boomstick
Silver Member
I've always preferred floor toms fitted with legs, so that was a consideration when I was looking for a kit back in 2005. At the time, "fusion kits" with hanging toms seemed to be all the rage, so it made my search a bit difficult. I finally came across a kit that met all my criteria except for the floor tom legs, but the previous owner had fitted the 15x13 drum with a RIMS Dynamount, so I figured I could work with it. I just never liked this mount though. It added weight to the drum, made it harder to fit in a carrying bag, was less wobbly than a true hanging tom but still a bit wobbly, and it made changing the bottom head very tedious. Nor did I like the way it looked.
I finally worked up the courage to take a drill to my drum and install brackets and legs. I must have checked the measurements 5 or 6 times. Then I drilled pilot holes with a very small drill bit. The construction of this particular drum made the rest of the job somewhat easy. The drum diameter was big enough that I could drill from the inside out. To prevent tear-out from the drilling, I started cutting the hole from the inside by turning the drill bit gently by hand. Once I got the hole started, I installed the bit into my power drill and went all the way through. The outer wrap was perfect for preventing tear-out on the outside of the drum, so in the end, I had six clean holes to attach the brackets to.
It is possible to buy Spaun branded mounting brackets, but I decided to go with some nice Gibraltar brackets instead. They are very good quality, and I like the looks of them better. I think the round shape and chrome finish nicely matches the Spaun lugs.
Soundwise, there is no negative effect that I can discern. I do notice a difference, but it sounds like more of a positive difference than a negative one to my ear. Beyond that, the drum is now lighter in weight, easier to fit into a drum bag, and super rock solid when mounted. With the memory locks installed, setup is super easy. I know some people disagree with drilling shells, but I am much happier with this mounting method. My only regret is not doing it sooner.
Before and after photos:
I finally worked up the courage to take a drill to my drum and install brackets and legs. I must have checked the measurements 5 or 6 times. Then I drilled pilot holes with a very small drill bit. The construction of this particular drum made the rest of the job somewhat easy. The drum diameter was big enough that I could drill from the inside out. To prevent tear-out from the drilling, I started cutting the hole from the inside by turning the drill bit gently by hand. Once I got the hole started, I installed the bit into my power drill and went all the way through. The outer wrap was perfect for preventing tear-out on the outside of the drum, so in the end, I had six clean holes to attach the brackets to.
It is possible to buy Spaun branded mounting brackets, but I decided to go with some nice Gibraltar brackets instead. They are very good quality, and I like the looks of them better. I think the round shape and chrome finish nicely matches the Spaun lugs.
Soundwise, there is no negative effect that I can discern. I do notice a difference, but it sounds like more of a positive difference than a negative one to my ear. Beyond that, the drum is now lighter in weight, easier to fit into a drum bag, and super rock solid when mounted. With the memory locks installed, setup is super easy. I know some people disagree with drilling shells, but I am much happier with this mounting method. My only regret is not doing it sooner.
Before and after photos: