Boom
Silver Member
DW collector's kit...Need help with floor tom.
I realize that this post is going to most likely come across as totally crazy. But I'm asking for any advice on this matter. I recently received my custom made DW collector's kit. The 14 x 12 floor tom has an oddity regarding its tuning.
No matter how I tune the drum (just finger tight, or tuning it up by ear, or even using a Drum dial to confirm tension at every lug) there are two lugs that must not be tightened at all or the drum will not tune correctly. And that is true of both the batter head and reso.
Let me explain further. When I tune the drum by ear or using the drum dial, it sounds awesome. But, when I do that, two lug nuts have no tension whatsoever. To be exact, I actually removed the lugs to make sure I wasn't losing my mind. And this is true again, of both heads. I have 4 missing lugs as we speak, yet the heads are in perfect tune and sound awesome.
How is this possible? I actually bought the Drum Dial to confirm that I wasn't losing my mind or my hearing. But the drum dial shows these numbers for the batter head:
Lug 1 - 70
Lug 2 - 72 (yet has no lug at all)
Lug 3 - 69
Lug 4 - 70
Lug 5 - 70
Lug 6 - 70
Lug 7 - 70
Lug 8 - 71.5 (yet has no lug at all)
As you can see, where I actually have no lugs, the tension is higher there than the lugs on either side of those lugs. How is that possible? The drum looks fine (no damage noticeable). NOTE: It did come in a severely damaged box with one of the floor tom leg fittings protruding out of the box. But there is no damage to the fitting that holds the floor tom leg that was sticking out. Nothing.
And again, the drum sounds perfect. The same is true of the resonant head. I have 2 lugs totally removed to prove that I don't need them. The tension and sound there is a little higher than on either side of them. The head sounds perfectly tuned. NOTE: these 2 lugs do not correspond to those on the batter head...ie..they are located differently.
Are both heads just damaged? Are both rims damaged? Collector's kits are supposed to be able to be played out of the box. Ie, they tune them at DW so you can play them when you get them. These lugs were nearly falling out of the drum when I opened the box. I assume the DW guy actually tuned the drum and didn't notice he didn't have to tighten those lugs, because, as he tighted the head, that part of the head just got tighter anyway?. I don't know
So, my question is, how can a drum that shows no damage sound phenomenal while missing two lugs that only have one lug applying tension between them?
To make sure I'm clear, the parts of the head that correspond to having no lugs, have no wrinkles and are actually a little tighter than the ones that have tightened lugs. Also, if you are familiar with the Drum dial, you would know that this floor tom is tuned pretty low.
Thanks for your time reading this.
I realize that this post is going to most likely come across as totally crazy. But I'm asking for any advice on this matter. I recently received my custom made DW collector's kit. The 14 x 12 floor tom has an oddity regarding its tuning.
No matter how I tune the drum (just finger tight, or tuning it up by ear, or even using a Drum dial to confirm tension at every lug) there are two lugs that must not be tightened at all or the drum will not tune correctly. And that is true of both the batter head and reso.
Let me explain further. When I tune the drum by ear or using the drum dial, it sounds awesome. But, when I do that, two lug nuts have no tension whatsoever. To be exact, I actually removed the lugs to make sure I wasn't losing my mind. And this is true again, of both heads. I have 4 missing lugs as we speak, yet the heads are in perfect tune and sound awesome.
How is this possible? I actually bought the Drum Dial to confirm that I wasn't losing my mind or my hearing. But the drum dial shows these numbers for the batter head:
Lug 1 - 70
Lug 2 - 72 (yet has no lug at all)
Lug 3 - 69
Lug 4 - 70
Lug 5 - 70
Lug 6 - 70
Lug 7 - 70
Lug 8 - 71.5 (yet has no lug at all)
As you can see, where I actually have no lugs, the tension is higher there than the lugs on either side of those lugs. How is that possible? The drum looks fine (no damage noticeable). NOTE: It did come in a severely damaged box with one of the floor tom leg fittings protruding out of the box. But there is no damage to the fitting that holds the floor tom leg that was sticking out. Nothing.
And again, the drum sounds perfect. The same is true of the resonant head. I have 2 lugs totally removed to prove that I don't need them. The tension and sound there is a little higher than on either side of them. The head sounds perfectly tuned. NOTE: these 2 lugs do not correspond to those on the batter head...ie..they are located differently.
Are both heads just damaged? Are both rims damaged? Collector's kits are supposed to be able to be played out of the box. Ie, they tune them at DW so you can play them when you get them. These lugs were nearly falling out of the drum when I opened the box. I assume the DW guy actually tuned the drum and didn't notice he didn't have to tighten those lugs, because, as he tighted the head, that part of the head just got tighter anyway?. I don't know
So, my question is, how can a drum that shows no damage sound phenomenal while missing two lugs that only have one lug applying tension between them?
To make sure I'm clear, the parts of the head that correspond to having no lugs, have no wrinkles and are actually a little tighter than the ones that have tightened lugs. Also, if you are familiar with the Drum dial, you would know that this floor tom is tuned pretty low.
Thanks for your time reading this.
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