Two floor toms....

K

kallewille

Senior Member
I tried, I really did. I've played three up one down for the longest time. I had one 16" floor tom and when I got an 18" it was simply too big to put on the right with the 16". But, that was years ago and after having just an e-kit for a few years, I got myself an acoustic again. I tried two up two down this time and since the floor toms were 14" and 16" I figured I'd try them both on the right. I mean, how many players have I seen with that setup, right?

Well, after four months or so, I finally moved the 16" to the left. I just can't do it! Anyone else the same way?
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    213.5 KB · Views: 1,422
I liked having two toms over there though the 2nd needs to be pretty far out to not be an awkward reach- I like having toms to the left and right more :) If you're not a two-rack-tom purist, you might try having your 10" up front, your 12" and a floor tom to the right, and your other floor tom to the left. I liked that setup too! Have to admit that I used your layout with the 14 and 16 switched a lot more than the one I just described, though. It's comfy.
 
Yeah I setup a two up two down and just couldn't get comfortable going for that second FT, tried adjusting where it was and could never find that happy spot.
 
I have always used a 2nd floor tom on the right and prefer 16-18 over 14-16. Just feels right to me, never too much of a reach. And always 2 crashes to the right as well, 1 in front of each floor tom.
What's fun is to have 16 & 18 floor toms to the right and a 14 or 15 floor tom (or both) to the left of the hi-hat, although I would probably not gig with all of that.
But, it's all down to what makes you happy when you play - that's what matters.
 
My latest kit has two floors - 14x14 and 16x16 - and I like it. The trick is finding that spot where it's comfortable to get to, and I think I found it for myself. My toms do the usual descending thing, so I don't have any toms by my hi-hat. They just go high-to-low. I do find I like how it makes the kit look balanced more than using it as a musical statement. But when I have it there, I do use it. It just doesn't get used as much as my 14x14 floor tom, but it's nice to know it's there.

This is really my first time sorta' committing to the two floor tom thing. I had a Bonham type kit with 16x16 and 16x18 floor toms and that was just too far of a spread between the two for me and I ended up using that kit as a four-piece most of the time. But 14 and 16 seems to be working out so far.
 
porter said:
I liked having two toms over there though the 2nd needs to be pretty far out to not be an awkward reach- I like having toms to the left and right more :) If you're not a two-rack-tom purist, you might try having your 10" up front, your 12" and a floor tom to the right, and your other floor tom to the left. I liked that setup too! Have to admit that I used your layout with the 14 and 16 switched a lot more than the one I just described, though. It's comfy.
Click to expand...

I just moved it last night and the thought crossed my mind if putting the 14 to the left might not be better. I'll give this set up a week and then try it to see how it feels. I pretty much approach this kit like a four piece with an extended range both low and high should I need it. The 16 rumbles very rewardingly but the 14 doesn't quite sound low enough to my ear. In fact, I tune all the toms around the 14, getting it as low as I can. Been playing along to a couple of records and I'm still knocking off all the rust my playing has accumulated, so I reckon I'll be messing with the setup for some time yet.
 
I've been using two floor toms (currently a 13x14 mounted tom set low and a 16x16) to the right since the second year of playing drums (20+ years). One in a while, I try to only set up one floor tom and it just throws me off. I'm just so use to ending fills on the second floor tom, that everything is messed up if is not there. My only complaint is that I don't have 16 & 18 instead of 14 & 16. One of these days....
 
I added an 18 on my right last year and have never looked back. It's amazing.
 
I never really got into the two floor tom thing either.

I was over paid to get the discontinued, matching 18" floor tom for my kit, and I rarely use it. I just don't care for how much I have to twist around to reach it.

I've experimented with the left side plenty of time, but only once did I ever find a use for it. Otherwise it would just sit there.
 
I've used 1 up, 3 down since '91 (2 down before that).
The 18 is moved more to the right than behind, and I don't do multiple strokes with 2 hands on it much at all. No turning to use it either.

I like a regular 4 piece too, but I like having the extra sounds. I like ft's more than higher pitched toms.
 
KarlCrafton said:
I like a regular 4 piece too, but I like having the extra sounds. I like ft's more than higher pitched toms.
Click to expand...

This is the jungle-drumming attitude - which I totally have. Most things I play don't require the melodic use of tom toms, and 'Sing Sing Sing' is still the only reason to have floor toms to most audiences ;)
 
the floors on either side are pretty much what Gary Chester used.. I think he said it was part of his technique/philosophy; you should be able to hit anything with total independence of limbs no matter what the setup.

Personally I like the 2 floors on the right just from the ergonomic point of view of close proximity. I also sometimes use 2 high toms on the left (on a stand down low beside the kick) and 2 floors flat on the right. Makes it easier for the audience to see what you're doing.. and keeps the toms off the kick for better sound quality.
 
I love me some floor toms! Okay, maybe only 2/3 as much as Karl, but still.

I have a 15" and an 18", which works out pretty well with a 13" rack tom (1 up, 2 dn). I was recently playing just the 13" and 18" as a 4-pc, and it was cool, but I went back to running both floors. Love it!

I noticed from the pic of the OP's kit that it's pretty left-centric with the toms offset to the left of the kick and the hats further out due to the double pedal. Also, the ride cymbal is kinda encroaching into the gap between the 12 and 14, so with this kind of setup and having your body directed more to the left, it's not surprising that reaching a 2nd ft way out to the right would feel too uncomfortable.

In order to run two, you have to look at what else is going on with the kit, and see if adding that second one makes ergonomic sense. With my own kit, it's pretty center-centric with very minimized gaps between hats & snare; snare & 1st floor; rack tom & 1st floor. Reaching around the kit is challenging enough with larger sizes and I don't want to make it any harder than it already is by having things spread out any farther than they absolutely have to be, or by positioning myself to favor one side of the kit.
 
MikeM said:
I noticed from the pic of the OP's kit that it's pretty left-centric with the toms offset to the left of the kick and the hats further out due to the double pedal.
Click to expand...

To my eye, it looks centered, but of course most people are used to 'centering' themselves over their dominant foot rather than between their feet. From that perspective, I can see your point.
 
I have used two floor toms on a couple of kits, one a 14/16 combination and the other a 16/18. I never had any issues reaching the second floor tom. The only problem I ever had was when I played a venue with a very shallow drum riser. The second tom just wouldn't fit without moving it out to the side.

I've tried the second floor on the left, and I just don't like it there. I'd rather have a timbale or even a second snare there. Different strokes for different folks, though.
 
To each his own. I love my two floors. I have 2 kits with 14,16 and 16,18. The only way to fly in my opinion!
 

Attachments

  • rps20141014_230241_748.jpg
    rps20141014_230241_748.jpg
    75.1 KB · Views: 930
  • 20140902_224520_resized_1.jpg
    20140902_224520_resized_1.jpg
    258 KB · Views: 926
porter said:
To my eye, it looks centered, but of course most people are used to 'centering' themselves over their dominant foot rather than between their feet. From that perspective, I can see your point.
Click to expand...

I feel like it's centered well too. I have found I tend to angle my kick more as my feet don't rest parallel naturally and I have a rather open stance. Part of me still wants to sell the 14" floor tom and get a 14" tom tom instead.

GeoB: regarding the logos, I don't get bothered by such things. Out of curiosity, do you keep your cymbal logos a certain way too while playing? :p
 
Bonzobilly said:
To each his own. I love my two floors. I have 2 kits with 14,16 and 16,18. The only way to fly in my opinion!
Click to expand...

I've been attempting to find a matching 14" floor of my kit for the past 7 months, and have to ask..

The crash on your right... How do you hit it without standing up and walking around the kit?
 
KamaK said:
I've been attempting to find a matching 14" floor of my kit for the past 7 months, and have to ask..

The crash on your right... How do you hit it without standing up and walking around the kit?
Click to expand...

Ha! It's just the pic. It's very reachable. I'm short and fat so reach isn't my strong suit!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top