building my own (slightly unusual) drumset

[Kasey]

by building i dont mean i'm actually going out and getting wood and turning the wood into drums or anything... i'm just getting various peices of drums and putting them together as a set. My idea is to get a bunch of used, big bass drums, one 14" tom, then either a very large wood snare or possibly a marching snare, and then a bunch of used and/or broken cymbals.
Here's what I'm thinking - I get a 24" bass drum, a 28" concert bass drum, and a 20" (or less) bass drum.
I put the 28" bass drum where the bass drum normally would go, then put the 24" bass drum where the floor tom would go, maybe on a concert bass drum stand, and mount the 20" or less bass drum on top of the 28" bass drum, as if it were a mounted tom.
if i havent gone to far already, i'm putting that 14" tom on the floor as if it were a second bass drum, and hitting it with a pedal. So it's set up like a double bass drum kit, only one of the bass drums is a 14" tom. then i put my big snare where it would normall go, and the used/broken cymbals just go everywhere.
then, maybe someday i will be able to afford a 36" concert bass drum...

any thoughts? am i insane or does this sound cool? either way i'm doin it.

[Tim Brown]

You are completely insane.
Go for it!


Tim

[lilblakdak]

I wanna see some pics when its done!

[Kasey]

i have a feeling this kit might end up making me look like a midget (and im 6' 3")

[Bdrum]

I think Bonzo just rolled over in his grave
I hope with big toms/Bassdrums that you'll have room for a snare....
Keep us posted!

[Kasey]

i will keep you all posted, and as soon as i start i will take pictures. anyone have any ideas that would make this task easier? such as, how am i going to mount 20" bass drum on top of the 28" concert bass drum, especially since the 28" probably wont have those holes for mounting toms in it. i guess i should rig a stand?

[tilinmyowngrave]

I prefer smaller toms, but I really thing that your idea is genius. Good luck!!!

[White_Rabbit]

Transport wouldn't be too fun, I hate lugging one bass drum around! Would you be gigging with this kit? If so, ignoring the transport thing, that would be really awesome to see on stage! As for the 20" mounting, Perhaps you could modify the telescopic legs on it to provide some back support, then rig up something to attach to the 20" front which would attach onto the the rims, or perhaps even onto the shell where the tom brackets would usually go (if it had them that is, perhaps you could do some shell modification? I don't know enough about drums to speculate on how this would shape the sound). That's just how I pictured it when I was reading your post. Good luck, post pictures, I'm intrigued as to how this will turn out.

[Kasey]

Originally Posted by White_Rabbit

Transport wouldn't be too fun, I hate lugging one bass drum around! Would you be gigging with this kit? If so, ignoring the transport thing, that would be really awesome to see on stage!

yes, if ever attempted, transport would indeed be a huge pain, but i'm mainly using this as a set for my studio. When my band plays live we dont usually use drums, just acoustic stuff. now i'm pondering on how i would mic this thing... two bass drum mics (one for the 28" and one of the 24") and then two overheads? this could either be amazingly fun to record or a pain in the neck, most likely both though.

[drummerdude666]

YOU ARE NUTS. PERIOD.

(I've always wanted to say that)

[dr.colossus]

Not to burst your bubble, because the kit idea sounds like something i'd do! But the large tom set up works better live than recorded, the toms tend to disappear in the mix. Live it will just drips buckets of fat. I am a huge fan of the broken cymbal idea. I suggest save those for recording, because you never know when they'll become completely unusable and its a shame to waste the precious time between glorius and unusable on unappreciative live audiences!!

[PhilGood]

Originally Posted by drummerdude666

YOU ARE NUTS. PERIOD.

(I've always wanted to say that)

THAT MAN'S NUTS!! GRAB 'M!!!



Are you going to sit on a step ladder to play the kit?

[Mr.OB]

Frankendrum kit?

i`m gona have to see it. hide the wimin and children!

[Afrosnatcher]

you wont have much tone or musicality as all your drums will be huge apart from the 14" bass drum which will just be quiet and pathetic. itll just sound like a load of bass drums

[Kasey]

Originally Posted by Afrosnatcher

itll just sound like a load of bass drums

that was sort of the point, sounds good to me.

[Tim Brown]

Originally Posted by Kasey

that was sort of the point, sounds good to me.

Sort of like my idea of me on drums, and 3 bass players.... no guitarist, just a guy playing a picolo bass like a lead guitar. ala Spinal Tap



Tim

[Kasey]

Originally Posted by Tim Brown

Sort of like my idea of me on drums, and 3 bass players.... no guitarist, just a guy playing a picolo bass like a lead guitar. ala Spinal Tap



Tim

sounds cool to me man, unless maybe it was death metal stuff.

[my2cents]

Originally Posted by Kasey

i will keep you all posted, and as soon as i start i will take pictures. anyone have any ideas that would make this task easier? such as, how am i going to mount 20" bass drum on top of the 28" concert bass drum, especially since the 28" probably wont have those holes for mounting toms in it. i guess i should rig a stand?

you could try attaching floor tom legs/brackets to the 20" drum. you might need some longer than normal floor tom legs, or perhaps you could just get three pieces of rebar, or something, from your local hardware store. i doubt mounting a 20" drum on top of a 28" bass drum in the same way normal toms are mounted on normal bass drums would work out very well from a playability standpoint.

this is definitely a good idea. far better than my "all roto tom drumset" idea i had a few years ago (and may still try to create.) do whatever it takes to make it happen.

[Kasey]

Originally Posted by my2cents

you could try attaching floor tom legs/brackets to the 20" drum. you might need some longer than normal floor tom legs, or perhaps you could just get three pieces of rebar, or something, from your local hardware store. i doubt mounting a 20" drum on top of a 28" bass drum in the same way normal toms are mounted on normal bass drums would work out very well from a playability standpoint.

thank you for the advice and encouragement. Does anyone know much about concert bass drums? what should i be looking for in my 28" drum. I want it to have some considerable sustain to its boom... but not so much that it becomes indistinguishable and muddy and drowns everything else out, you know? basically i want it to sound like a cannon. Should i learn about the different drum depths to acheive this?

[ecktronic]

By any chance are you a big fellow!!?
Go for it, but please post pictures of it when its ready. It will be hilarious.

[tilinmyowngrave]

Originally Posted by ecktronic

By any chance are you a big fellow!!?
Go for it, but please post pictures of it when its ready. It will be hilarious.

Well, I dont think its really supposed to be a joke, more of an unusual and creative drum set.

[Kasey]

it'd be quite an expensive joke

[applejax]

I've built my own kits...from raw keller shells and my own lugs etc... In Tim Brown's signature is DrumMaker, they deal with parts etc. Also goto www.ghostnote.net and sing up on the forums. I know your doing the "putting a bunch of different things together"...but I'd reccomend doing some re-finishing so everything looks good make sure they're all the same wood/grain direction lol! Gook luck!

[my2cents]

Originally Posted by applejax

I know your doing the "putting a bunch of different things together"...but I'd reccomend doing some re-finishing so everything looks good make sure they're all the same wood/grain direction lol! Gook luck!

don't bother with that until you put the pieces together and determined that you like the setup.

[Kasey]

both ways of doing it have advantages. i know absolutely nothing about building drums so i think i'm safer just getting the seperate drums from used shops.