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Tom tom ring


Jaden

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I am new to drumming but I noticed that my 10 inch tom has a tinny ring about it. Only just started. My kit is Gretcsh cat ash. The 10 tom kind of buzzes. It is mounted on the bass. The 12 inch beside it is fine as is the 8 on the other side. If I place my hand against the bottom head it stops the buzz. There are factory Gretsch heads on the drums. Yes I know - one step above Saran wrap but I don't want to replace them until I get better or damage them. What could be causing the buzz and how can I stop it?

 

I've checked around the 10 tom - there is nothing touching it or rubbing up against it. Help! Thanks.

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There are multiple causes that could be affecting it, I'm assuming when you say it "rings" you mean it is resonating when you play another drum?

 

The bottom heads are called "resonant heads" and resonance is normal, but if it's overly "ringy" try tweaking the tuning a little, it will be responding to a particular frequency, again a lot of resonance is normal.

 

There are some rules with tuning, but it boils down to personal preference eg. resonant head sympathetic to batter(both heads tuned the same) or reso head slightly higher in pitch or lower....whatever floats your boat.

 

Heads detune, so play around with the heads giving the lugs small tweaks up or down dependent on the sound you like.

 

Give it a go, it's not a serious problem, and if you were playing with other musicians it would in all likely get lost in the mix.

 

Have fun.:wave:

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Sympathetic buzzes can be real tricky sometimes. Don't trust your sense of directionality. One time I had a stand rattle I just couldn't locate. Checked EVERYthing. Nothing. Finally nailed it at the light fixture ABOVE the drums.

So listen in close proximity, tapping stuff - shells, lugs, hoops, stand connections any likely source. Be methodical and check your surroundings as well. You may find a lot of other rattles while you're at it.

You may also be getting a harmonic from the head(s). This is the same effect as feedback minus the regeneration. If this is the case, small tuning adjustments can often stop the problem.

 

DTD?

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Well, not enough info, really. "Tinny ring" or "kind of buzzes." If the former, tuning may do it, if the latter 1k1 is all over it.

 

Jaden, why not take the drum out of the room and hit it and tell us what you hear. Gotta do the Sherlock Holmes thing. Once all the possible explanations are discarded we'll tackle the impossible ones.

 

Sometimes a drum can buzz all by itself if the tuning is awry in a certain way.

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You said it was fine and then it started "buzzing" recently. The lugs on all drums can move because of vibration. I would start by tuning the tom up (tighter). I'll bet you 10 bucks its the top or batter head. Don't forget, its not a crime to touch your lugs and experiment with tuning drums. It's a learned skill and necessary to be a drummer. Get your hands on the drums and learn how they work. It's my observation inexperienced tuners tend to have their drums tuned too low...which if not treated properly, can reak havok with (bad) overtones and cause buzzing and feedback etc etc.

 

Also, 10" toms are notorious with being in the same tuning range as the snare drum. If they are tuned to the same note or close, you will hear buzzing from the snare drum wires. The reverse can happen, you can get sympathetic vibration from your tom also. Maybe somethng happened recently with the snare tuning and thats why the tom is acting up.

 

My snare drum it tuned up high...so my 10" tom is tuned up higher and I don't have any problems with buzzing. It's all personal preference...but all my drums are tuned up pretty high so I can cut-through the bands I am in. Good luck!

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It's a learned skill and necessary to be a drummer.

 

 

People are frightened and frustrated to learn that I have X amount of drum playing awesomeness going on, yet I am horribly inefficient at tuning drums.

 

 

 

Friends don't let friends learn to play drums exclusively on e-kit and well-tuned kits.

 

Take this opportunity to learn all about this little drum. Don't be like me.

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