Just had the importance of throne height underscored for me last night. I played someone else's kit on very short notice, which is something that I literally *never* do. I haven't moved my throne height in many, many years, and I'm completely accustomed to the way my kit fits me. Trying to play from their throne, which was probably three inches lower than I'm used to, was absolutely *brutal*: they are 5'5", I'm 6'1".... I had no balance, couldn't do much more than the absolute minimal straight 4 with the kick, couldn't get my heel to hover the way I prefer, and ended up a 3 hour evening with nasty cramps in the small of my back, especially on the right side. I'm still feeling it this morning, in fact. This "getting old" thing is getting old...
*Never again*. I could easily accommodate the different placement of the drums and cymbals, different pedal settings, and so on- but not the throne height. Next time I'm going into a situation where that might even be a possibility, I'll take my own throne. I'm seriously considering buying a spare throne, setting it up correctly, and just leaving it in the truck, just in case.
I remember how long it took to get the right height, and how good it felt after I did. It really is a very critical adjustment. A quarter of an inch either way can negatively impact your balance and control. It is worth setting out on a focused campaign to find your personal sweet spot- and it is radically different for every drummer. I personally recall starting out high, and migrating lower a quarter inch at a time until I found the feel I wanted (on an old Rogers thin-padded round throne). When I changed to the Roc-n-soc bicycle seat way back, I dropped it about another quarter inch to make up for the thicker padding.
Your milage may vary: but for this old creaky chassis, it makes all the difference in the world....