20” kicks anyone?

I wish i had gone 20".. i have a 22 and can't get my toms as low as i would like :( If i ever get another kit it will be with a 20.
 
Hewitt2 said:
To me that is the ultimate benefit of a 20". Far outweighs the potential negative impacts to sound.
Click to expand...

Well that and i only play for me.. so i'm not THAT picky bout the sound.. but am sick of trying to get my kit in a way that's comfy when i don't like a high throne.. it is what it is.. one day i will get some yamahas and be happy :)
 
Yep, main gigging kit has a 20x14. I love it. Easy to transport, nice and punchy, mics up a treat.

It's more the depth of the drum for me, 14" deep is the magic number for me.
 
I have a 20 x14” bass drum on my Sonor Vintage series kit and I love it for its versatility and punchy sound. This is my got to size for the majority of my gigs . I far prefer the 20” bass drum to an 18” or 22” .
 
Hewitt2 said:
which 20"? Don't leave us hanging!
Click to expand...
All of them! All three have different tones, but of the three, the DW has more punch and the Precision has more of a cool/jazzy low end. The Gretsch seems to be the best all around, though.
 
I have a 20" Pearl Session series bass drum. It outperforms any 22 I've ever heard except for my 22" Gretsch Renown. That thing is an absolute cannon.
 
C.M. Jones said:
I had a 20x14 back in the '80s. Very punchy, compact, and easy to transport. I prefer a 22x16 or a 22x18, though.
Click to expand...
What bass drum tuning do you use with your country band, mr. Jones? (I have a 20 x 14 myself) As a drummer whose formative years have been spent largely on funk - my style is unusually bass drum oriented for a country outfit, so I deffo need it to be heard - but also to be in balance with the overall sound.
 
Yamaha Rider said:
What bass drum tuning do you use with your country band, mr. Jones? (I have a 20 x 14 myself) As a drummer whose formative years have been spent largely on funk - my style is unusually bass drum oriented for a country outfit, so I deffo need it to be heard - but also to be in balance with the overall sound.
Click to expand...

Here's my signature sound for country or anything else I do:

Snare drum: High and tight, with more crack and ping than fatness. I like a snare that sounds like a snare, not one that pretends to be a tom. Also, I thrive on rebound. Loose snares just don't conform to that value system.

Bass drum: Fairly tight and punchy. As with my snare drum, I like rebound on my bass drum, and I prefer an abbreviated sound over a lingering one. Incidentally, my bass drum is muffled with a small pillow, and its resonant head has a 5.5" porthole.

Toms: Here's where I aim for lower, looser tunings. I don't need as much rebound on my two toms (one in a snare stand and one on the floor), as I don't play them as much as my snare and bass. Also, as stated previously, I like the contrast between a high snare and low toms.

I'm a firm proponent of tuning however you want to, regardless of the genre you play. Boxed-in prescriptions are pacifiers for the cognitively challenged. One luxury we have as drummers is that we don't have to worry about being in the same key or producing the same notes as melodic instruments. Because our job is rhythmic, we can keep time with a vast variety of tunings and tonal qualities. That makes tuning drums a matter of preference, not a principle of science.

Mapping your own course is the only way to travel.
 
"Incidentally, my bass drum is muffled with a small pillow,"

Touching both heads?
And - what does the port give you over a standard reso heads in your opinion?
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Yamaha Rider said:
"Incidentally, my bass drum is muffled with a small pillow,"

Touching both heads?

And - what does the port give you over a standard reso heads in our opinion?
Click to expand...

The pillow in my bass drum makes contact only with the batter head. The contact isn't too prohibitive, just enough to shorten the note and provide some punch. The resonant head is untouched.

The purpose of the porthole in the resonant head is twofold:

I. It makes the drum easier to mic.

II. It allows me to reach right into the drum and adjust my muffling without removing the head.

Some players dislike ported bass drums. I've always found them convenient. That's my main reason for using them.
 
My 1999 Ludwig Classic Maple 14×20 has a Remo PS4 coated head on batter side and an Ambassador coated with felt strip on the resonant side. Felt strip is taped using clear mylar packaging tape at top and bottom only, leaving just enough room so it doesn't interfere with the bearing edge.
 
Last edited:
Icetech said:
I wish i had gone 20".. i have a 22 and can't get my toms as low as i would like :( If i ever get another kit it will be with a 20.
Click to expand...
If it bothers you that much, why don’t you sell the 22 and buy a 20 - that’s what I did. There’s always people looking to build a double bass kit or expand. Assuming you are going to keep your kit at least medium term and it’s a fairly standard colour, it’s worth a go.
 
The last set I bought were some Sonor Hilites with a 20” bass drum. It sounds amazing and the bass drum sounds great with any tuning, from high to low/extremely loose
 
Supraman5x14 said:
My 1999 Ludwig Classic Maple 14×20 has a Remo PS4 coated head on batter side and an Ambassador coated with felt strip on the resonant side. Felt strip is taped using clear mylar packaging tape at top and bottom only, leaving just enough room so it doesn't interfere with the bearing edge.
Click to expand...

That's how my Saturn V is set up. My felt strip is on the old school way though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top