Floor Tom Mounting - My First World Problem

Local Oaf

Active Member
Hey everyone,

As some of you know, I have recently lucked into a TAMA Starclassic Performer 4-piece. It was a mf miracle, but it did leave me with a minor inconvenience. The floor tom does not have brackets for tom legs. Great, I know, because that means fewer holes drilled into the shell. It has a TAMA StarCast mounting system instead, which is also great.

The issue is I don't have an additional tom stand and I wanted to run a few options by you all before I shelled out cash to pick one up.

1.) Tom Stand - Solves the problem, may be disproportionately expensive for just one tom.

2.) Combo Tom/Cymbal Stand - A little more oomph for my money and will let me do some real estate shifting for some cymbals. I have found a few options that may keep costs down to a more manageable level.

3.) Tom Cradle - I'm thinking along the lines of a World Max, but I've heard mixed reviews. Anyone with personal experience care to weigh in?

4.) Attachment Clamp - I could theoretically put a clamp with an omni-ball onto my cymbal stand, but I'm apprehensive. I have a PDP 700-series Boom stand on my right side. It has holds up a pretty weighty Zildjian black label Platinum Ride and a trash stack on an extension above the ride. I'm worried it would tip over and put the cymbals and the tom in danger of damage. I've thought I could move the trash stack extension over to my crash cymbal stand to remove a little weight, but I'm still worried the floor tom on a clamp would tip the whole thing anyway. Do y'all think it might work if I just fiddle with how I position the cymbal and the stand?

Anyhow, I'm probably going with either option 2 (combo stand) or option 4 (attachment clamp). Any help you could provide would be great. Thanks!
 
I'm a big fan of the multiclamp stands. 3 items on one stand! I've had mine for decades and they still do the job.
Well worth the investment.

I actually even have a couple that I don't use if you're interested.
$30+ shipping and I'll send you which ever one you prefer.

APC_0407.jpg
 
Combo stand (careful that it holds your tom low enough in the FT position) or, as I do on two different kits, omni-ball clamp it to an existing stand. I have no issues with this method. Just make sure the tom and cymbal each hovers over one of the stand legs, and that you spread the feet apart sufficiently.
 
I used my 14 Fl. Tom on a stand for maybe a yr. I just clamped it to my ride cym. stand. It was a Dbl. braced Yamaha stand so it was pretty sturdy. You have to place the rotation of the tripod a certain way or they will topple. It's like that with any big drum on a stand. Later I bought Gibralter brackets and legs and put those on. I like it better on the floor. I'm playing a 4 pc. now, so I don't even have a stand for my ride. It's on a boom off of my tom holder on the kick. The brackets were easy to put on. Measure 4 times and drill once. Be careful to drill through slowly with a new bit, so the wood doesn't splinter much when the bit goes through.
 
I actually even have a couple that I don't use if you're interested.
$30+ shipping and I'll send you which ever one you prefer.
Awesome! It looks like it hold all sorts of things I can hit. I can’t tell if it holds cymbals, but I’m definitely interested! I’ll private message you.
 
I played for several years on a Starclassic kit that had two floor toms: a standard 16" with legs and a 14" that was stand-mounted. Whenever I used the 14", it would always sag and sink. To be fair, I am wary of over-tightening drum hardware especially an omniball as they gouge so easily. But I think that floor toms and ball mounts are a terrible combination, especially those heavy Starclassic toms with their die cast hoops.

There's another thread on here by someone who wants to drill their DW tom for leg brackets--I suggest you do the same if you can find the matching Starclassic legs/brackets, which are really top-notch. With all the tom mounting ideas that have been thrown at the drummer market over the years, legs on floor toms persist, and with good reason.
 
Last edited:
Option 2 but that’s a good price for either of those stands. Then you can fly a crash cymbal off a mini clamp boom.
 
I recommend buying both of those stands from danondrums and then buying three leg mounts with legs and drilling.

Crazy good price for that quality of stand...
 
I guess it just depends on whether or not you plan to gig, and how much you plan to gig.

1.) Tom Stand - Solves the problem, may be disproportionately expensive for just one tom.

Yup. However, it looks like Dan is hooking you up.

2.) Combo Tom/Cymbal Stand - A little more oomph for my money and will let me do some real estate shifting for some cymbals. I have found a few options that may keep costs down to a more manageable level.

This can be tricky at times. If you play big cymbals or choose to mount it to your ride, then you are dealing with a big-ish drum with a big cymbal all mounted on one post. Getting it all to work in a comfortable space can be difficult.

3.) Tom Cradle - I'm thinking along the lines of a World Max, but I've heard mixed reviews. Anyone with personal experience care to weigh in?

I own two of these for my 14" and 16" Pork Pie USA's. Yes, they do the job, but I've had a couple of issues with them:

a.) You need a drum key to mount the drum legs. Some people won't mind, but I find this inconvenient for gigging.
b.) The tighteners that press up against the legs are really short, and they aren't that big around either. You are basically holding the floor toms in place with a 1-inch tension rod. They feel like they go from tight against floor tom leg to almost falling out of the bracket in just a couple of turns.
c.) They can strip out easier. Apparently, there is a doofus at my church who was adjusting the floor toms on the regular, and I think he over-tightened them. I had to replace two of the three brackets that fit around the ring.
d.) WEIGHT! I swear these things add a good 5 lbs to each drum you put them on. Once again, if you aren't gigging, it's no big deal.
e.) Size. Even though drum bags can be roomy, you may have to go up a size if you put these in cases...especially hard cases...if you are gigging.

4.) Attachment Clamp - I could theoretically put a clamp with an omni-ball onto my cymbal stand, but I'm apprehensive. I have a PDP 700-series Boom stand on my right side. It has holds up a pretty weighty Zildjian black label Platinum Ride and a trash stack on an extension above the ride. I'm worried it would tip over and put the cymbals and the tom in danger of damage. I've thought I could move the trash stack extension over to my crash cymbal stand to remove a little weight, but I'm still worried the floor tom on a clamp would tip the whole thing anyway. Do y'all think it might work if I just fiddle with how I position the cymbal and the stand?

Once again, placement can be tricky. The omni-ball is great for placement, but they do wear out after a while.
 
I guess it just depends on whether or not you plan to gig, and how much you plan to gig.

1.) Tom Stand - Solves the problem, may be disproportionately expensive for just one tom.

Yup. However, it looks like Dan is hooking you up.

2.) Combo Tom/Cymbal Stand - A little more oomph for my money and will let me do some real estate shifting for some cymbals. I have found a few options that may keep costs down to a more manageable level.

This can be tricky at times. If you play big cymbals or choose to mount it to your ride, then you are dealing with a big-ish drum with a big cymbal all mounted on one post. Getting it all to work in a comfortable space can be difficult.

3.) Tom Cradle - I'm thinking along the lines of a World Max, but I've heard mixed reviews. Anyone with personal experience care to weigh in?

I own two of these for my 14" and 16" Pork Pie USA's. Yes, they do the job, but I've had a couple of issues with them:

a.) You need a drum key to mount the drum legs. Some people won't mind, but I find this inconvenient for gigging.
b.) The tighteners that press up against the legs are really short, and they aren't that big around either. You are basically holding the floor toms in place with a 1-inch tension rod. They feel like they go from tight against floor tom leg to almost falling out of the bracket in just a couple of turns.
c.) They can strip out easier. Apparently, there is a doofus at my church who was adjusting the floor toms on the regular, and I think he over-tightened them. I had to replace two of the three brackets that fit around the ring.
d.) WEIGHT! I swear these things add a good 5 lbs to each drum you put them on. Once again, if you aren't gigging, it's no big deal.
e.) Size. Even though drum bags can be roomy, you may have to go up a size if you put these in cases...especially hard cases...if you are gigging.

4.) Attachment Clamp - I could theoretically put a clamp with an omni-ball onto my cymbal stand, but I'm apprehensive. I have a PDP 700-series Boom stand on my right side. It has holds up a pretty weighty Zildjian black label Platinum Ride and a trash stack on an extension above the ride. I'm worried it would tip over and put the cymbals and the tom in danger of damage. I've thought I could move the trash stack extension over to my crash cymbal stand to remove a little weight, but I'm still worried the floor tom on a clamp would tip the whole thing anyway. Do y'all think it might work if I just fiddle with how I position the cymbal and the stand?

Once again, placement can be tricky. The omni-ball is great for placement, but they do wear out after a while.
Thanks you for the wisdom! You’re always helpful, PPG!
 
Thanks you for the wisdom! You’re always helpful, PPG!

It's not a problem! Like I said, my vote would be floor tom legs. Just drill the shells. The only reason why I didn't do this with my PP kit is because 1990's Pork Pie USA kits are starting to go up in value a little bit, so I wanted to keep all of the original equipment. I have 10, 12, 14, and 16 toms and all of them are mounted with factory suspension mounts. I didn't want to drill extra holes in them. If I didn't worry about value too much, I'd have drilled them without a second thought.
 
Last edited:
Local Oaf- I still believe, especially if it's a 14, that either a Gibraltar-style clamp holder (one piece) on a straight cymbal stand, or a tom stand like the ones offered to you and clamping your ride to it, are the best options. The omni-ball holders don't wear out and slip as long as you sufficiently loosen the wingnut when adjusting. Forcing them to move without loosening wears grooves in the ball. Just don't do that. My rehearsal kit 14 has been mounted with the one-piece clamp for years- literally, as I never break it down- and hasn't budged. My gig kit 14 is always exactly in the same position every time, since the clamp stays on the cymbal holder and there's a memory lock on the L-arm. My only personal experience with hanging 16s were ones on the sales floor when I worked in retail; they were on tom stands (Mapex Pro M and M-Birch), and they never budged either.

If you insist on legs, use a cradle, or the INDe or Ludwig brackets. Don't drill, unless you're an experienced carpenter. You'll also need to get another Die-cast hoop to replace the one that incorporates your Star-Cast mount, or remove the mount and leave the hoop with those extra holes (shouldn't be a problem, but will look weird).
 
. Don't drill, unless you're an experienced carpenter. You'll also need to get another Die-cast hoop to replace the one that incorporates your Star-Cast mount, or remove the mount and leave the hoop with those extra holes (shouldn't be a problem, but will look weird).
[/QUOTE]
Anybody should be able to drill holes through a drum shell if they’re careful and Measure carefully. also there’s no reason to get a different diecast hoop. I still use my Star Cast hoop, you just take the mounting bracket off of it.
 
Back
Top