anyone ever tape over a 5-inch bass drum hole?

jasyr

Member
I thinking about cutting my bass drum and am curious if i can gaffer over it for recording sometimes if i want to un-do it for versitility.

Thanks!
j
 
That's a really interesting question.

On one hand you are sealing the hole thus keeping the air inside the drum.

On the other hand the tape may be too heavy and stiff and will weigh down the reso head.

You may have to just give it a try and see.
 
Someone should make a bass drum reso head with a pre-cut hole surrounded by velcro and give you a circle cut of the head material also surrounded by velcro so you can go back and forth between ported and non-ported in seconds without changing heads or re tuning.
 
Just use two heads. After a hole is cut, you will never gain the resonance of a full head again, no matter what you do.
 
Someone should make a bass drum reso head with a pre-cut hole surrounded by velcro and give you a circle cut of the head material also surrounded by velcro so you can go back and forth between ported and non-ported in seconds without changing heads or re tuning.
That's an interesting idea. The patched area wont stretch with the rest of the head, but still interesting. I would imagine, depending on hole placement, it might not matter.
 
That's an interesting idea. The patched area wont stretch with the rest of the head, but still interesting. I would imagine, depending on hole placement, it might not matter.

You are correct, the patch definitely wouldn't 'tension' as evenly as a whole un cut head but if you mainly run your head ported (like I do) then having the ability to close it up on the fly would be valuable. Like most things: the best of both worlds usually means a compromise/middleground. I bet it would sell though
 
You are correct, the patch definitely wouldn't 'tension' as evenly as a whole un cut head but if you mainly run your head ported (like I do) then having the ability to close it up on the fly would be valuable. Like most things: the best of both worlds usually means a compromise/middleground. I bet it would sell though
Oh surely it would sell. Even just as a patch and a velcro ring you add to your current head. You better patent it quick before Remo reads this, or John Good.
 
Covering a port with tape seems more of a nuisance than switching heads on an as-needed basis. The tape could also have a muting effect on resonance. I'd keep an uported head on hand long before I'd start playing games with tape, but I'm ported for all purposes, so this isn't a dilemma I'll ever need to address.
 
Covering a port with tape seems more of a nuisance than switching heads on an as-needed basis. The tape could also have a muting effect on resonance. I'd keep an uported head on hand long before I'd start playing games with tape, but I'm ported for all purposes, so this isn't a dilemma I'll ever need to address.

Same. Regardless of the piece of gear (bass drum, snare drum, cymbal, whatever), if it's a one trick pony and can't be adapted to different situations without being manipulated in some form or fashion... I don't keep it.
 
No, I never have. Never even thought of it. I guess because I've never had a five inch hole in my drum head. Now that I think about it however, I might tape over it to keep little animals from nesting inside. Here in Arizona there's always the possibility of scorpions getting inside and if you reach inside for whatever reason and that little f^^^er stings you,,,WOW! Off to emergency room. Critters aside. I suppose if you kept the piece you cut out, you could always tape one side back on and make a little handle on the other side so it functions as a "door". That way you can get in and out if you plan on storing anything inside. Or you could just use a cardboard box to store things in and not cut a hole in your bass drum head at all. That way you'd not have to tape it up. Problem solved.
 
I was just asking if anyone DOES THIS. So so far, no.

I'm too lazy to change skins even if they need it let alone for a days recording. I'm not a maintainace-type person. If i was a tinkerer i would have done it already, compared, recorded & posted the results. Maybe some of you intrepid tone geeks could have a go and let us know. Before you know it there will be a cottage sub-genre of cellophaners, gaffers, gluers, styrofoam pluggers, stitch artists, all comparing their results and saying its better than a virgin head even. Like acid washed jeans, or reliced guitars. ;)

If it's already got a re-enforced circle around it to keep it from tearing, i don't see how using a 5-inch circle of say 10mil thickness drum skin w/ scotch tape around it can throw the skin that off-balance. Say it's aready got a hole in it... It's still tensioned. Just not like an un-ported head. Not comparing it to a non-cut head... will a patch get it close-ish?

I must add I am not a heavy pumper. My music is, at most, soft-rock.

I would think it's more about keeping the air inside, rather than what detriment the tape or whatever you use to keep the seal. I'm not a hair-splitting type. If it gave me 80% of a closed drum behaviour that would be fine. People damp the res head (i do at least) so close the hole, remove some of the damping.
 
Someone should make a bass drum reso head with a pre-cut hole surrounded by velcro and give you a circle cut of the head material also surrounded by velcro so you can go back and forth between ported and non-ported in seconds without changing heads or re tuning.
I've thought about doing this or cutting the top off of a round Tupperware container and adhering that to the porthole. You could then put the lid on when you want to close it.

I never tried it because I keep different kits for different things, but if I didn't I sure would give it a try.
 
No, I never have. Never even thought of it. I guess because I've never had a five inch hole in my drum head. Now that I think about it however, I might tape over it to keep little animals from nesting inside. Here in Arizona there's always the possibility of scorpions getting inside and if you reach inside for whatever reason and that little f^^^er stings you,,,WOW! Off to emergency room. Critters aside. I suppose if you kept the piece you cut out, you could always tape one side back on and make a little handle on the other side so it functions as a "door". That way you can get in and out if you plan on storing anything inside. Or you could just use a cardboard box to store things in and not cut a hole in your bass drum head at all. That way you'd not have to tape it up. Problem solved.
LOLZ ?
 
Save the piece you cut out and tape it back on from the inside.
 
I tried duct taping from outside And no go (to much force blasts it out) but cut a larger ring you can duct tape from inside will hold.
 
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