model they had in the store. I like it better much better than the one we are bitching about.

(BTW...I just thought of another First World Problem...)
 
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