Virgin kick or not?

ronyd

Silver Member
Have both. My tom setup is offset- 12” over the kick and 10” off.

seems i could never get the 12” over the kick enough with virgin setup. So think I just answered my question lol.

ordering a Sonor vintage series so i guess my question do most rather prefer with kick mounted tom mount? Thinking resale
 
as long as it's 14 inches deep and has a porthole, i don't care how many pipes it's penetrated by. some swear they can hear a difference, i think if they have blindfolds and you gave them a non-virgin kick and you told them they were playing a virgin kick they would believe you. not really sure about resale value because some really do prefer a non virgin kick, but i personally think vintage kicks should be virgin, just an esthetic preference.
 
What's virgin about a BD shell with a minimum of 20 holes drilled in it again?

There's nothing virgin about a bass drum with no tom mounts. IMO.

I motion the court to drop the word "virgin" when talking about bass drums. Instead, I suggest that the term should be updated to:

BDNTM...bass drum, no tom mount. Or mountless bass drum. Something more precise like that.

Not virgin.

I own a true virgin drum set. There are a total of zero holes penetrating the shells. Not that it matters, there's no discernable sonic difference IMO. Especially on a bass drum. Toms are where the focus is for me on a shell pack. It is cool to be able to honestly state that I own a true virgin drum kit, but that's it. I'd bet that blindfolded, I couldn't tell the difference between my Guru bass drum and any other bass drum out there of the same size.
 
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Well worse case i get “mountless bass drum ” @larryace . If i decide i buy the mount (easy install).
thankx for inputs 👍
 
Thinking resale .....
A buyer who wants a virgin kick isn't gonna buy one drilled. A guy who wants a flanged kick isn't gonna buy a virgin. And a guy who doesn't care ..... will buy either, if the price is right.

I fall into that last category. Aesthetically, I prefer a "virgin" kick. Or as Larry says ..... "BDNTM...bass drum, no tom mount. Or mountless bass drum.";) But ...... I'm not gonna pass on a sweet deal just because a bass drum has a flange (or rail consolette). Like, try finding a Yamaha bass drum that doesn't have a flange.;) If I was to special order a bass drum (like I did my two 22x16 Ludwig Vistalite kicks ..... I'd order them BDNTM (maybe we can start something here, Larry:ROFLMAO:) But .... a drum with a mount, I can always choose to use it, or not.
 
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I don't like the look or functionality of bass drums with tom mounts, so I buy only "virgin" shells and play my tom in a snare stand. We can spar all day over the semantics of "virgin," but everyone knows it implies a bass drum without a mount. I'm perfectly comfortable calling any mount-free bass drum a virgin, regardless of how many times it's been drilled for lugs.
 
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I honestly can’t tell the difference in sound.

I’d love to hear the theory and idea background that Grossman, Strauss, and Thompson of Rogers had regarding the change or variation of acoustic property and shell mount innovation.

They mounted everything on shells, possibly in attempt to eliminate cymbal and drum stands.
My Rogers sound fine I’d love the idea of this actually 🤔
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For myself it’s modern vintage I’d still put proper appointments (if possible).

Like a console rail mount, and at least a bracket for ride cymbal holder.

But in looking at Sonor cats from 50-60s there wasn’t much to their hardware accessory line. I didn’t see any rail mount systems...
 
What's virgin about a BD shell with a minimum of 20 holes drilled in it again?

There's nothing virgin about a bass drum with no tom mounts. IMO.

I motion the court to drop the word "virgin" when talking about bass drums. Instead, I suggest that the term should be updated to:

BDNTM...bass drum, no tom mount. Or mountless bass drum. Something more precise like that.

Not virgin.

I own a true virgin drum set. There are a total of zero holes penetrating the shells. Not that it matters, there's no discernable sonic difference IMO. Especially on a bass drum. Toms are where the focus is for me on a shell pack. It is cool to be able to honestly state that I own a true virgin drum kit, but that's it. I'd bet that blindfolded, I couldn't tell the difference between my Guru bass drum and any other bass drum out there of the same size.
With Out mount.....WOM. Professional drummers including session drummers have used bass drums with mounts forever. I think the sound engineers would have objected if it made that much difference. If you want WOM, then order it, but don't get too excited if you buy a set that has a mount. I drilled my Renown bass drum and cannot tell the difference.
 
I've always liked having my toms on the bass drum it just seems like it was meant to be that way. A couple years agoI ordered a 3 piece she'll pack of Ludwigs and a DW rail mount I waited two or three months before I drilled the holes in the bass drum to add the rail mount, just to make sure I really wanted the tom on the kick for sure. I added the mount and do not regret it at all.
 
I call mine an unburdened bass drum

and i like the look and versatility of an unburdened bass drum.
 
I think @larryace is onto something here. And I agree. FWIW, I have always played kits with mounted toms on the bass drum. It just seems more practical to me. Hey, if mounted toms were good enough for Tony Williams, Narada Michael Walden, Vinnie Colaiuta, John Bonham, Chester Thompson, Ralph Humphrey, Terry Bozzio and Elvin Jones, then mounted toms on the bass drum are definitely good enough for me.
 
I like bass drum mounts and classic tom holders, and if I could be sure I wouldn’t screw it up, I’d actually go the other way and drill a direct mount to my rack tom.
To each his own.
 
If you have a mount you can always choose to not use it. The other way around is a wee bit more difficult.

Even if not optimal for you it will make things easier sometimes
 
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