Importance of a good drum throne?

StaggerLee

Silver Member
I was going to put this in hardware but think it should be out there for everyone really. Ive joined a band, and we gig twice a week and practice once a week, very well established have music videos and ep coming out etc. I have realized at the end of every gig I have rather bad back pains. I slouch a lot but as soon as i realize it i straighten up, but I also wondered if it had anything to do with my stool. Its a CB one, bare basic, and wondering if such a poor quality stool is contributing to back pain? I dont have much money this drum show again, but wondering if perhaps buying a roc n soc top or a mapex 4" deep foam one would be the best use of my money this time round. What say you guys? Or is a CB throne just fine and its all just from posture?
 
As Andy would say, I'm stating the obvious. But yes, a bad, cheap throne will cause back problems - but not where you think. Think of a regular chair, it's not always thick and padded, yet you get no discomfort from it in short durations. The reason is because it's solid and it's not moving. The problem with thrones these days is that players either leave them loose, so the seat top and swivel, or they can't be tightened enough to keep from swiveling. The lower back swiveling is what would cause the back problem. This is why I always tell players to keep their throne tightened up so the seat does not swivel. You want to make it like a good solid, wooden chair in that regard.

Now, whether or not you want a nice cushy seat, will depend on how much you spend. I've taken very cheap thrones and drilled them to put a bolt through it so it wouldn't swivel and that's worked. I also own the top of the line DW and Pearl thrones that have no problem tightening up so it doesn't swivel.

This is one of the main reasons the old canister thrones were so cool - nothing moved at all.
 
so you say it would be a good investment to pick up a comfy throne that also can be bolted to not swivel at all? The one im looking at is mapex with a memory lock so it also wont swivel at all

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. There are lots of thrones out there and the best seem to be those that have the seat on a spindle so you have to spin it to raise it or lower it, and there should be a way to lock that so it doesn't swivel. The spindle is cool because it won't suddenly drop on you if it does happen to come loose.
 
Yes, good throne is important.

Yes, a bad throne will cause back problems.

Yes, do yourself a favor and buy a better throne.
 
Its a CB one, bare basic, and wondering if such a poor quality stool is contributing to back pain?

The majority of your body is on this, for hours, so a throne is worth the investment. The screw version is most adjustable, and *quickly* adjustable - as Bo says it also never slips.

Did you try different heights on your CB throne? Is your kit set up ergonomically? Reaching too far, or leg angles OK? All these are also sources of back pain.
 
The majority of your body is on this, for hours, so a throne is worth the investment. The screw version is most adjustable, and *quickly* adjustable - as Bo says it also never slips.

Did you try different heights on your CB throne? Is your kit set up ergonomically? Reaching too far, or leg angles OK? All these are also sources of back pain.

Yeah I have, the highest it does has my leg pretty much straight out level so to play heel up means raising my knee above my waist. My kit is all close together so no stretching but not so close that i have to tuck my arms in. My legs sit comfortably without rubbing against my snare etc but not so far i feel like doing the splits. I had a kit ergonomics class at sound attak and have kept it ever since. Just never thought of the stall being that important until now that im doing lots of gigs...
 
Another shout out for Stagg hardware from me.

I've one of their pro drum stools...it's very much like Rok n Sok only a hell of a lot cheaper

Super comfy and very heavy duty....I weight 24 stone. I can testify to it's ruggedness !!!
 
I will echo the "extremely important" answer as well

Also while you may have your current throne at the highest setting it still may not be the proper height for you. Might be worth investing in one that goes higher than your current one so you have the option to try a little higher throne height. That can also have an affect on your posture not to mention your playing.
 
Bo is pretty much spot on and I do remember from my anatomy class that the back is very susceptible to injury. So I will add that there are specialty thrones out there to be had. If you are willing to make an investment, the Ford Drum Company has drum throne which are made using Swedish memory foam:

http://www.forddrums.com/

and the tripod base is supplied as the spiral height adjustment. Carl Palmer (ELP) uses these and helps with a bad back. Obviously, they are not for everyone or necessary.

Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com
http://www.patentcoachmike.com
http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemccraw
http://twitter.com/mikemccraw
http://www.skillpages.com/mike.mccraw
 
A good throne will ensure your longevity as a drummer. Also, if you spend the $$$ on a good throne, it'll last you forever. I have Roc-n-Soc thrones that are 25 years old and are still just as good. All I have to do is replace the rubber feet every five years or so.
 
Bo is pretty much spot on and I do remember from my anatomy class that the back is very susceptible to injury. So I will add that there are specialty thrones out there to be had. If you are willing to make an investment, the Ford Drum Company has drum throne which are made using Swedish memory foam:

http://www.forddrums.com/

and the tripod base is supplied as the spiral height adjustment. Carl Palmer (ELP) uses these and helps with a bad back. Obviously, they are not for everyone or necessary.

Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com
http://www.patentcoachmike.com
http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemccraw
http://twitter.com/mikemccraw
http://www.skillpages.com/mike.mccraw

I spoke with Jimmy Ford (of Ford Drums) about his thrones and they are incredible. Very nice styling as well. You can contact them direct from their website to purchase too. It could very well be the last throne you ever buy - if you can believe that ;)
 
the best purchase, bar none, of any musical gear I've ever bought was a good throne. It always seems to be the last investment anyone ever makes, but it makes far more difference than any other piece of gear I own.
 
I will go against the grain on this one. I have 3 of them (a good one and 2 cheap ones) and switch them . Doesn't make that big of a difference to me in my playing . I do feel better on the more expensive one and don't have any back problems at all.

I think it is more about posture then anything else.

I practice with the bad ones because I try to "adapt" or get ready for anything that can come up. Rehearsal rooms, studios, jams,etc.... Nome of them have my throne at the right height, right distance , placement of the toms and cymbals , etc, etc.
Just trying to be as comfortable as possible in any situation :)
 
Good thrones are worth the $$ - absolutely!

I'd also recommend one with a backrest -- I've got a Tama 1st chair with a backrest, but I've used Roc 'n Soc w/a backrest and they're great as well... I used the Tama more regularly simply because the backrest folds down for easier transport.

Go get a 'decent' throne and you'll never regret it!
 
I was going to put this in hardware but think it should be out there for everyone really. Ive joined a band, and we gig twice a week and practice once a week, very well established have music videos and ep coming out etc. I have realized at the end of every gig I have rather bad back pains. I slouch a lot but as soon as i realize it i straighten up, but I also wondered if it had anything to do with my stool. Its a CB one, bare basic, and wondering if such a poor quality stool is contributing to back pain? I dont have much money this drum show again, but wondering if perhaps buying a roc n soc top or a mapex 4" deep foam one would be the best use of my money this time round. What say you guys? Or is a CB throne just fine and its all just from posture?

I've got a Roc'n'Soc with a backrest and to me it's the backrest that makes the difference as to whether my back hurts at the end of the night or not.

No backrest on the stool (if I forget to take it or don't have the space) = nagging back pain

Backrest on stool = no back pain.
 
I think it is critical. Also good padding is helpful for other parts of yuor anatomy. Probably more important for us older drummers.
 
I have a bad back. After playing for a while I started noticing that my back would hurt. So, I tried to analyze what I might be doing wrong. I noticed that I would hunch over the snare, bending at the waist like I would do a sit up. Looking at other drummers, I saw this bad posture in videos of some great drummers, including Buddy Rich and Carmine Appice.

I purchased a throne with a back rest. The back rest helps me maintain a better posture. I now lean into the back rest, and the back rest reminds me that I am not hunching over. I also use it for the balance instead of balancing on the throne seat alone.

If both legs are raised at the same time, what is keeping you from falling over except balancing with your back muscles on the seat. I feel this is a great way to keep from upsetting the back by having some additional support in the back rest.
 
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Just picked up a new throne seat with a bolt that means it wont spin and an inch deeper, hopefully that should help. Now to help with ergonomics i think i might try a smaller snare size. I did notice the times i bring the 12" snare out i would have a fair bit less back pain than when i gigged a 14, but thought (still kinda think) its my imagination that the snare size could be contributing
 
I think the biggest factor in back pain is posture, more than the throne. Unless of course a bad (wobbling?) throne causes bad posture and strained muscles.
Experiment with raising or lowering the throne, as well as the other elements of your kit. Shoot a video of yourself playing and see if you can spot a bad posture or source of pain. Or show it to your doctor if the pain continues. My 2 cents :)
 
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