Ever had your edges recut and you were unhappy with the results?

PorkPieGuy

Platinum Member
Please don't mention who did it, but I'm curious if anyone out there has had a bad experience with getting edges recut.

Thanks!
 
I am very hesitant to get mine recut for this very reason

same with refretting my old Fender basses...which many of my guitar geek freinds say I need to do, but they still work, and I don't want to risk ruining the "vintage"...same with the drums
 
I have, and have had mixed results.

I had a tom that was a bit difficult to tune the batter side, so I had it recut. It isn't a lot easier to tune, but it does sound good.

I also had a snare drum recut after a botched attempt to deepen the snare beds. I was never satisfied with that one. Whatever snare beds contour they used just didn't work for me, plus they took off enough that the snare strainer no longer functioned quite the same. I could have redrilled and moved the strainer and butt plate, but the new holes would have been so close to the existing holes I was concerned about it. I ended up just donating that drum.

Both edges were done by a reputable company. They were well done, I suppose; they just didn't do what I expected. In the car of the snare, the process created an unexpected problem, too.

I considered getting another edge recut by a local drumbuilder, but his asking price was way too steep for me.
 
"it's does neuter' em a bit"
..Like sucks the soul out

I've one all-original and one whose edges were 'cleaned' up before I got it.
You can get used to the clean clear generic- result of a re-cut.
You only notice it when you miss it (like playing - one after another or side by side)
don't do that and you'll be ok. : )
 
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Drum Doctor (LA) tweaked left- All Original -right

Beat 003.JPG

both WFL 490s 6.5 6L
the Drum Doctor has aircraft allen screws to hold in lugs; I suspect bear edges were skimmed cleaned up, rubber insulator reinstalled (they are usually missing on throw-off) (studio-ready in other words and I think the lacq finish was tweaked also;
heck of a Drum; but the all-original sounds "like an old house" : ) sweet
 
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I've done some myself.

When I cut my Ludwig Accent CS Custom down to 14" long, I had to redo the batter side myself. I swear it picked up some low-end in the process (it was straight 45 degrees originally, I add a slight roundover). But being that I also changed the length, hard to isolate the impact of the edge.

Had a late Rogers XP8 that had major damage on the reso sides (probably used concert tom style for part of its life), very narrow tuning range, odd resonances, and insanely bright and hard attack. Recut the whole thing with a wide exterior roundover and 45 degrees inside... It sounded the same afterwards, but the odd resonances were gone and it was a bit easier to tune.
 
Depends on the maker. I've cut down a Gretsch shell & did the 30 degree bearing edge myself on my router table. No difference in sound to really speak of.
When redoing the "shit kits" I acquire, I have no clue what degree those are cut to. So I'd just redo them at the 30 degree and let 'em go.
 
I’ve only had it done to old abused drums when the head doesn’t sit flat and I haven’t been unhappy with the job. Even some that were out-of-round, tune up better with good edges.
 
I Sent my stage custom tom shell bank in to be redone. 2 were roller coasters and a few others were off, but not outrageously so. I got them all done so they would be the same. They turned out great
 
I sent a Premier Signia emerald green 10x12 to (......... .....) after talking to one of the drum Smith's about its lack of tuning range and poor resonance. The vintage rounded edges were replaced with double 45s. It did little to nothing but managed to make it unlike part of the family. This shop was known for praising the double 45 but there was no praise from MY lips.
 
I sent a Premier Signia emerald green 10x12 to (......... .....) after talking to one of the drum Smith's about its lack of tuning range and poor resonance. The vintage rounded edges were replaced with double 45s. It did little to nothing but managed to make it unlike part of the family. This shop was known for praising the double 45 but there was no praise from MY lips.
Psst, a Signia isn't supposed to have rounded edges. Somebody must've worked them. At least mine aren't rounded and the literature with them when I purchased them described the bearing angle. All 11 have a nice, sharp angle.
 
Had my entire PDP MX kit recut and they turned out perfectly. They actually sounded like real drums and stayed in tune for 5 minutes after. Before, I could see light shining through everywhere when I set them down on a marble slab. I swear they were cut freehand prior. That said, I wouldn’t do it again unless the set was worth it. Each tom cost me $30 x 5 and $60 each for the BD and snare. I also upgraded hoops to 2.3 mm sometime after. I could have bought a real kit for that money.
 
Thanks for everyone's replies!

I was just thinking about my old 3-ply Ludwigs I have. When I changed the heads the first time, I had to use my fingernail to scrape off some of the original paint where it had dripped on the bearing edge. The edges don't look great, but they sound very good to my ears. I'm not gonna touch them, but I was just curious if anyone's shells lost some of their magic after the edges had been recut.
 
Thanks for everyone's replies!

I was just thinking about my old 3-ply Ludwigs I have. When I changed the heads the first time, I had to use my fingernail to scrape off some of the original paint where it had dripped on the bearing edge. The edges don't look great, but they sound very good to my ears. I'm not gonna touch them, but I was just curious if anyone's shells lost some of their magic after the edges had been recut.
Good call on not touching them. Sometimes, I think the sound mojo of vintage drums comes from imperfections. I had a set of Super Classics that sounded great...with an old school tribal bark to the sound, but the edges were a bit wonky. Had them re cut and the mojo was gone. I didn't realize what I had until I removed it.
 
Thanks for everyone's replies!

I was just thinking about my old 3-ply Ludwigs I have. When I changed the heads the first time, I had to use my fingernail to scrape off some of the original paint where it had dripped on the bearing edge. The edges don't look great, but they sound very good to my ears. I'm not gonna touch them, but I was just curious if anyone's shells lost some of their magic after the edges had been recut.
Aren’t those pretty new? I would think they would be worth a cleanup, but maybe Ludwig themselves would address them. When I had mine done, I was asked if I wanted to try a different edge and I said no. I would think anyone doing them should be on the highest level of expertise and could tell you if the drum would lose its mojo.
 
Aren’t those pretty new? I would think they would be worth a cleanup, but maybe Ludwig themselves would address them. When I had mine done, I was asked if I wanted to try a different edge and I said no. I would think anyone doing them should be on the highest level of expertise and could tell you if the drum would lose its mojo.

No, my 3-ply kit is from '65/'68.
 
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