As I've completed the cleaning and polishing phase of my MIJ restoration project, and am beginnining reassembly, I'm wondering if I should wrap the internal lug springs in felt. They weren't wrapped originally.
What benefit does wrapping the springs provide?
Hi, Brian.
Brian here. Once everything is cleaned internally, wrapping the springs in thin felt is a good idea if you have the patience. Simply experiment a bit so that the entire spring is covered. This will help stop any ringing that the springs may cause vibrating against bare metal. Very useful when recording! I understand that since other materials such as cotton may obsorb moisture ,that felt is the best way to go. I too am very metiulous. Take your time. Get measurements and placing exact. Hope this helps.
Brian
It can take some of the "tinny" sound out. Depending on the style of the lug, some can be more noisy than others.
That having been said, most of the manufacturers( the big 3 ) didn't do that 100% of the time.
I have a Super Sound King COB that had white felt just on the back wall of the lug so to speak and yet I've got a Hollywood Ace Chicago vintage, that didn't have felt and lastly, the Student RK snare I'm working on had felt wrapped all the way around the spring.
I know that most people wouldn't do this, but I have wanted to play a snare with the felt and then without it and see if you can really hear the difference.
My guess is that depending on the drum and lug styles you may be hard pressed to notice.
I basically err on the side of if I think the drum hasn't been tampered with and if it had felt in it, I put it back in and the converse holds true if it didn't.
I'm sure there are members with more input and experience that may solidify a more definite opinion based on having worked with more drums.
Good luck!
BGT
As a matter of documenting progress, I installed the lugs without felt as that is how they came to me. On my first strike of the floor tom, I heard a tinny rattle come from the rim of the drum. Sure enough, as I hit near each lug I got the same sound. It wasn't as noticeable when striking the center of the head, but still there. I didn't hear anything on any of the other drums. I removed all the lugs from the ft and set a precisely cut felt rectangle against the wall of the lug casing, behind the spring. This eliminated the sound. I'll use felt in the future.
Reality is a hard mistress! baby crawl2
John
Nothing more aggravating than skipping putting in felts, getting the drum back together, and hearing a spring start vibrating against a casing.
Especially when it takes a bit of playing for it to start happening, geez.....
+1 Happened to me after my first resto project, long before i knew about this site. I ended up taking it all apart again and doing it right. It's one of those nice things that you can easily reverse if originality ever becomes an issue.
