yes it can easily be, what heads are you using ?

coated emperor up top and clear ambassador on bottom.

i measured lug to lug across the drum and everything seemed ok.

I am using coated emperor on top coated ambassador on the bottom. if everything measures correct this kit sound like no other drum kit. do the heads fit tight?

yes.

especially the resonant head.

then the shell isn't in round. I own 8 stainless steel drums the heads fit very well on all of them

As a drum tech, occasional sound man, and vintage Ludwig buff for the past 2 decades, i'm compelled to ask-- how do you personally tune your drums ? The SS's are tricky because you're not dealing with regular wood and bearing edges, but with what essentially are oversized supraphonic steel snare drums shells and bearing edges..

First off , i would try different heads, like coated vintage emperors on both tops and bottoms, with coated on top and clear on bottom,(my preference) or coated on both top and bottom , or clear and both top and bottom, which ever makes you happy..

Next, if you wish to get that Bonzo tone and sound, the drums would have to be larger sizes, but i will give you the standard tuning procedure to get these drums singing like they're going to wake up the dead.. ;))

First, i finger tighten all tension rods on both top and bottom, until i get enough resistance..Then what I do, (and this is a personal thing), turning at 2 half turns on the tension rods,i tune each lug on opposite sides, going counter clockwise, on both top and bottom i.e-- first two lugs top, turn the drum upside down, do the same on bottom lugs, then repeat all around, until you start hearing a note.. Once you have achieved your desired tuning range, ALWAYS tune your top head slightly tighter than the bottom..

This makes for good air flow when the drum is stricken, and allows the drum to resonant evenly and freely, while cutting unwanted annoying , slightly out of tune overtones.. I use this technique for toms..

For the bass drum, i use a similar technique, only i don't flip the bass drum upside down to do tune the opposite side of the bass drum cause it really isn't necessary, seeing as how you'll probably end up muffling the bass drum, or cutting a port hole.. With my drums, i use no muffling and no port hole...

I would recommend the new Powerstroke CS Control Sound Black Dot coated or clear heads for the batter side..You'll get the wonderful punch and low end of a powerstroke, with the added bonus of the CS black dot, for control of unwanted overtones, durability and attack.. For the front kick head i would recommend a Powerstroke 3 or 4, smooth reso head..

I find Ludwig stock heads yucky, and that's my technical term.. LOL !

If you follow what i've tried my best to explain to you, your SS's should sound monstrously loud, punchy, with just enough warmth and attack, no unwanted overtones, and most importantly, sound perfectly tuned.. Hope this helps you out ..

Cheers !

great post!!! i like to tune my larger sets big/tubby. i did purchase some new heads and after further inspection, when changing them out, i found the slightest dip on the top bearing edge. i found that if i crank the rods around the dip, i can get the drum to resonate a bit more, but still sounds choked and pretty undesirable.

super disappointing as the rest of the kit sounds super fantastic.

i'm assuming that it's pretty hard to find someone who repairs stainless shells.

can you not take a rubber hammer and fix it yourself?.

I know someone who can repair the shell but it will cost you more than to buy another drum.

I don't recommend repairing it yourself if you don't have any experience.. I dabble in a little restoration, and even i wouldn't try repairing it.. I would take it to someone who can do the job, or, and this may be a little out there, you can replace the drum and get another one, and use the damaged one for spare parts or as spare practice drum.. ;)..