Tuning Impossible with my SET???

TheLegace · Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 10:31 am Post subject: Tuning Impossible with my SET???

Hey, I have bought a Westbury set, big mistake, it was a $200 set, and it was a 5 peice, i want to sell it, but no one is gonna buy a untuned set, this thing has driven me crazy, i have spent almost a week look at tutorials and stuff, this is my first set and I am not a great tuner, but i have tried everything that these sites have been telling me, it just doesnt tune, it makes a ringing noise, so i put duct tape and orings on it, then it makes a thud noise. I know this a cheap set, but is there any kinds of tips that could help, or even a tutorial somewhere, I am also trying to look around the forum. I already changed the batter heads to some black heads, it tells me that there is oil in them.

On a happier note atleast, I went to a VIP Three Days Grace Concert where i won tickets to, this was my first concert and Neil Sanderson, the drummer was playing his solo and i got his sticks when u launched em in the air, it was awesome. This has nothing to do with my problem. Wink

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I am an amateur no matter how good i get, because i know in my whole life i will be looking up, instead of down.

coykoi · Newbie Alert Joined: 16 Sep 2005 Posts: 4

Haha, I'm on my fifth year playing the drums and I'm stuck on a $200 set. I'm no expert at tuning but I've finally tamed the things to sound quite nice for a cheap set. Anyways, in my experiences, I've found that the majority of tutorials end up sounding good only on good sets. The approach that finally ending up working for my drums (which mind you, ring horrendously) is tuning them to a certain key. That approach is very direct and easy to follow. Normally the latter of the ring is the confliction between all the drums, and also when the top head and the bottom head do not work with eachother.

So anyways, I find this tutorial: http://drumdojo.com/tech/tuning.htm works the best for cheap, ringing drums. If you can master that way of tuning, then you can start doing your own personal way working off of that, and it makes the drums sound great for what their worth. Well, I know you probably just want a quick job since this is just for selling them, just try it and see how it works.

TheLegace · Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 5:10 pm Post subject:

I am planning to buy another drumset, prolly get something maybe $200 more, but u should see the crappy cymbals im working with, so i wanna upgrade that too........ I have solar symbals cost bout a 50 for high hat and crash, *Holy Censor, Batman* i wish i had cash. Anyway thanx a lot, I'll take a loot at this tommorow, i was kinda afraid people would kinda flame at me since this is such a retarded question, but atleast i know i wasnt that stupid...... dont even know if that made sense, anyway thanx man.
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I am an amateur no matter how good i get, because i know in my whole life i will be looking up, instead of down.

mind_drummer · Tiger Joined: 13 May 2005 Posts: 841

I dont know how many time I'll repeat this but here we go...

OK here's what I do for tuning but remember that sound is different from driver seat (behind drum kit) and from audience stand point so ring behind the drum mean nice sound to 20 feet in front of drum kit.

Dead sound from behind mean no sound at all for the crowd so what I suggest is record/video tape your drum sound from at least 15 feet in front of kit or ask someone to hit your BD - snare and toms as you stand away in front of the kit.

Now for tuning, I do Dave Weckl method.
First take floor tom and loose all lug screw to have your head wrinkled then sit that FT upside down and work on reso first.
Finger tight all screw then take a tuning key and tight 1/4 turn on each lug in star fashion (same as for car wheels) till your reso head is not wrinkled anymore
(you'll notice during the process that if you tap the head, it will be dead then as soon as wrinkle is gone your head begin to resonate)
at that moment (called shell minimal resonant point) be sure all your lug are tune to each other by taping with your drumkey 1 inch far from each lug and getting same tone, now reso is pretty near tuned.
Turn your FT on the other side to work on your batter head and do same process as reso. You'll find that at the end, both head should get pretty the same pitch and your heads will be tune to each other.
You can now tight reso lugs 1/8 turn first - to see if you like that sound and so on.
That method give you low tone but also it's the resonance base of your shell.

Go then on the second tom then on your first tom
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TAMA - DW - MAPEX - AQUARIAN - SABIAN - ZILDJIAN - ISTANBUL MEHMET - WUHAN - GIBRALTAR - VATER / VIC FIRTH / REGAL TIP / LOS CABOS - RHYTHM TECH - MP PERCUSSION

MY KIT

smokingun · Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 10:11 pm Post subject:

If you cant tune ya drums then take the skins off to see if the beveled edges are straight. Lay it on the floor ... is it even all the way around or any chips taken out. If so builders bog is pretty good as a remedy and it dries hard as hell too.

TheLegace · Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 9:06 pm Post subject:

SketcHyRollin564 · Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 11:35 pm Post subject:

Dustin07

edgewood_drummer92 · Bear Joined: 16 Feb 2007 Posts: 676

You could have tried taking the bottom head off. I did that with my groove percussion set and it made it sound a lot better. SOLAR??? Man you had it bad!!! you should get at least a paiste pst5 set of cymbals, or sabian b8's, or zildjian zbt's or any higher level of those brands (those are the cymbals i know most about) good choice getting a new set. have you got new cymbals yet?

CrazdDrumr · Ferret Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Posts: 109

You get what you pay for, you buy cheap *Poop*, you get cheap *Poop*....i hate whinning about cheap equipment. Its cheap for a reason!

TheLegace · Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 2:16 pm Post subject:

I already solved the problem, so I am not worried. New XS20s and Tama Superstar, mistakes everybody makes em, what can you do.

Anyway my tuning has gotten much better. But if I ever had to tune the *Holy Cow Pud, Batman* like that, then I would prolly use Drum Dial. And I doubt even then it would be great. I am just glad I was able to pawn of the kit and cymbals.

*sigh*

Shame my Xs20s are breaking and very big crack, the cone of the cymbal will come of in coming weeks.
_________________
I am an amateur no matter how good i get, because i know in my whole life i will be looking up, instead of down.

smokingun · Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 8:36 pm Post subject:

Im not sure if this has been said or not but I get a drum key and haksaw off the wings and fit that into my cordless drill with torque settings. I get real fast, accurate tunings everytime.