Plenty of people, including myself, prefer the shallow toms. They'll sound great, and I'm sure there are tons of power toms from that same line of Yamaha, still out there.
Truly fantastic video. I've been pondering this myself. Why, you might ask? Most factory shell kits are very limited as to tom sizes - especially with depth. I do like that Gretsch, especially in the Catalina Maple series offers some tom choices with shallower tom sizes, buy I do not like the quality of their hardware. I prefer Yamaha YESS style mounts (I do understand the concerns with shell muting because they are directly mounted to the shell, but that can mostly be overcomes with tuning at least to my satisfaction. So many of the 'RIMS' style mounts are so unpleasant to look at and really distract from the aesthetic of the drums), as they are solid and very universally maneuverable so it was good to see you using them on this video. I've considered building a totally custom kit to get exactly what I want, but by the time you buy the shells, rims, lugs and tensioning rods, plus the mounting systems it just cost too much money. For this reason, I'm going to stick with a Yamaha shell pack and cut them just as you have for a real custom kit with the tom sizes I really want. Too bad you're not in the states or I'd send my shells to you for cutting! Well done.
many viewers may also recall Dave Weckl discussing his request from Yamaha to build "Square Drums". Certainly the drums weren't square but rather the proportions, " Depth vs diameter" were the same... i.e. 12" x 12" or 10" x 10" toms. This is not a random value but rather an enlightened design. The symmetric proportions can add greatly to resonance.... As air travels "ALONG the cylinder" (Longitudinally_ is is also spreading laterally. And as the waves reach the ends of their travel and then "bounce back ( REFLECT), they will do so with similar timing. This can really add to rich tone vibrations (Peaks and troughs align).... sorry... goggle this BUT !!! "SQUARE" drums aren't the only way to get the peaks and troughs to line up. By selecting a cylinder length (shell depth) that is "PROPORTIONAL" to the shell diameter, the synchronizing of the peaks and troughs can still be accomplished... "the depth can be tuned to the diameter" And some of the proportions are easily worked out. Diameter is "X"... and depth is "X".... ( 12x12... or 10 x 10) Diameter is X and depth can be 1/2x ( ONE HALF of X) 12x6 ... 0r 10x5 Diameter is X and Depth is 3/4x... (3/4 of the diameter). 12x8 or 10x7.5 or 13x9.75 ( 13 times .75) We missed the obvious square and powerful 16x16 floor tom... AND.... the all wise and powerful 20x20 bass drum or 20x15 ... hmmm ... or 22x16.5..... The deeper drums aren't just deeper... THEY ARE PROPORTIONAL. OOOOOPS... Houston we have a winner and a problem. My classic old Rogers, or Ludwig or Slingerland toms are.... 12x8... and 13x9 !!!??? ohhhhh so THAT'S why the 12x8 sounds better than the 13x9?.... because the 12x8 was cut to proportion but the 13x9 IS NOT PROPORTIONAL! maybe Go talk with your high school or college physics teacher.... Or google setting up your sub woofer to be in phase... It's the same discussion. Cutting your drums to be proportional is cutting your drums to help the sound waves be "IN PHASE" And that's what Dr Weckl was having Yamaha do. 1980 POWER TOMS ...done "RIGHT"... are a great example... if they are done right.... 12x12...13x13....etc
Well, I don't know if they are the best proportion or not, but I'm pretty happy with my 10 x 9 and 12 x 10 rack toms, as well as my 14 x 14 and 16 x 16 floor toms and my 22 x 18 bass drum. I don't like much shallow sizes. With my rack toms, I wouldn't have any problem with a 10 x 10, but it would be a bit difficult to me to set correctly a 12 x 12 in a proper and comfortale position (maybe if I only used one rack tom). I also have a 14 x 12 rack tom that I sometimes use as a left side "hanging floor tom" (tunning it differently than the 14 x 14) and sounds nice. Anyway, all of these sizes work fine for me, so I don't feel the need to change them.
I just wanna say that your math is off on the 12x8 tom..My calculator says that .75 x 12 = 9. I'm cutting down a 16" deep x 18" diameter kick....Think I'll shoot for 9". 13.5 which is .75 of 18 is not enough of a footprint reduction to suit my needs. This theory seems to explain the sizing for the "club jam" type kits.
@@zacdrake OOOOPS..... you are right.... 12x 9 is .75... .75 is also 4:3..... but a 12"x8" drum 3:2 still a somewhat balanced 9tuned) proportion..... but you're right 12x9 is .75 (4:3 ) and probably does resonate more readily. And 13x9 just doesnt lend itself to "Standing Wave Addition" ( cabinet resonance) as it just isnt a simple proportion...... ps the complete opposite concept is used when designing speaker cabinets ( where you DONT want resonance) and it is termed the "Golden Ratio" where none of the dimensions/ Height, Width or Depth are " Even Multiples or even fractions of each other"... Because if the dimensions ARE multiples of each other ( example) 48 x12x 24 then there will be specific frequencies that will tend to be more resonant..... and for a melodic instrument ( guitars, bases and keyboards ) this would result in some notes being much louder than other notes because the speaker box itself is resonating at those freqs..... and again ,,, back to the drums..... "golden ratios " work FOR toms..... so.... 1:1 ( weckl's square drums) or 2:1, 4.3. etc... is a good thing..... also... onw might actually do the math for... " the speed of sound at a given air density divided by the lenght of the tube " 12' drum cylinder" and the resonance "standing wave" could be approximated.... but with air pressure and temp changes that "exact frequncy" note will vary.... Im gonna do some math .... my 13x9" drum likes G3... hmmmm
7 years ago the whole drumkit was bought for 400 USD by the person requesting this mod. I honestly don't understand why people still have a problem if people have their own gear modified to their preferences.
Awesome ! Thanks for this Video. I'm cutting down a whole kit (I like shallower bass drums and I rack mount my floor toms to get them closer to my snare. ) During the Router process is the 45 degree angle a standard router bit ? - Thanks again - looking forward to my winter project !
I have a Tom that I want cut, but the bearing edges are wider than the rest of the shell. 9ply bearing edges and 7 ply shells. Would it be possible to cut them but retain those bearing edges on both sides?
I believe those extra plies at the edge are glued in from the factory. Typically they did that when the wood they used wasn't the strongest, such as basswood.
No, it isn't wrong. They're just two different measurement systems, and you can use both or jump from one to the other at convenience. This guy is Austrian, and like most of the world, in Europe we use IMS, but in the "drum world" we're used to use inches as well when we refer to drum sizes, so it's quite normal to mix both systems. In this case, it's very logic to say he's going to cut 2 inches the lenght of the tom (remeber, even if we use IMS, we're used to say "this tom is a 10" x 9" and I want it to be a 10" x 7" i.e.), but when it comes to drill the holes (or any other precission action) it's much simplier for us to measure in mm, for instance, measure the distance between the screws in the lug to transfert it to the shell and drill the holes. Indeed it's quite more precise for us since we're not used to measure in fractions of inches (2 and 3/8, etc...). So it's perfectly correct to say that your going tu cut X inches from a tom and that you need to drill a hole at X mm from the edge (or whatever) in the same sentence. What wouldn't be correct is to mix both systems in the same measurement, like saying that your going to do whatever at 2 inches AND 5 mm or 7 cm AND 3/8 of an inch.
Na na na, mit nem frischen Tattoo am Arm in einer staubigen Gegend rumwerkeln, da blutet mir das Tätowiererherz :| Hattest Du die Kessel auf der Innenseite auch lackiert?
Ich weiss nicht genau, auf was Du abzielst. Als ich geschnitten und gefräst habe, waren die Tattoos, die ich zu dem Zeitpunkt hatte, bereits einige Jahre alt. Wenn Du dich auf die lezte Minute des Vidoes beziehst, so hoffe ich, dass es erlaubt ist, sich mit einem frischen Tattoo vor die Kamera zu setzen... Sorry, patziger kommentar - patzige Antwort ;-) Ich sehe keinen Grund dazu einen Kessel innen zu lackieren. Ich trage im Regelfall etwas Wachs oder Öl auf.
just remove the reso head. Power tom players never used them . They were Concert style. There are drums out there like ratas and octobans that do not require or even have hardware for a reso head. Someone doesn’t know how to tune drums. Sad to see them cut.
@@88kwthomas I know when I was young people made fun of these little shells and everyone wanted large power toms. I think range and attack have more to do with the drumhead, tuning ability of the drummer, and the wood of the shell. Sorry, I just think it is strange to see someone cutting shells when I remember everyone wishing they had deeper shells.
@@stickybandit2346 It was also fashionable to have concert toms of every size on a drum kit at one point so lets put trends aside.. if I have a 13x11 tuned to the same pitch as a 13x9 which one has more sustain and which one had more attack?
@@88kwthomasCost cutting is exactly where the trend came from. Same reason kits now come with a 10" and 12" tom. Back in the day it was 12" and 13" toms and there was no such thing as a 14" floor tom. You couldn't even get/order a 10", unless it was a higher end kit. Just like the virgin bass drum trend, thinner, cheaper wood can't support the weight.
Modifying drums is a bad idea because we are all just using drums temporarily and as things age another owner might want what you are destroying forever. Please preserve vintage drum kits.
Absolutely criminal to cut those power toms!
okay
Interesting but the glaring omission is leaving out the sound comparison.
Damn right!
not at all...
I would never cut my beautiful power toms!
th-cam.com/video/AlcG--7piII/w-d-xo.html
Just criminal to cut those toms! They are crying out to become power toms again :(
Plenty of people, including myself, prefer the shallow toms. They'll sound great, and I'm sure there are tons of power toms from that same line of Yamaha, still out there.
Power toms are gross shallow drums all around for this guy although I don't like my kicks any shallower that 14
Truly fantastic video. I've been pondering this myself. Why, you might ask?
Most factory shell kits are very limited as to tom sizes - especially with depth. I do like that Gretsch, especially in the Catalina Maple series offers some tom choices with shallower tom sizes, buy I do not like the quality of their hardware. I prefer Yamaha YESS style mounts (I do understand the concerns with shell muting because they are directly mounted to the shell, but that can mostly be overcomes with tuning at least to my satisfaction. So many of the 'RIMS' style mounts are so unpleasant to look at and really distract from the aesthetic of the drums), as they are solid and very universally maneuverable so it was good to see you using them on this video.
I've considered building a totally custom kit to get exactly what I want, but by the time you buy the shells, rims, lugs and tensioning rods, plus the mounting systems it just cost too much money. For this reason, I'm going to stick with a Yamaha shell pack and cut them just as you have for a real custom kit with the tom sizes I really want. Too bad you're not in the states or I'd send my shells to you for cutting!
Well done.
Thanks for sharing your amazing work
Well done. Cheers!
Intriguing. I would like to see 12" Power Toms cut in 12x7 and 13" Power Toms cut in 13x8. Never seen or heard this configuration before.
I was curious too but I think theres a limit, I've heard Eric Singers kit with 12x8 ans 13x8.5 and they were still very distiguishable sounds
many viewers may also recall Dave Weckl discussing his request from Yamaha to build "Square Drums". Certainly the drums weren't square but rather the proportions, " Depth vs diameter" were the same... i.e. 12" x 12" or 10" x 10" toms. This is not a random value but rather an enlightened design.
The symmetric proportions can add greatly to resonance.... As air travels "ALONG the cylinder" (Longitudinally_ is is also spreading laterally. And as the waves reach the ends of their travel and then "bounce back ( REFLECT), they will do so with similar timing. This can really add to rich tone vibrations (Peaks and troughs align).... sorry... goggle this
BUT !!! "SQUARE" drums aren't the only way to get the peaks and troughs to line up.
By selecting a cylinder length (shell depth) that is "PROPORTIONAL" to the shell diameter, the synchronizing of the peaks and troughs can still be accomplished... "the depth can be tuned to the diameter"
And some of the proportions are easily worked out.
Diameter is "X"... and depth is "X".... ( 12x12... or 10 x 10)
Diameter is X and depth can be 1/2x ( ONE HALF of X) 12x6 ... 0r 10x5
Diameter is X and Depth is 3/4x... (3/4 of the diameter). 12x8 or 10x7.5 or 13x9.75 ( 13 times .75)
We missed the obvious square and powerful 16x16 floor tom...
AND.... the all wise and powerful 20x20 bass drum or 20x15 ... hmmm ... or 22x16.5.....
The deeper drums aren't just deeper... THEY ARE PROPORTIONAL.
OOOOOPS... Houston we have a winner and a problem.
My classic old Rogers, or Ludwig or Slingerland toms are.... 12x8... and 13x9 !!!???
ohhhhh so THAT'S why the 12x8 sounds better than the 13x9?.... because the 12x8 was cut to proportion but the 13x9 IS NOT PROPORTIONAL! maybe
Go talk with your high school or college physics teacher....
Or google setting up your sub woofer to be in phase...
It's the same discussion.
Cutting your drums to be proportional is cutting your drums to help the sound waves be "IN PHASE"
And that's what Dr Weckl was having Yamaha do.
1980 POWER TOMS ...done "RIGHT"... are a great example... if they are done right....
12x12...13x13....etc
Well, I don't know if they are the best proportion or not, but I'm pretty happy with my 10 x 9 and 12 x 10 rack toms, as well as my 14 x 14 and 16 x 16 floor toms and my 22 x 18 bass drum. I don't like much shallow sizes. With my rack toms, I wouldn't have any problem with a 10 x 10, but it would be a bit difficult to me to set correctly a 12 x 12 in a proper and comfortale position (maybe if I only used one rack tom). I also have a 14 x 12 rack tom that I sometimes use as a left side "hanging floor tom" (tunning it differently than the 14 x 14) and sounds nice. Anyway, all of these sizes work fine for me, so I don't feel the need to change them.
I just wanna say that your math is off on the 12x8 tom..My calculator says that .75 x 12 = 9. I'm cutting down a 16" deep x 18" diameter kick....Think I'll shoot for 9". 13.5 which is .75 of 18 is not enough of a footprint reduction to suit my needs. This theory seems to explain the sizing for the "club jam" type kits.
@@zacdrake OOOOPS..... you are right.... 12x 9 is .75... .75 is also 4:3..... but a 12"x8" drum 3:2 still a somewhat balanced 9tuned) proportion..... but you're right 12x9 is .75 (4:3 ) and probably does resonate more readily. And 13x9 just doesnt lend itself to "Standing Wave Addition" ( cabinet resonance) as it just isnt a simple proportion...... ps the complete opposite concept is used when designing speaker cabinets ( where you DONT want resonance) and it is termed the "Golden Ratio" where none of the dimensions/ Height, Width or Depth are " Even Multiples or even fractions of each other"... Because if the dimensions ARE multiples of each other ( example) 48 x12x 24 then there will be specific frequencies that will tend to be more resonant..... and for a melodic instrument ( guitars, bases and keyboards ) this would result in some notes being much louder than other notes because the speaker box itself is resonating at those freqs..... and again ,,, back to the drums..... "golden ratios " work FOR toms..... so.... 1:1 ( weckl's square drums) or 2:1, 4.3. etc... is a good thing..... also... onw might actually do the math for... " the speed of sound at a given air density divided by the lenght of the tube " 12' drum cylinder" and the resonance "standing wave" could be approximated.... but with air pressure and temp changes that "exact frequncy" note will vary.... Im gonna do some math .... my 13x9" drum likes G3... hmmmm
Good job 👏 I like your work
Great job!
He sounds like Marco Minimann 😅
Hi Billy 😎
Great demo, need to get a router table now.... 👍
i'm not a power tom fan, but i'm a beech custom super fan. it hurts my soul to cut those down..like 500 to 700 USD each.
7 years ago the whole drumkit was bought for 400 USD by the person requesting this mod. I honestly don't understand why people still have a problem if people have their own gear modified to their preferences.
Awesom. This gives me some confidence in cutting my finished/lacquered shell.
How did they sound before and after the cut?
Awesome ! Thanks for this Video. I'm cutting down a whole kit (I like shallower bass drums and I rack mount my floor toms to get them closer to my snare. ) During the Router process is the 45 degree angle a standard router bit ? - Thanks again - looking forward to my winter project !
I prefer to buy some shallower drums
I have those drums in white. Been wondering if I could do the same! Thank you!
So what do they sound like? Jeez!
Nice work :)
Did you move the brand emblem or has it already been there? They still look so centered with the new depth
niceee
Nice watch too :)
why do you mix metric and imperial?
Dennis how do I order one them snares you build online. 14by7 oak tube lugs lifted raised lug areas them are wonderful drums. Peace from USA dennis.
Cool. But why not let us hear them man?
“How low can you go”?
Well I once parachuted out of a snakes arsehole but still had room to free-fall
Hey do you do this for customers I have a 10 inch I’d like to cut down
I have a Tom that I want cut, but the bearing edges are wider than the rest of the shell. 9ply bearing edges and 7 ply shells. Would it be possible to cut them but retain those bearing edges on both sides?
I believe those extra plies at the edge are glued in from the factory. Typically they did that when the wood they used wasn't the strongest, such as basswood.
What is the benefit of cutting them down?
Less resonance better mounting options looks better 🤷♂️
Aha, hats ein neues Tattoo gegeben? :D
MA PERCHÉ?
Am I silly or is saying millimeters and inches in the same sentence not wrong?
No, it isn't wrong. They're just two different measurement systems, and you can use both or jump from one to the other at convenience. This guy is Austrian, and like most of the world, in Europe we use IMS, but in the "drum world" we're used to use inches as well when we refer to drum sizes, so it's quite normal to mix both systems. In this case, it's very logic to say he's going to cut 2 inches the lenght of the tom (remeber, even if we use IMS, we're used to say "this tom is a 10" x 9" and I want it to be a 10" x 7" i.e.), but when it comes to drill the holes (or any other precission action) it's much simplier for us to measure in mm, for instance, measure the distance between the screws in the lug to transfert it to the shell and drill the holes. Indeed it's quite more precise for us since we're not used to measure in fractions of inches (2 and 3/8, etc...). So it's perfectly correct to say that your going tu cut X inches from a tom and that you need to drill a hole at X mm from the edge (or whatever) in the same sentence. What wouldn't be correct is to mix both systems in the same measurement, like saying that your going to do whatever at 2 inches AND 5 mm or 7 cm AND 3/8 of an inch.
So how they fucking sound? Wtf...
Na na na, mit nem frischen Tattoo am Arm in einer staubigen Gegend rumwerkeln, da blutet mir das Tätowiererherz :|
Hattest Du die Kessel auf der Innenseite auch lackiert?
Ich weiss nicht genau, auf was Du abzielst. Als ich geschnitten und gefräst habe, waren die Tattoos, die ich zu dem Zeitpunkt hatte, bereits einige Jahre alt. Wenn Du dich auf die lezte Minute des Vidoes beziehst, so hoffe ich, dass es erlaubt ist, sich mit einem frischen Tattoo vor die Kamera zu setzen... Sorry, patziger kommentar - patzige Antwort ;-)
Ich sehe keinen Grund dazu einen Kessel innen zu lackieren. Ich trage im Regelfall etwas Wachs oder Öl auf.
Deutsche wariates.(((
Music in andere said.
just remove the reso head. Power tom players never used them . They were Concert style. There are drums out there like ratas and octobans that do not require or even have hardware for a reso head. Someone doesn’t know how to tune drums. Sad to see them cut.
Why do this? Because drum companies are cheap and now selling shorter toms?
better tuning range, better mounting ability, more attack.. Theres many good reasons
@@88kwthomas I know when I was young people made fun of these little shells and everyone wanted large power toms. I think range and attack have more to do with the drumhead, tuning ability of the drummer, and the wood of the shell. Sorry, I just think it is strange to see someone cutting shells when I remember everyone wishing they had deeper shells.
@@stickybandit2346 It was also fashionable to have concert toms of every size on a drum kit at one point so lets put trends aside..
if I have a 13x11 tuned to the same pitch as a 13x9 which one has more sustain and which one had more attack?
@@stickybandit2346 It's up to the drummer but cost cutting isn't a factor as per your comment.
@@88kwthomasCost cutting is exactly where the trend came from. Same reason kits now come with a 10" and 12" tom. Back in the day it was 12" and 13" toms and there was no such thing as a 14" floor tom. You couldn't even get/order a 10", unless it was a higher end kit. Just like the virgin bass drum trend, thinner, cheaper wood can't support the weight.
Modifying drums is a bad idea because we are all just using drums temporarily and as things age another owner might want what you are destroying forever. Please preserve vintage drum kits.
We'll, a customer asked for it, so I did it. Nothing wrong about that if you ask me ;-)
Big toms will come back on style. I agree
@@merdith6 I hope not
Stop hateming