bass drum stand prevents good beater angle

I

ikol

Junior Member
Hi,
I have a gretsch kit with a 14x18-inch bass drum. it is elevated, so comes with a metal attachment holding the beater edge off the ground which the pedal attaches to. has two extendable legs on the other side. The problem is that the attachment places the pedal a bit too far away, so the beater has to go well beyond 90 degrees to hit the head. i put books under the legs so that the whole thing tilts back towards the pedal, but that isn't very steady. is there a simple solution i've overlooked?
 
I made my own riser for my 18 inch bass drum. It bolts to the rim and it raises the drum up about two inches from the floor. It is directly under the rim. I cut away a portion of the rim to allow the tip of the footboard of my pedal to travel through where the rim would be.
It works great! I'll post some pics later.
 
Here are the pics.
I made the riser from parts of an old base from a slave pedal that I no longer use.
I used bolts and nuts to space the riser off of the rim of the drum. You can see where I cit away a piece of the bass drum hoop to allow the pedal to travel through.
I hope that this helps.
 

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I took something that I already had and I modified it to suit my needs.
If you go to a Home improvement store and you look around, I'm sure that you will find something that works for you.
Don't worry about cutting the bass drum hoop. It hasn't caused me any problems.
I did this about a year ago.
I play this kit all the time. It tunes perfectly!
No worries mate!
 
I have an 18 inch bass and I don't use a riser. Have you thought about simply lowering your beater? I keep mine pretty ow to where I actually had to saw a few inches off, but it works great.

It is an adjustment that will affect your playing feel. However, I find my response is much quicker with a shorter shaft. The tradeoff is that I'm not as loud, but I've been playing almost 30 years and I've never, ever heard anyone ask a drummer to play louder. Plus, no one plays an 18 inch bass drum for the volume.
 
I tried the 18 inch bass at floor level with the beater lowered to the max and it didn't work for me. It may work for the OP.
He should try it on the floor just as you did DMC.
I also tried the standard risers that are sold for 18 inch drums. I disliked them just as the OP did.
That is why I invented my own riser. I made my 18 inch bass drum feel like my 20 inch bass drum. I also play a 22 inch bass drum. That is why I wanted some consistency.
I needed to feel at home as I switched between my three kits.
 
ikol said:
Hi,
I have a gretsch kit with a 14x18-inch bass drum. it is elevated, so comes with a metal attachment holding the beater edge off the ground which the pedal attaches to. has two extendable legs on the other side. The problem is that the attachment places the pedal a bit too far away, so the beater has to go well beyond 90 degrees to hit the head. i put books under the legs so that the whole thing tilts back towards the pedal, but that isn't very steady. is there a simple solution i've overlooked?
Click to expand...

Can you send us a picture of the pedal attachment you have?
 
What kind of pedal are you running? Can you adjust the beater arm angle independent of the foot plate? I see no harm in having the beater go past 90deg so long as you are comfortable and the beater itself hits the skin flush.

I'm also wondering about different mfg's of riser plates, I ended up getting a Mapex version over the Gibraltar as I found it made my pedal sit too close(?). I wasn't feeling as adventurous as Bob. :)

Pics would be great.
 
When you set the height of your bass drum spurs, Do you set the front of your bass drum about an inch higher than the rear?
This helps to bring the center of the batter head closer to your beater.

If I was a wealthy man I would be using this riser. http://www.guitarcenter.com/DW-Bass...i1425537.gc?source=4WFRWXX&CAWELAID=439935429
It cost almost as much as what I paid for my used shells on my bop kit!
But I know that I could get the adjustment that I want with this riser!
 

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I mounted the bottom plate on the rear side of the assembly and extended it farther back with washers. About 6 on each threaded bolt. With thick washers, it moves the pedal forward about an inch and I no longer had the problem.
 
Don't forget this old trick.
If you have a pedal that has no beater adjustments simply make an S bend in the beater shaft. Wrap a cloth around the shaft, place it in a strong vice and bend by hand until desired adjustment is reached.
 

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Hello all, thanks so much for the replies. i tried to attach some pictures but the resolution was too big for this site. ultimately i think i have to do the home depot thing and rig something.
once again, thanks.
ikol
 
Deathmetalconga said:
This is about the best idea I have heard and it's also the simplest.
Click to expand...
I have done this many times over the years. The first time was on my ludwig Speed King pedal.
I currently play two cheap pedals with this modification on my practice and gig kits.
I can't afford an Iron Cobra for every kit that I own!
 
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