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Original Tone Controls -- Simply Style over Substance?

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With all the dampening devices and systems available these days for toms and snares (i.e., moongels, muffler O-rings, etc.) I was just wondering how many of you actually utilize the original tone controls on your vintage kits when playing out? For a lot of drummers that I know, the original mufflers seem to have become more of a cosmetic item on their respective kits than a functional one. Would you agree?

Posted on 5 years ago
#1
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I use them on snare all the time, very seldom on toms.

I think they’re great to have for some purposes, and the issue of rattling can be fixed by putting soft materials in between the surfaces and/or simply tightening things up.

Posted on 5 years ago
#2
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I've used them on snares for particular songs and a few times on larger floor toms when recording demos. I don't use gels or anything else.

Posted on 5 years ago
#3
Posts: 5176 Threads: 188
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I use them on my some of my snares. I think the baseball bat tone controls are a thing of beauty, too!

"God is dead." -Nietzsche

"Nietzsche is dead." -God
Posted on 5 years ago
#4
Posts: 273 Threads: 6
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I usually have them just barely touching the heads (snare and toms) on my ludwigs

Posted on 5 years ago
#5
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Tone controls back in the day were used a volume control in addition to tone control.

Not a big tone control fan though.

Posted on 5 years ago
#6
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I use them on my '68 Ludwig kits. Gently touching not distorting the batter head.

1968 Ludwig Super Classic kit Blue Oyster Pearl
22, 13, 16, 14x5
1968 Ludwig Hollywood kit Blue Oyster Pearl
22, 12, 13, 16
A Zildjian cymbals (50's-70's)
Posted on 5 years ago
#7
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I like tone controls. If I was having a set made I would specify ask for them to be installed.

Even if I didn't use them all of the time, they just have a cool old vibe to me.

It drives me nuts that barely anyone installs them on new snares but yet most people use some sort of damping and there are a million, exactly a million as I counted them :), damping products out there. Why not use a tone control? It is always there so you are not looking for the misplaced dirty moon gels, remo rings, tape, etc. and simply dial in the damping you like. I bet the additional 20 bucks added to the initial cost of the snare for the tone control will be exceeded in the long run by the cost of the damping gadgets.

Posted on 5 years ago
#8
Posts: 6524 Threads: 37
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From OldSchool

With all the dampening devices and systems available these days for toms and snares (i.e., moongels, muffler O-rings, etc.) I was just wondering how many of you actually utilize the original tone controls on your vintage kits when playing out? For a lot of drummers that I know, the original mufflers seem to have become more of a cosmetic item on their respective kits than a functional one. Would you agree?

I think the issue was hitting them. I hit my tone control all the time on the snare and FT. Gels, tape and rings are more forgiving to strike.

It`s a drum,.....Hit It !!

.....76/#XK9207 Phonic Sound Machine D454/D-505 snares !i
Posted on 5 years ago
#9
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From OddBall

I think the issue was hitting them. I hit my tone control all the time on the snare and FT. Gels, tape and rings are more forgiving to strike.

Guess I hadn't thought about that.

Posted on 5 years ago
#10
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