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Ludwig Stainless Steel Kit Tuning Issues Last viewed: 10 hours ago

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That's a common issue, in my experience. Lots of folks used to play them open bottomed, and/or not case them.

Draw a perfect circle 13" in diameter on a piece of paper. Take the heads off yours and lay it down over the circle. Trace when it doesn't match it in a different color - and mark, on the drum shell, where it's out of round. Label each such location on the drum and the paper. Remove the drum from the paper and measure the distances between the perfect circle and the differently colored areas; that'll tell you how much the drum is out of round. You may be able to squeeze or malletize (use a towel around shell) back to within 1/8' or so of being round; if so, it should tune. I tried this on a replacement 9x13 that exhibited the same symptoms as yours; it was 1/4" out of round.

After this treatment, it tunes well and sounds great.

Posted on 10 years ago
#11
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From Riddim

That's a common issue, in my experience. Lots of folks used to play them open bottomed, and/or not case them. Draw a perfect circle 13" in diameter on a piece of paper. Take the heads off yours and lay it down over the circle. Trace when it doesn't match it in a different color - and mark, on the drum shell, where it's out of round. Label each such location on the drum and the paper. Remove the drum from the paper and measure the distances between the perfect circle and the differently colored areas; that'll tell you how much the drum is out of round. You may be able to squeeze or malletize (use a towel around shell) back to within 1/8' or so of being round; if so, it should tune. I tried this on a replacement 9x13 that exhibited the same symptoms as yours; it was 1/4" out of round. After this treatment, it tunes well and sounds great.

agreed I have worked on quite a few also.

Your drummers not much good is he!? What you need is someone that's as good as me. ! John Henry Bonham !!
Posted on 10 years ago
#12
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From Riddim

That's a common issue, in my experience. Lots of folks used to play them open bottomed, and/or not case them. Draw a perfect circle 13" in diameter on a piece of paper. Take the heads off yours and lay it down over the circle. Trace when it doesn't match it in a different color - and mark, on the drum shell, where it's out of round. Label each such location on the drum and the paper. Remove the drum from the paper and measure the distances between the perfect circle and the differently colored areas; that'll tell you how much the drum is out of round. You may be able to squeeze or malletize (use a towel around shell) back to within 1/8' or so of being round; if so, it should tune. I tried this on a replacement 9x13 that exhibited the same symptoms as yours; it was 1/4" out of round. After this treatment, it tunes well and sounds great.

What a great post.

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Posted on 10 years ago
#13
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If that drum is out of round, and the process Riddim offers should detect it, you will struggle to tune it. If you do get it tuned you will have a very narrow tuning range. Best to get it back in round or you will be unhappy with it all the way down the line.

Posted on 10 years ago
#14
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Once you do get it within range though, you should have a great sounding drum.

Posted on 10 years ago
#15
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i measured lug to lug across the drum and didn't find anything overt, but i will try this method to see if i can find a more obvious issue. thanks!!!

Posted on 10 years ago
#16
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Lug to lug is good too.

Have you verified the shell is flat?

Posted on 10 years ago
#17
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