Are 14” floor toms kryptonite to rock drummers ?

Captain Bash

Silver Member
Are 14” floor toms kryptonite to rock drummers ? Well in my experience the answer is yes 14“ floors just flummox most rock n rollers too high to ride on to low for cutting tom fills. I run a set with 14 and 16 floors but generally have em cranked up in the Art Blakey range, because I like clatter-boing not rumble-thud. Unfortunately my tune-bot doesn’t have a setting for clatter-boing so I just keep turning the key.
 
The 14" floor tom on my recent DW set sounds great tuned low, but the rest of the set is smaller drums also, so it works. Otherwise, I have no other 14" floor toms. The rest are 16" and 18."
 

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the 14 x 14 " (lol) floor tom can stand "all on it's own"

Again it's a Space thing
 
One of my kits (Tama Starclassic) has the setup du jour from the early 2000s with the hanging 14x11 "Floor Tom" and honestly, it worked well for me for 15 years of gigs and made me a bunch of $.........just needs to be tuned relative to all the other toms (8/10/12 on that kit).......

I always liked a 22/12/14/16 setup with the 2 floor toms being 14x14 and 16x16.......it works
 
I have four Gretsch floor toms
12x14 14x14 16x16 and currently a bass but could be switched back 16x16 number 2

1) you don't make a 14 sound like a 16 because it ain't gonna happen
but you can play it like one
2) It's it's own drum

takes up it's own Space.
Portability
Not every stage is 16" floor tom stage or twin floor tom stage

rockers may assume stage space and catering
 
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My preferred setup is 12/14/16; I like the added voice it gives between the rack and 16", and I get to do little rolls and fills between it and the snare, it and the 16", quads, etc. I'd say it's more along the lines of yellow sun radiation than Kryptonite in my book.
 
my preferred is 14x 20/8 x12/16x 16

half lo/hi small 20/12 half tympani 16
"a small drum set with big ideas" says the Roger's ad..
20/12/14 when space is issue

there's a story Elvin Jones told in an interview where the time came the 14 doubled with sixteen (in his case) wasn't didn't cut it and he went 16 and 18 floor; of course he was performing and popular on world larger stages. But he said tonally was the decision
 
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My preferred setup is 12/14/16; I like the added voice it gives between the rack and 16", and I get to do little rolls and fills between it and the snare, it and the 16", quads, etc. I'd say it's more along the lines of yellow sun radiation than Kryptonite in my book.
That’s also the best looking set up, IMO.
 
My Pearl Session 14" FT can certainly get down into 16" territory, as can my late 60s Slingerland(I see why people are after them), but so far my Pearl MLX cannot. I dunno, when I think of a floor tom a 16" is what I prefer and an 18"looks and feels like a timpani.



Dan
 
I have two 14" ft: Starclassic WB tuned to 82.5 (E) and Superstar classic Maple . Both sound great but the wb is deeper so has more power.
i use the 14" on a ton of Rock Songs, including Foo Fighters and sounds great but yes a 16 is still better. ive had 18 in the past and i hate them. too ridiculously boomy for me.
 
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I play out with a bop kit all the time and that 14x14 FT gets more than low enough for the Latin band.

IMG_6292.jpeg

I also just put up a new configuration of the Birch Absolute kit using 14x14 on my right, 16x16 on the left, and the 20" Reference gong drum past the 14 on the right. They all sound great.

IMG_6357.jpeg

My old Pearl BSX 14x14 was not nearly as easy to tune or fun to play as the Gretsch or the Yamaha.
 
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DW drum co. had a finish called Superman's hair. That color isn't offered any longer, perhaps kryptonite did kill it off.
I don't know how else a 14" drum could have affected that.
 
I used to have a 14 inch floor tom, and it sounded fine. Peace and goodwill.
 
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