Tom Preferences?

I like to play with four drums, a bass drum, snare, a high tom, and a low tom. Currently that means 22, snare, 12, and 16. Peace and goodwill.

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It’s not unusual..
Fresh Prince Of Bel Air Dance GIF
 
I like both 14 in and 16 in floor toms but I generally abhor rack toms =and especially near my snare-due to sympathetic buzz. So if a rack tom I move the single rack tom over near floor tom. I want to try just 14 and 16 in floors with no high tom. Toms are like turkeys so go with a mature Tom , because the immature male-the Jake is like baby toms with not much of a voice or meat to it. I'm not "jaking".
 
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I dont dislike rack toms, I just like floor toms better. What say you?
I'll agree here. If I "had" to choose, As a mostly 1 up, 2 down kinda guy ...... I'd rather run a small floor tom in the rack position than run large rack toms in the floor position.
 
Damn...this question really made me think and I love everyone's response. Someone's thought..put to question..made me sit back and THINK!. This is deeper than I imagined. In the end after much thought I could play a gig with just a 14" floor tom. A 16" floor makes me like my rack toms..a 14 floor makes me avoid my racks. This question is intensely thought provoking.
 
I use 1 of each. I've always thought 11" and 15" would be the ideal sizes, but not very practical for heads etc...
 
I prefer floor toms over rack toms. I dont dislike rack toms, I just like floor toms better. What say you?
I hit Rack toms more cause im lazy, lol. But yes my bare minimum is three Toms.. 10 , 12, and 16. I currently am running 10, 12 rack and 14 , 16 floor and i love this set up. So versatile. I have an 8 i can add if needed and two extra snares, but i haven't figured out a way to use the snares yet.
 
I’m one of those weirdos who actually likes his 14” FT and 12x14 at that. Also dig the 14x16. That touch shallower depth imo just lessens the rumble enough to give the drum some good definition while still having a good bottom end.

For rack toms, anything that tunes. I like a 10 for how it fits in a tight spot but too often they are just finicky to tune. A nice tunable one is a different story. Haven’t had a 13 or 18 in a while, but remember the 18 being to much of a beast to lug around and just thuddy sounding.

Our church went from 12, 14, 16 to 13, 16, 18 and all definition was lost. Wrong music for the sizes? A sound guy issue? Not sure, but the 16 and 18 were interchangeable with the switch.

Some day I may look for a 10” to add, but it’ll be a non matching finish I’ll have to have re-wrapped. No way to get the size in my finish directly from Gretsch anymore and very few were ever sold in the color.

Kind of a ramble to say yes to all sizes, so long as there’s definition and fits in well with the music.
 
Floor tom:

Prefer the tone and playing position

Also this vvv

Also they make a good improvised tables / weapons / drinks canopies / foot stools / percussion trays etc etc
 
I like whatever fits the music.

Some music calls for smaller toms, and some music calls for larger toms. Some songs call for several toms. Some songs call for no toms.

I like to change things around to what I'm doing and not force my preferences on the music.
 
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I like floor toms.

it is anti climatic for me to hit a rack "floor" tom and not have the solid feel of it being on the floor
 
Trend here seems to strongly favor small kits. Never fit that trend. Prog drummer for decades. I love having a range of tom sizes to add variety of pitches to rhythmic patterns. I'll be in the tiny minority on this site that goes the opposite way.

Current kit has 6.5" and 8" concert toms, 8, 10, 12, 13" rack toms, 15" and 16" floor toms.
 
Trend here seems to strongly favor small kits. Never fit that trend. Prog drummer for decades. I love having a range of tom sizes to add variety of pitches to rhythmic patterns. I'll be in the tiny minority on this site that goes the opposite way.

Current kit has 6.5" and 8" concert toms, 8, 10, 12, 13" rack toms, 15" and 16" floor toms.
What size kick & snare?
 
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