Would sanding a little off the rim of the head help? Sometimes if you need just that little hair, this will work...

Cheers

Hi Bill.

Your problem in common to Gretsch drums. I've played Gretsch for 36 years now, and some modern day heads dont fit the old gretsch shells.

Two things you can do:

1) You can try to force the head onto the shell. If you can, it will still tune fine. Its still a problem to take it off and on tho.

2) OR, you can buy a 20" Aquarian American Vintage Head. Most stores have them. They are cut a little bigger and will fit on your shell.

An Aquarian vintage head should do the trick, they are over-sized. Another thing you might try is; make three or four cuts through the bass drum-head metal rim. The cuts won't hurt a thing. It'll go on and tune up just fine. Plus, you can use whatever head you wish.

Check to make sure the drum hasn't gone out-of-round on you.

John

Just to clarify what the others said, the "American Vintage" are the aquarian heads that have a slightly larger diameter, the "Modern Vintage" do not but are made of the same faux calf skin material.

Cutting the rim is a great idea!! I`ll have to remember that one...Thanks John...

Cheers

You can just crack the metal rim where it comes together at the seam...I heard that works.........

Better to split it evenly. Make four cuts, 12 o'clock, 3, 6, 9. Like a cross. That way the head will sit evenly on the bearing edge. If you only cut it in one spot the head will have a tendency to pull away on the opposite side as you add tension to it. The idea is to maintain even tension all around so you can tune the thing.

It is a great idea and I can't take credit for it, I picked it up awhile back from someone else. But I'll be damned if it works and works well.

John

Thanks for the advice. What do you cut it with? A coping saw?

How deep?

I use a roto-tool with a cutting disc. I suppose a coping saw will do the trick. It's thin aluminum so it's an easy cut.

Cut just through the metal rim, avoid going past it onto the head. You just want to split the ring evenly all around so it sits well on the bearing edge. It works. The drum will tune right up.

John