List your equipment failures

Frank

Frank

Gold Member
Let's list all the different equipment failures we have had in our playing lives. Maybe tell a story or two. :)
 
  1. Snare batter head
  2. Snare strap
  3. HH pedal came apart, screw rolled away, down for the count
  4. Bass drum batter
Honorable mention goes to my old Speed King pedal - where the drive bracket would pop out of the pedal. It didn't break, but it would leave me with no pedal for the rest of the song. Then I'd pop it back in and be good for another few miles. :)
 
once I was at a gig, but there was a drum kit already at the place, which meant I didn’t need to bring a kit. I brought an extra pair of drumsticks (carbon fiber, I don’t like them but if my normal sticks break, at least I know they won’t break), my old Mapex tornado pedal because it was what I had, and a spare 14” head. The bass drum pedal was an iron cobra 900, pretty good and the drum kit was a custom drum kit. The bass drum pedal spring broke halfway through the gig and I had to use my old Mapex tornado pedal, which was pretty crap. Also on this same gig, the HH pull rod unscrewed and I had to take apart the stand between songs like ‘everything is fine’. That is why you should bring your own kit. I also bring a spare HH pull rod.
 
I dropped the sleeve and felts off a cymbal stand in the dark.
I broke the tip off a stick.
That's all so far, knock wood.
 
All very minor-- I've had hihat clutches fall apart, and a bass drum pedal-- those could be easily fixed between tunes. And had the drums scoot around because I didn't have a rug. Maybe I broke a snare head 25 years ago. My 60s Gretsch floor tom legs used to fail a lot, as did my 80s Gretsch bass drum spurs. All my worst situations have been with other people's gear.
 
I haven't broken a head since I was in my 20s, and I'm in my 50s now. I think I play with better technique now. :)

You reminded me of the drums moving away. Back in my teen years, it was either so long ago that drum rugs didn't exist, or, I just didn't know about them. :) Yeah, I can remember my drums sliding away from me all the time and it really bugging me. :) Now 30 dollars solves the problem.
 
I'm sure I'll be forgetting something, but here goes.

Had a rivet fail on the front leg of my throne in the middle of a song. I was able to balance on the back two and finish the song. I finished the gig in a chair from one of the tables in the bar.

Cymbal stand boom arm tilter failed and the cymbal cam crashing down and onto my toms. A fan saw it and promptly ran up and held the cymbal in place for the rest of the song. It was fixed with duct tape and lasted the rest of the show.

I rebuilt my double pedal before a show and failed to completely wipe away all the bearing lube. The driveshaft kept falling off during each song. I kept reattaching it to no avail. So double bass kept randomly becoming single bass.

Floor tom leg wasn't fully tightened and collapsed into me during a song. Had to finish the song minus the drum while it was resting on my side.

I'm sure there are more, but that was a long time ago. If I remember more I'll put them up.
 
The hydraulic cylinder failed on my Roc n Soc nitro throne mid song of course and I felt like I was sitting on the floor playing drums.

Spindles for the gigs now.

I do like the bouncy bouncy though.

I split a ported bass drum reso head once, just by playing the batter normally. Not at a gig, at home here. That still baffles me.
 
Never had one on a gig.

Busted the bass drum batter a few times in the shed. Never broken any other head. An 8" splash cymbal went flying once because the nut had come loose over time.

Same with guitar. Only broken strings and the occasional flat battery.

If you take care f your care and check it while packing, chances of something going wrong go way way down.
 
Both of my major equipment failures came from DW, believe it or not.

DW 5000 single pedal, broken Delta hinge.
DW 5000 Hi Hat pedal, broken Delta hinge. ON A HI-HAT PEDAL! C'mon DW!
(both purchased in the mid-late 90s)

AGtqzbX.png

hA3bhRw.png


Both hinges snapped under normal play, in the span of maybe a year. Had to special order new ones that cost $50 each. DW has since fixed the poor metal quality on their Delta Hinge II.
 
Last edited:
IBitePrettyHard said:
Both of my major equipment failures came from DW, believe it or not.

DW 5000 single pedal, broken Delta hinge.
DW 5000 Hi Hat pedal, broken Delta hinge. ON A HI-HAT PEDAL! C'mon DW!
(both purchased in the mid-late 90s)

AGtqzbX.png

hA3bhRw.png


Both hinges snapped under normal play, in the span of maybe a year. Had to special order new ones that cost $50 each. DW has since fixed the poor metal quality on their Delta Hinge II.
Click to expand...

That's stuff that's not supposed to break. 50 demerits for DW.
 
A few years ago now:

DW throne height adjustment clamp screw fail on 2nd gig. Same throne clamp casting fail after 2 years. DW clamp casting fail on boom cymbal stand. Evans snareside head that was only two gigs old. All happened at gigs.
 
Bass drum beater popped out mid song. Also bass drum beater caught under the seam of my pants.

Floor tom leg nearest me came loose. Kept playing, holding it up with my bass drum leg between beats.

Years ago the snare strainer broke mid song. Snares dropped down. Ran out to the car to get my spare snare while the lead singer played Tequila on my toms.
 
On House Kits.................

Bass Drum Skin gone through
Toms falling off their mounts
Floor Tom Legs falling off
Bass Drum Spur snapping
Cymbal Stands having a mind of their own..........
Having to sit on a beer barrel after the stool collapsed!!!!!!!

On my kit...............

Luckily not a lot :)
 
Morrisman said:
Bass drum beater popped out mid song. Also bass drum beater caught under the seam of my pants.

Floor tom leg nearest me came loose. Kept playing, holding it up with my bass drum leg between beats.

Years ago the snare strainer broke mid song. Snares dropped down. Ran out to the car to get my spare snare while the lead singer played Tequila on my toms.
Click to expand...

I had the bass drum beater get caught in my pants leg, too - a few times at home. Never - yet - at a gig. :)
 
toddbishop said:
All very minor-- I've had hihat clutches fall apart, and a bass drum pedal-- those could be easily fixed between tunes. And had the drums scoot around because I didn't have a rug. Maybe I broke a snare head 25 years ago. My 60s Gretsch floor tom legs used to fail a lot, as did my 80s Gretsch bass drum spurs. All my worst situations have been with other people's gear.
Click to expand...
I had the drum-scoot issue on a warehouse gig, forgot a drum rug and no one had any facsimile at the building to lend- the bass drum led the charge forward as the foot pedal did its work, in close 2nd was the hi hat stand creeping away... Quite a challenge to keep time. Never Again!!:oops:
 
I once had the bass drum pedal beater fly off mid-gig as the nut came loose. I didn’t know I was playing with just the rod until it punctured the head and got stuck. Played the rest of the gig with no bass drum which is actually quite a weird experience.
 
newoldie said:
I had the drum-scoot issue on a warehouse gig, forgot a drum rug and no one had any facsimile at the building to lend- the bass drum led the charge forward as the foot pedal did its work, in close 2nd was the hi hat stand creeping away... Quite a challenge to keep time. Never Again!!:oops:
Click to expand...

What you need in times like these is - a good bass player bandmate who will stand in front of the bass drum. :)
Takin one for the team. :)
 
The beater assembly to one of my Speed Cobra's came loose during a song, unfortunately it was the right one (I use two singles w/two bassdrums) so I had to complete the song with only my left foot. Being right handed/footed, it was not the most pleasant thing I've ever done. Also had trouble sometimes with the basspedal coming loose/getting unhooked during a song, if the bassdrum kind of slides sideways away from me, usually because the bassdrum legs are not high enough to"stabilize" the whole bassdrum (or the spikes not fully out), or a problem with the rug. Never happened on my own kit, but on rentals or other drummers kit, it can be a problem if I forget to check this up. Otherwise, just minor stuff like broken sticks, or the china cymbal stand collapsing if not tightened hard enough, maybe a swivel nut flying away... Never broke a head (knock on wood).
 
Older snare stand the tilter wingnut stripped. Nightmare situation trying to keep my snare drum from tipping over while keeping it propped between throne and my legs for a few hours. Lesson I learned that night was always have a small set of vice grips/locking pliers with you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top