Help! Need advice on cymbal boom stand counterweights

Hotstixlix

Junior Member
I want to add a counterweight to one of my Mapex cymbal stands (with boom) that can be merely added to the end of the boom to keep the stand from falling over. The stand is to be placed directly in front of the the bass drum. I know that the boom should be ordinarily placed parallel to one of the legs of the stand, but this means that I would have to grow longer arms to reach the ride cymbal.

Is there a universal-fit counterweight that could be epoxied to the end of the boom, and that doesn't involve having to buy an entirely new boom and/or putting threads on the end of the boom? Or....if all else fails, is there a cheap way to jury-rig a heavy material such as a fishing weight, etc.?

Thanks,

Barry
 
I once saw a cymbal stand with a 16 oz plastic soda bottle attached to the end of a cymbal boom arm via a worm drive automotive hose clamp to hold it in place. It was filled with hardend cement.
I thought that it was a pretty cool idea.
 
I once saw a cymbal stand with a 16 oz plastic soda bottle attached to the end of a cymbal boom arm via a worm drive automotive hose clamp to hold it in place. It was filled with hardend cement.
I thought that it was a pretty cool idea.

Good idea. Sounds like it might have been a post for "Drummers of Walmart."
 
A sandbag on one of the legs could work. I've also used small free weights around the center tube on a mic stand before.
 
Seems like a situation that repositioning the stand to one side of the kick should solve. Also, if you have a tom mount on the kick, a boom arm and clamp might be another solution.

Do you have a picture of what you are trying to do?
 
It really sounds like it is time for a drum rack.
I have never had this problem. I don't place large cymbals in this position on my kits.
 
I always keep a supply of sand bags in different weights and sizes. I also use lifting weights to go over the legs or booms of my stands. They are cheap and can be configured where ever they're needed. Sometimes it's much quicker to sandbag something than to have to reconfigure it for more stability when in a hurry. When on location, I like to be prepared for just about anything.

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I have barbell weights from about 2 1/2 to about 20 pounds to keep things balanced when needed as seen on some of these mic stand bases.

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Dennis
 
Have you thought about adding some useful weight to the stand? In other words, attach more than one cymbal to the stand, or mount toms on it. Many drummers have a forest of stands and with a little thought, they could have fewer stands with more things on them, the weight of each thing adding mass to balance the other things.

If you really want a weight, I'd look at repurposing some real weight, not a soda bottle, duct tape or sand bags, which look ghetto in my opinion. For example, go to a scrap yard and get a milled/rolled cylinder of steel or similar object, drill it and tap it for threads to match your boom arm. Paint it black if you like.

Another option is to get steel drain pipe and caps for both ends and drill out cap to accept the rod. Fill it with cement, put on the cap, insert the rod straight in and wait a day or so. This is pretty permanent but would certainly give you the weight you need and look a little better.

I actually have a couple of old boom weights I could sell you. If you're interested, let me know the threading on your boom arm and I can check my weights. Take the arm to a hardware store and they can give you the width and thread count and metric vs. ASE.
 
Seems like a situation that repositioning the stand to one side of the kick should solve. Also, if you have a tom mount on the kick, a boom arm and clamp might be another solution.

Do you have a picture of what you are trying to do?

Thanks, Al. I did take a look at the tom mount and I think that I can add a clamp to the mount as you suggested. I don't know why I didn't think of it before. As for everyone else, thanks for your suggestions and help. I have sandbags that I may use for this particular stand if Al's trick doesn't work out. Jury-rigged and Walmart? Yes, but since I play in an 18-piece jazz band, I have the honor of having several other musicians in front of me, so no one in audiences can see cymbal stand bases.

I have used the ride cymbal stands in the past on the left and right, but after seeing the setup used by Frank Sinatra's drummer, Irv Cottler. Irv (deceased) used a single ride, with two crashes (one to the right and one left of the ride). I want to try this type of setup. I could add another cymbal, but need room for the %#@* music stand.
 
The images that I have seen of Irv and his drums always show bass drum mounted cymbal holders with strait stands on either side.
 

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The images that I have seen of Irv and his drums always show bass drum mounted cymbal holders with strait stands on either side.

Bob, thanks for the photo. I have several DVDs of Sinatra, singing with Irv on drums. TV cameras usually don't give good images of drum setups; your photo solved the mystery of how Irv was so effective with his minimalist kit.

I also liked the sound of Irv's crash cymbals....high-pitched with what sounded like a fairly long decay. I called Zildjian a few months ago to find out what cymbals he used when he played for Sinatra, but they couldn't provide an answer.
 
Bass drum mounted cymbal stands were the norm for the big band guys.
There wasn't a lot of room on bandstands for cymbal stand bases.
I set up my kit that way because I grew up with kits like that and I prefer those cymbal holders.
I am old school.
 
Bass drum mounted cymbal stands were the norm for the big band guys.
There wasn't a lot of room on bandstands for cymbal stand bases.
I set up my kit that way because I grew up with kits like that and I prefer those cymbal holders.
I am old school.

....and the lack of bandstand room persists to this day. I don't care how early I arrive to complete a setup: the trumpets and saxes still insist on crowding up to the set. If I need to move the cymbal stands out just a bit after those guys have arrived, I have to be quick. I don't know why there is such a resistance by the drum companies to placing cymbal access parts on bass drums. It saves having to schlepp at least two complete stands and solves the problem of front-of-the-B.D. placement of the stands.
 
The claim for virgin bass drums is that total isolation is the key to the purest sound from each component of the kit.
In a recording studio that is true I guess but in a live situation it simply doesn't matter.
I hate to haul gear and I love my bass drum mounts.
I also sense the connection of my bass, tom, and ride and I like the feedback.
 
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Bob, do you have any information as to which company(s) sell quality bass drum mounts, perhaps such as the ones pictured in your photo? I haven't seen such hardware anywhere.

Thanks,

Barry
 
Danmar also make an arm. I bought a Danmar arm and floor-tom bracket (the brand escapes me) to fit to my 22" bass drum and was so pleased with the results that I now have them on my 20" and my 16" too. The Gibraltar arm is good value and solid.

It's a really great way of mounting cymbals. There are some minor issues - you might get some wobble as a result of bass drum playing and the bass drum and ride cymbal occasionally interact and you hear a little bass drum resonance from playing the ride but in all I really, really like mounting from the bass drum. It's solved any number of setup problems for me and has significantly lightened my hardware load.
 
Bob, I can't thank you enough. I'll check out the sources you quoted. Thanks again! Thanks, BFY. I'll also consider your comments. This cymbal thing has been driving me nuts for a long time.

Barry
 
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