Don't mean to double post but I used lug tension key when I meant lug tourgue wrench key.

Tom

I'm a drum dial user as well. Quick tuning using the dial, fine tuning by hand / ear. Works great, and I think more reliable than a torque key since the tension measured is the actual tension of the head, not the tension of the rod that may vary depending on the lug/rod resistance / age / lubrication etc...

Helped me a lot too when I was learning how to tune : for some reason, tuning a snare or a BD was no big deal, but toms...

I rarely use the torque key for the same reason,arj446.

Bass drums & snares are a totally different ballgame.

Tom

Thanks for the responses!

Thank you O-lugs...this was fun...some part of me really believes in the preservation of the old-school ways and keeping musicality and making the drums a musical instrument as much as we can,so these q's and a's where very interesting to me...

cheers

:-)

Hey Tom,

Im interested in what drums/and /notes you started with tuning to the keyboard? In my garage,next to where i practice and set-up,i have a fun machine keyboard and i would like to try and tune to the notes on the ol'porkchop(or see how close i have been coming all these years:-) and try with this old school method...they...my drums...all of them being vintage WFL drums sets...might sound really great tuned in 3rds properly(not sure if im doing it right)...anyhow just a thought...

thanks

:-)

I can understand that Drum Dials, etc. can expedite the "Get me in the neighborhood" kind of tensioning.

Here's the rub:

I bought an Arbiter AT kit back in 1999. When I went to "show it off" at the various forums, it was met with a lot of critical remarks. The remarks about the looks were subjective, so I took those with a grain of salt. But the main technical (theoretical) criticism was that the design of the Arbiter tuning mechanism created a small dead spot near its "hinge" that couldn't be tweaked out. So, a discussion started about the importance of even tension around the perimeter of the head.

My contention was that hitting the mylar with drumsticks was going to alter the evenness of the tension no matter what.

IF what I'm saying has any merit to it, then a Drum Dial or any device that measures the tension on the head would also show that playing the drums will alter the tension continually. Tension it, play it, re-check it with a dial.

It's like washing and waxing a tractor!Burger Kin

Hi Teenagebrain: I played Premier & Ludwigs, in that order, and tuned the mounted toms & floor tom with the keyboards (B3 with leslies). I always kept the toms tuned from one venue to another, so they remained basically in tune with themselves and a quick final tuning with the keyboardest before beginning the gig..

Remember these were the old days where everyone had their own methods for tuning. The tensions on both the heads(batter & Reso) that I liked seemed to lend themselves to sound in harmony within the G and E notes with the keyboards, which the whole band tuned their instruments with. Remember JUST in HARMONY and not exactly with a G or E note. Doesn't make good sense but thats how I did it. There were no plug in or other methods to tune guitars or other instruments, at least with the band I was with. The method for checking battery strengths were to touch them with your tongue, (remember old days).

There was no precised method to my tuning, just getting them to sound good with the band. Actually you can tune a single tom first then tune others to it. That would be thirds if using mounted double toms and FT, I think. Or the "here comes the bride method" Ha.Like I said I used the, tap near each lug, for all my tuning and although I have a drum dial & Drum torque key now I bascially" play" with them getting new heads tuned near where I want them. Contrary to modern methods having each lug PERFECTLY equal, In my opinion, doesn"t let each drum have the destinctive sounds of vintage drums. Close sounding is good enought. Like OLD-LUGS (basically) said after the first set I had to tweak them again.

One last thing, my first drum solo was Iron Butterflys "Ina,gotta di vita" if thats how you spell it. Now you know how old I really am.

:Just realized I didn,t fully answer your question about which drum I started with. I always started with the smallest tom. I always played two mounted toms + floor tom and like i said only tuned in harmony with the two notes with the keyboards which blended nicely with the overall sound of the band.

The Bass was always muffled and I only tuned it to feel right for my leg kicks and gave a good boom,if that makes any sense? I tuned the snare loose on the snare itself and snare head pretty tight. I liked a medium tight batter head that gave a good pop and sounding somewhat close with the toms.

I don,t know your age but I hope what I have written makes some sense to you. You had to be there to really know the old days and I,am a drummer that can really say I actually do remember the good old days. 50,60s & 70s. But I am trying hard not to remember playing thru the disco era!

Tom

I hear ya 100%!! At our bands practice space I use a Tama Starclassic.

It is not mine it is the singer/songwriters. Any way I told him I would prefer my old Slingy or Rogers kit to this . Of course he says "This kit cost me $3000!!!" I shut up after that . So I tuned it up by ear and got it sounding good for a modern birch kit. He shows me his drumdial and asks if I ever used one.I haven't. So we proceed to check each tension point and lo and behold!! The toms are at 75 on the batter side and 74 on the reso side!

Give or take a 74 or 76 here or there.It sounded good to me and making each one exactly at a target # didn't change the tone. According to the chart that comes with it 75 is the target and tune from there. So I was very happy that my ear tuning was, IMO ,right on.

Anyway, I start with my 12 or 13 tom depending on the kit and go from there. Here Comes the Bride and Reveille are my target interval songs.

Cheers,BigE

Tom,

Hey man thanks for all your info...im not too far off from what your doing with my tuning methods...i was always told and still practice tuning my drums 2" away from each lug and i tune them in 2'S(first 2 lugs on either side of the throw and so on...working my way up and around till i reach the last 2 on either side of the buttplate)...funny i also cut a track using the Mosrite bass that wrote your first drum solo song(ina-gotta-da-vida,a producer friend of mine and his band Sparks,ended up with it after there tour with Iron butterfly,who owed them tour money)i too had a "disco sucks" button(assuming you did)...not long after seeing my first concert in 78 KISS...im just looking to improve my tuning ability and i figure talking with those who love vintage drums would/will always help...im really a tone junky...(old guitars/drums/amps)but always the drummer and love my vintage WFL's with any bands curcumstances/styles and muse...i like smooth double ply or vintage weatherkings on top and diplomats(clear or smooth white)on bottoms(toms),and variuos for snares on top...after all these years of playing(est.1975,but owning a kit since 1981)i still find it all trial and error with all the different types of heads/hoops/snare strainers and such and just need to know what other discover and find/think about tuning the ol'tubes...:-)

thank you man...its been a pleasure :-)