Any interest in a traditional rim replacement/fast head changer? (university design project)

Beat Facilitators

Junior Member
Hey all! I'm hoping for input from fellow drummers on a design project I'm working on (UW-Madison Mechanical Engineering). My group and I are considering a new product design which would facilitate the changing of drum heads considerably faster than what is common using conventional drum heads. We've created a very quick survey to help us gauge interest on this--it would be very helpful if people could complete this survey, or at the very least respond in this thread with any thoughts.

Here is a link to the survey: https://uwmadison.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_dm7mlBYgNxwjOUR

Thanks in advance!

--Beat Facilitators at UW-Madison
 
Just so you know, two quick-change "devices" debuted at NAMM, to critical... er, uh... criticism. But I'll try the survey anyway.

Bermuda
 
Yeah, not to be the bearer of bad news, but there are already multiple products along this theory in the market place, and many people have tired making various products along this line in the past, going back to the late 70's, early 80's.

None of them have managed to really catch on. Largely due to either expense, or the bulkiness of the products, or just not reliable enough.

From Remo pre-tuned heads, to Pearl's quick release lugs of the mid-80's, to various pneumatic rim system, and other quick release or non-drum key style rims that have come and gone. Not to mention torch wrenches, ratchets and drum dials that claim to allow quicker and more accurate tuning, all of which never quite live up to the hype, despite still being in production.

Just seems every year at NAMM there is some new fast head changer gizmo, and none of them ever get the drum community particularly excited.

There are other aspects in the market place that accomplish similar goals without needing to change/upgrade the rim. Such as Aquarian heads that don't need to be seated, the new 360 heads from Evans that tune up easier, the Tune-Bot which makes drum tuning a breeze, and various drum tuning phone apps that also help tuning.

I am pretty convinced the only thing that will make head changing and tuning easier is improve manufacturing of the drum head, not an improved rim. With Aquarian and Evans already improving that aspect, it's only a matter of time before Remo catches on, and this whole conversation becomes moot.
 
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