Which would you choose for a bass drum - extra width or extra length?

L

LittleLegs

Senior Member
Which bass drum is beefier - 18” x 16” Ludwig Classic Maple or 20” x 12” DW Frequent Flier???

I’m looking to make a drum kit I can stand and play (I’m lead singer & drummer). Given where I want the snare I can’t go deeper than a 20” drum, so I’m wondering…

…I’m currently playing a converted 18x16” floor tom that is part of a bigger kit with a 26” bass drum, but a DW Frequent Flier has come up which would actually suit me better when not singing at home (so I’d sell the big kit).

I’d imagine the volume difference won’t be very significant so I’m taking that out of the equation. So I’m wondering which will sound biggest, deepest, fattest? Which would you choose - extra width or extra length?
 
I've only played a 18" bass drum on a backline kit and it sounded fantstic. I was shocked and told the FOH (who owned the kit) and he said he frequently gets that response from drummers. However, it was mic'd (and EQ'd, compressed, etc.) and by itself it was okay. My 22x18 (a length no longer in vogue) provides a much better/deeper/impactful sound that the 18".

The problem I foresee with the 20x12 is lack of punch. The air cavity is so small. But this video makes it sound great. Plus the entire kit has great features.

 
I have a DW Frequent Flyer and the 20x12 bass drum really thumps. Feels great to play, too.

I also have a Gretsch Renown with a 20x16 bass drum and the DW bass drum sounds just as good as the Gretsch. So good, in fact, that the DW will likely become my defacto gigging kit.

To answer the question directly, I would choose width over depth every time.
 
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For me it’s much easier to get beefier bass drum sound from a drum that is wider (diameter) than its depth.
18 x 14” or 20 x 14“ depth or 22 x 16” are my favourites. So I would go for 20 x 12” DW.
 
A 12x20" bass drum has an internal volume of 2.18 cu ft.
A 16x18" bass drum has an internal volume of 2.36 cu ft.
A 20" head has an area of 314.16 sq in.
An 18" head has an area of 254.47 sq in.

That's a roughly 7.9% difference in volumes and a 20.1% difference in head areas. I would expect other factors like shell thickness, and how much the spurs/pedal allow the drum to resonate would have a bigger impact than an 8% difference in depth.

A 20% difference in head size is a much bigger factor though. An 18" head can only produce a fundamental so low before you've bottomed out the tuning range. A 20" is easily going to go lower.
 
My opinion? Go wider, and don't go any deeper or more shallow than a 14". If I was in your situation, I'd go with a Ludwig CM 20x14 kick. Those things REALLY punch it above their weight.
 
Totally agree with the 20" bass drum. I have 16", 18", 20" and 22" bass drums. Beefier is an interesting term and I am not sure how to define it. The more shallow the bass drum the punchier and often deeper the drum will sound. As you cut the depth you loose the overtones and get more of the fundamental sound from the drum. I have a Yamaha Live Custom bass drum that I had cut down from 20"X16' to 20"X12.25" and it sounds great. (20"X14" wasn't possible because of where the lugs, spurs and mount were located). Additionally, the feel is fantastic. The reduced depth shortens the time for the air to return and push back. I also have a Live Custom 22"X14" (stock) and it sounds great. My favorite size, but for gigging the 20"X12.25" is lighter and more convenient.

My Gretsch Brooklyn 16"X11" also sounds fantastic. Really punches above it size, likely due in part to the shallow depth.

Here is a great video on how depth affects the sound:
 
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