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Tuning a Vistalite bass drum Last viewed: 4 hours ago

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Tuning a bass drum a mint condition 1976 clear Vistalite 22in bass drum-have a new Remo powerstroke 3 on the batter head and left the original front Ludwig head on that has a center cut hoe......

Cant seem to get the unmmphh I want out of it (classic rock drummer at heart!!). Any ideas??

Thanks!!

1967 Ludwig Psychedelic Red Downbeat Kit (all original)w/14 in floor tom
Noble and Cooley Walnut snare
Noble and Cooley Horizon 6 piece kit in blue sparkle
2002 Noble and Cooley 4 piece Studio Classic in natural maple
Nov 3 1967 Ludwig chrome Supraphonic
1990s Pearl Session Custom in Amber fade
20 Zildjians
1984 Tama Superstar Bell Brass Snare
Noble and Cooley natural cherry snare
Posted on 9 years ago
#1
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Does anyone think the front bass head needs to be changed after 40 years and does it make sense to go to a solid head?

1967 Ludwig Psychedelic Red Downbeat Kit (all original)w/14 in floor tom
Noble and Cooley Walnut snare
Noble and Cooley Horizon 6 piece kit in blue sparkle
2002 Noble and Cooley 4 piece Studio Classic in natural maple
Nov 3 1967 Ludwig chrome Supraphonic
1990s Pearl Session Custom in Amber fade
20 Zildjians
1984 Tama Superstar Bell Brass Snare
Noble and Cooley natural cherry snare
Posted on 9 years ago
#2
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I don't think the age has much to do with it. I like the sound I get when I use just a small 4" port hole at the 4 o'clock position. Make sure you have someone else play the drum so you can stand back 20 feet and listen. It does not sound the same as when you are behind it playing it.

Posted on 9 years ago
#3
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Powerstroke heads are very muted. Having a resonant head with a hole may be too much mute on air flow. I never cut holes in my resonant heads personally. I like a little bit of boom with my thump. Try a resonant head without a hole and go from there. How big is the hole on the head now?

Posted on 9 years ago
#4
Posts: 1880 Threads: 292
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From d.w.zildjian

Does anyone think the front bass head needs to be changed after 40 years and does it make sense to go to a solid head?

If you're willing to try this, i would suggest the following.

In keeping with the "vistalite" classic rock 70's sound, i'd go with a

Remo Powerstroke 3 Black dot, and a clear Powerstroke 3 (the one without the 2 black rings). This is basically the same as having a clear Ambassador head with a felt strip, and a classic control sound CS black dot head with a felt strip. I personally use no porthole in my 22" kick and leave it wide open. It literally sounds as big as a 24"..John Bonham never had a porthole cut, and got a punchy, massive resonant sound while maintaining enough control without any unwanted overtones. I was a drum tech for a buddy of mine's Zeppelin tribute, and when he gave me the go-ahead (no pun ;)) to choose his drum heads and tune it the way i suggested, my buddy, his bandmates, and soundman, all loved the sound, saying it was true to the original "Bonham sound". The soundman was particularly baffled at how i got a controlled "thump" with no porthole in the resonant head.

Batter side tuned up to one full turn on all tension rods after finger tensioning, and the reso side tuned up slightly higher than that to control the airflow which can create unwanted overtones. The internal dampening rings on both heads should keep the drum in control, giving your bass drum the ultimate in power, bottom end, controlled resonance, and "thump" you're looking for.. Hope this helps you out ;)

Posted on 9 years ago
#5
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Thanks for all the feedback-I am usually not a big porthole fan and was trying to keep the kit as original as I got it just after redoing it-but all of this makes sense-to change the front head-it is rather a big hole right in the middle and I desire more of that classic rock thump and have tried getting this drum there but it just was not happening.

Definitely will try putting the new front head on it and see what happens.

I don't have one (port) on my DW bass drum and that thing is killer for obvious reasons. Recently put a small port on my Gretsch Catlalina Maple that I use for the bar gigs and must say that the kick is a monster.

Will do the new head next weekend and report back...thanks again.

1967 Ludwig Psychedelic Red Downbeat Kit (all original)w/14 in floor tom
Noble and Cooley Walnut snare
Noble and Cooley Horizon 6 piece kit in blue sparkle
2002 Noble and Cooley 4 piece Studio Classic in natural maple
Nov 3 1967 Ludwig chrome Supraphonic
1990s Pearl Session Custom in Amber fade
20 Zildjians
1984 Tama Superstar Bell Brass Snare
Noble and Cooley natural cherry snare
Posted on 9 years ago
#6
Posts: 195 Threads: 6
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You said it had a centre port on the front head, how big is the hole? Anything more than 6" tends to behave closer to having no front head at all, even more so if it's in the middle. That might be the reason it's lacking cajones.

Keep the original head but look at getting yourself either a clear ambassador front without a port. If you can get a clear p3 Reso head (without the stripes) you could look at that too for a little more control.

Posted on 9 years ago
#7
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From human71

i'd go with a Remo Powerstroke 3 Black dot, and a clear Powerstroke 3 (the one without the 2 black rings). This is basically the same as having a clear Ambassador head with a felt strip, and a classic control sound CS black dot head with a felt strip.

Beg to differ here: at least when you use some tension on the head, a PS3 perimter ring doesn't act the same as a felt strip that goes across the head halfway toward the center. The first will cut higher overtones, but leave some dark afterring, the latter will create a more open, but shorter sound. With the PS3 unmuffled and tuned medium, I always get an unpleasant "doon" type of tone. A felt strip controls that.

Posted on 9 years ago
#8
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The center hole in the head probably has most to do with your issue. I have heads both ported and not, depending on the gig I am playing. Most sound guys are going to prefer a port hole, but placement is everything.

I have a coated emperor on my 71' big beat kit, with about a 5" hole in the 4 oclock position and I get the best of both worlds. A decent boom sound, though shorter in decay, and if micing the bass drum we can still put one inside.

My Clubdate kit I bought a couple of years back.. someone cut a center hole in the original reso head prior to me owning it. Set up with that, the drum sounded like a card board box. I'm currently using an Aquarian Super Kick 1 on the batter, and an Aquarian Force 2 (i think that's what it's called) on the reso with a 4" hole in the 4 o'clock position. I get a very nice boom sound out of that 20" bass drum!

When I owned a clear vistalite kit, I used a Super Kick II on the batter and had the original clear Ludwig head on the reso, not porter, with a felt strip running from about 11 o'clock to 7 o'clock. Great sound!

-Justin

"People might look at you a bit funny, but it's okay. Artists are allowed to be a bit different."- Bob Ross

"After silence, that which comes closest to expressing the inexpressible is music..." - Aldous Huxley
Posted on 9 years ago
#9
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Here is a pic of the suspect drum-I measured the hole and it is almost 6.5 inches wide

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1967 Ludwig Psychedelic Red Downbeat Kit (all original)w/14 in floor tom
Noble and Cooley Walnut snare
Noble and Cooley Horizon 6 piece kit in blue sparkle
2002 Noble and Cooley 4 piece Studio Classic in natural maple
Nov 3 1967 Ludwig chrome Supraphonic
1990s Pearl Session Custom in Amber fade
20 Zildjians
1984 Tama Superstar Bell Brass Snare
Noble and Cooley natural cherry snare
Posted on 9 years ago
#10
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