Bass Drum Size - does it make a difference?

Q Factor · #1 (**permalink**) 08-02-2006, 02:49 PM

How much does the size of the bass drum matter? I've always played a 22" but am interested in what other bass drum sizes might sound like. Does anyone have any examples?

Pearl Girl · #2 (**permalink**) 08-02-2006, 04:31 PM

Wouldn't a bigger size mean a lower pitch~?
Something like an 18" bass drum wouldn't be as loud and it'd have a higher pitch than what you have. And vice versa for bigger drums.

Drummer1919 · #3 (**permalink**) 08-03-2006, 08:07 AM

Yea that pretty much summed it up, but also sometimes the bigger the basedrum the harder it is to move everything around to a comfortable position.

gyutae · #4 (**permalink**) 08-03-2006, 12:15 PM

Also, the bigger the bass drum, the looser the head will be in general. There will be less rebound on the head when hitting it and I personally don't like this.

full metal · #5 (**permalink**) 08-03-2006, 02:13 PM

Where I used to practice with my old band there was anouther band that came in next door and this kid had a really old tama kit and it had a 26" bass drum.
it looked kinda funny and it was big enough that you almost couldnt see him sitting behind it, but I thought in the long run that it didnt sound much diffrent than a 22" bass.

also you start getting into a smaller bass and you can get it to the point that it starts sounding like a floor tom instead of a bass.

Remotecontact · #6 (**permalink**) 08-03-2006, 02:36 PM

Depth is also a factor as in all drums.

" Shell diameter is more responsible for pitch than any other element. Depth is responsible for the duration of the note and aids in resonance." I Quote the DTB

I have personally found this to be quite true. The sound that modern drummers want from thier bass drum is not a drum sound at all. Accordingly, They just muffle the drum up all the way and buy ultra dampened heads like the EMAD to thier precious maple bass drum to give it that Sacred short *KLUNK* thus rendering the depth of a drum useless because there is no more signifigant reverberation within the drum. Only the sound of the attack of the beater is heard. So, to get back on topic, the difference in bass drum diameter is all relative to how you play your bass drum in the first place along the lines of what style of music/noise you make.

A 26" bass drum? Wow. Know its depth?

I allmost bought a highly mobile gig set once, it had a 16" bass drum and it sounded very much like a bass drum with no dampening but an impact pad on a coated batter head, it also had a coated reverb head. Those guys had it masterfully tuned though.

full metal · #7 (**permalink**) 08-03-2006, 02:45 PM

You brought up some great points and I think that is somthing that we should all take into consederation when looking at the bass and maby even determaining a size when looking to buy a kit.

no I dont know what the depth was on that 26 incher but as I recall it was quite deep.

I try and keep as much dampaning off of my bass and my toms to get that nice deep tone but like you were saing I do loose the attack of the bass.
that was one of the great things about plaing on 2 bass drums is you can tune them just right and have the attack on one and that great deep bass on the other one.

MSTRKRFT · #8 (**permalink**) 08-03-2006, 06:21 PM

I know from experience, I went from a 22" Pearl Export bass, to a 26" Ludwig classic maple...oh wow, does it ever make a difference. The Ludwig sounds like a cannon! Last night at band practice, my guitarist was sitting about 30 feet away and I was just messing around, and he told me after I finished that he could feel it in his stomach like you would at a concert with a huge sound system.

**skinslapper** · #9 (**permalink**) 08-03-2006, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Remotecontact

The sound that modern drummers want from thier bass drum is not a drum sound at all. Accordingly, They just muffle the drum up all the way and buy ultra dampened heads like the EMAD to thier precious maple bass drum to give it that Sacred short *KLUNK* thus rendering the depth of a drum useless because there is no more signifigant reverberation within the drum.

Couldn't agree with you more. When I first started I had my drum packed full of quilting. Now I use no muffling at all save the damening ring on the inside of my powerstroke twos.

I do however like the sound of the emad. They have one set up for advertisement in my local shop. It sounds enormous.

gyutae · #10 (**permalink**) 08-03-2006, 09:24 PM

Those are good points you bring up. Dampening does in fact negate the whole point of having a large bass drum. However, I do like that muffled thud sound out of my bass drum especially when I'm just practicing. When playing shows and stuff though, I'm sure a bass drum with more resonance would probaly be better.