Add bass drum mount to bass drum

B

Braincramp2

Active Member
I seem to recall someone maybe Bo doing this years ago. I have a rack but by mounting my Toms to it, it limits where the rack can be positioned. I have managed to incorp everything else into rack with one leg hi hat and one leg snare stand but now with everything tied to rack it has to be setup perfect to work right and actually takes longer to set up due to micro adjustments. The Toms are the biggest pain so BY mounting to bass drum I think this may help?? The thought of drilling holes in my DW bassdoes give me pause though.
 
Braincramp2 said:
The thought of drilling holes in my DW bassdoes give me pause though.
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Your bass drum already has plenty of holes drilled into it for the lugs and spurs. You are not doing anything to it that hasn't already been done.

I say go for it. I'm a huge advocate for modifying stuff to make it more useful.
 
I put a BD tom mount on my virgin Guru bass drum. I used a no drill Mapex Saturn tom mount. It cost me 200 in 2017. You remove 4 of your top lugs and the mount comes with 4 lugs which replace the originals and support the tom mount. Works great! I got lucky in that the new lug hole spacing was the same as my original Guru lugs.

The Saturn mount was made for a 22 x 18 drum. Mine is a 22 x 16 drum. I had to take the mount to my local welder to have it modified to fit a 22 x 16. He charged me 65 bucks per drum. He had to remove an inch and a half or so from the 2 rods that go between the 4 new lugs. I also have the same mount on a 20 x 12 drum too. 12" depth is the shortest depth I recommend that the Saturn mount will work on.
 
Thats a good idea Larry. Maybe it was you that did it. I recall it discussed about 6-8 years ago. I think I will stick with original DW parts though and drill but that is an option to ponder.
 
Not a fan of VBD's. I wanted to gig the Gurus but not with a VBD.

So I made the decision to tom tree it. Not only do I have no regrets, I am really glad I did it
 
I haven't had a tom mount on a bass drum since the '90s. I prefer both the look and functionality of an undrilled bass (though I know it's been drilled for lugs and so on). That standard is easy for me to uphold because I use only one "up" tom and place it in a snare stand. If I played two "up" toms, I'd probably want a bass mount instead, but I can't see myself returning to that format. The one-up, one-down arrangement is too ingrained in every element of my style at this point. Tampering with it doesn't interest me.
 
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There's pros and cons to mounting on the bass drum, as with most other hardware options.
Pros: easy to set up, lighter hardware bag, stays the same gig after gig (no tiny changes based on where the stand is)
Cons: Tom tree can be tricky to pack; less flexibility for tom placement; may get in the way of other things (like a 2 o'clock ride cymbal)

I have one kit where mounting on the bass drum is always an option (and I often take it), and one where it simply isn't (vintage bass drum with an outdated tom mount). I don't prefer one to the other strictly; the pros and cons of each balance out, and it actually becomes one of several considerations as to which kit I decide to use.

Having said that, I would LOVE to put a workable mount on the kit that has the vintage mount right now - to give me the option to use it if that's what I want to do!
 
I always put a tom holder mount on my kicks that will be used locally. I measure twice, drill carefully, and use the correct mount for the brand/series to keep it authentic-looking.
 
I prefer having a tom mount on the bass drum as well . The exception being my Summit kit with the shallow bass and toms . I hate hanging Tom’s off racks of cymbal stands or using combination stands . The tom mount on the bass drum is much more convenient and gets everything exactly where I want it . I laugh when I see the virgin bass aficionados complaining about how the tom mount choked the bass drum and then they pack the bass drum full of pillows and blankets .
 
Braincramp2 said:
I seem to recall someone maybe Bo doing this years ago. I have a rack but by mounting my Toms to it, it limits where the rack can be positioned. I have managed to incorp everything else into rack with one leg hi hat and one leg snare stand but now with everything tied to rack it has to be setup perfect to work right and actually takes longer to set up due to micro adjustments. The Toms are the biggest pain so BY mounting to bass drum I think this may help?? The thought of drilling holes in my DW bassdoes give me pause though.
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The whole point of a rack is that it goes up exactly the same every time - shouldn't be any need for adjustments micro or otherwise....
MusiQmaN said:
A rack and still limitations?

I would say look at different rack clamps/tom holders/rack designs first.
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Try this maybe?

If you are 100% sure you want to drill then have at it - measure carefully and go for it!
 
alparrott said:
There's pros and cons to mounting on the bass drum, as with most other hardware options.
Pros: easy to set up, lighter hardware bag, stays the same gig after gig (no tiny changes based on where the stand is)
Cons: Tom tree can be tricky to pack; less flexibility for tom placement; may get in the way of other things (like a 2 o'clock ride cymbal)

I have one kit where mounting on the bass drum is always an option (and I often take it), and one where it simply isn't (vintage bass drum with an outdated tom mount). I don't prefer one to the other strictly; the pros and cons of each balance out, and it actually becomes one of several considerations as to which kit I decide to use.

Having said that, I would LOVE to put a workable mount on the kit that has the vintage mount right now - to give me the option to use it if that's what I want to do!
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I believe INDe has solutions for that. They have great hardware innovations for making vintage kits better for working drummers without permanent mods. Link
 
drumdevil9 said:
I believe INDe has solutions for that. They have great hardware innovations for making vintage kits better for working drummers without permanent mods. Link
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yes, and I also like Ludwig's Atlas Arch (which I know will fit my old Ludwigs). It's mostly a question of money and priorities.
 
I drilled my Gretsch Renown bass drum for a tom holder. Obviously knew that I had one shot at it. Measured more than twice, put painters tape on the outside and inside, to prevent tear-out. Drilled a small pilot hole, then a new, sharp, hole saw to do the job. Worked fine. I was lucky maybe, but drilled the hole mentally a few times to make sure how I wanted to do it for best results.
 
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