BEE careful using candle wax on edges (as a lot of oldies like to do). It's sticky once it hits the wood and that will kill the resonance by not allowing the head to vibrate freely. That's why the drum companies always made sure there was an organic element to their wax (carbon based). It stayed smooth atop the organic surface of the wood.

Love the pun. "The Bee" is my baby daughter's nickname, so now every time I see an apian reference, my heart sings.

Also, I just love a good pun.

(In other news: is "apian" a word, or did I just make it up? Either way, I'm sticking with it.)

Well, I know "apis" is bee in Latin. So, it must work.

I think it would be interesting to hear what notes drummers think their vintage drums sound best.

Any takers?

Now this is just my opinion but I've always thought trying to match drums up to notes on a piano was crazy.

Like Buddy Rich said, you don't tune drums, you tune a piano (or a fish). You tension drums.

Just find the sweet spot and be able to play "George of the Jungle" on the toms, which I know is I and V as far as pitches go, but the exact pitch doesn't matter.

Yes, there seems to be 2 different schools of thought. Tune to a pitch or tune to the drum.

I wonder if all Ludwig 12x9,13x9, 16x16 etc..... sound best (open up) at the same notes?

[COLOR="DarkRed"]IMHO, better than waxing the edges is using Tung Oil...followed by 12 hrs. drying time....sorta gets you to the same place (providing the edges are unfinished or have been sanded clean) but it dries hard, not sticky.

I cannot remember what pro suggested this here method, but I will give you the short version:

Tap the drum shell. It should respond with a pitch. That is the natural pitch of that particular shell. If the shells are all the same maker and/or type, then obviously the pitch will get lower as the diameters get larger.

Tune the batter head to that drum pitch (snare drum is the exception). This takes advantage of the natural resonance of that shell, for starters.

Then, assuming the res head is lighter or no heavier than the batter, tune the res head a minor 3rd above the batter.

That usually creates a very nice sounding, lively, punchy, nicely tuned drum.....[/COLOR]

Love notes.

[COLOR="DarkRed"]Gregg Bissonette...that's who it was....[/COLOR]

Sounds Like a @#$%load of Work...

Couldn't have said it better.

Hmmmm