I have a kit with an 18" kick and found the greatest change in sound came when I got it off the ground with a riser. It allows the beater to hit dead center and opens up the drum because it is no longer being "muffled" from sitting on the floor. I really wasn't expecting such a drastic change, but I had significant increase in volume and a lower fundamental pitch. BTW, that is a really NICE kick drum!!
Hey Zac. I just got an 18" and bought a riser. How did you compensate for the abilty to get the pedal close to the rim like when you don't use a riser? I find that I have to mess with the beater positioning to get the beater to hit the batter head properly. It is messing with the feel of the pedal for me. Any advice is appreciated!
@@ozziep123 I didn't have any issues. I did raise the front a little higher than the rear. This puts the head closer to the beater. I think the riser I use is a Gibraltar..adjustable height and clamps to the hoop. It works fine for me. No issue with chain rubbing the hoop and with the drum tilted back a little, the beater strikes at vertical
I love my 18" birch, too. But I switched to a ported (4") front to get rid of the beater recoil when I dig in. I tune very low and listeners are surprised when they realize the big boom is coming from a tiny bebop kit and I just tell them it's all in the tuning. I'm very petite, so my kit with the 10/14" toms and 13" snare also look proportional when I'm sitting on it.
In my opinion, 18 inch is perfect especially for the studio. It really blends in well with music. In my experience it can get tuned deep and boomy or light and sweet. I like the Evans Calftone head as my favorite so far. Big size 22 inch is totally unnecessary unless if you want that distinctive sound or maybe for live on stage for more volume
small kicks are so underrated, i have a 24" and a 14" and the 14 is so punchy it's ridiculous, mic'd up with some muffling and EQ I almost prefer it to bigger drums even for rock
Looks like I'm three years late, but this video is amazing! You really show off the versatility of an 18. Also, beautiful drum. That color is stunning. I'd be interested to hear the difference of a nice mahogany shell. Thanks for the video!
Thank you so much! This is the video I've been looking for. Very useful, fit someone who was sick of having a huge 22" BD and just bought a Canopus bop kit, I was worried I'd never be able to get a big sound. This video has reassured me and demonstrated just how versatile a smaller drum can be! Great pacing and balance of information/comparative listening. Also, nice mics placement/mix!
All about the tuning for sure. I used an 18 playing in metal bands for years and always got compliments on tone. Of course now that I'm older and mellower I'm using a 24
I saw where one rock drummer bought two bop kits to play hard rock and metal live!! Uhh lots of early rockabilly, rock n roll and blues was played on small kits!!
Another fascinating vid, Blair! The 12/8 tuning was especially pleasant to my ears. That last snare sound was awesome as well. I love how you encourage us all to experiment with our gear and see what it can really do. Thank you for the inspiration!
Thanks for the video! I agree with you - I loved the tone of the low wide open bass drum the best. I am looking for a smaller kit and your video showed that an 18 is really pretty versatile!
I noticed something you didn't mention is do you or do you not bury your beater into the head. I noticed that you don't. Which will typically give more of an opened more boom sound then when you bury your beater. I have a 18X18 Maple Keller shell kick drum with a 1-inch port. I use a Tama rubber beater on a DW 3000 pedal and I bury my beater and hit hard heal up. I also tune my batter side the same as my resonant side. I simply put a towel and a cinder block in the middle of the head and tighten each lug until every wrinkle is gone, then a quarter-turn more and that's it. I've been using this process with this kick drum for about 20 years now. and I cannot tell you how many compliments I get and how shocked other drummers are when they see that it's an 18 inch kick drum. Just food for thought and thanks for all the tips 🤘
Was not loving my 18" for the last 2 years, was ready to trade it back to a 24 inch. I did mess around with the tunings but maybe I'll change my beater and give that a go for a bit. Thank you !!
I am looking at buying a first drum set for myself and also one for a church i attend; seeing the possibilities with a smaller bass drum was quite useful. I liked the last two the most but that's just me. Thanks for sharing this.
Henrik Hansson Great video. I started playing a bebop kit about six months ago and I was floored by the punchiness of the 18" bass. Even the 12 & 14 in. Toms if tuned properly produce a thunder frankly I hadn't expected. It's opened up my diversity in every way. I can play a rock/blues gig one night, retune everything up an octave and play jazz the next night without changing kits or heads. Good job showing how an 18" bass can be exploited to cover a wide variety of sounds.
Love this video! I've watched it a few times over the last while - lots of great information. Just recently got an 18" and really enjoying seeing what I can get out of it. Love your playing too! Thanks!!!
my most fave as well ... i got 18x16 ... full front head ... hate hole in the front .... kills all the resonance .... not a fan of 22kick which is too generic ....
I use a 22. I had a set with a 20" kick. PS3. Kick pach , solid front head. No muffling, tuned high. Great sound, pedal rebound. Super easy to move around. I miss it.
Love the video and the time spent on the often overlooked but incredibly versatile 18" bass drum. Are you able to tell us what drumheads were used on this drum?
Tim...cant find your recent question about the lugs in the comments here. But I don't really have a good answer for you on 6 or 8 lugs...Obviously more lugs gives you more control...never tried one with 6 lugs though.
Great vid. Very useful. I was wondering how much difference is there in tone between coated or clear heads on the Bass drum. Do you ever use clear heads for your 18" and if so what kind of musical situations? Cheers for the vid.
Dang it, man. Nice grooves. Especially love that last Bonham like beat...from an 18! I have an 18” Fibes bass drum I keep meaning to put to use...always thought I should have a 20” kick instead, but not after listening hear! I have a 6 pc matching Fibes kit with a 22”...but I picked this stray 18” on the side, and well, it’s time to get some action out of that drum. Thank you! Great video.
Really loving the content Blair, thanks! I've got a 20x12 bass drum that I got recently for small club gigs and I'm struggling to get a good sound out of it. I'm playing Top 40 stuff and wondering which one of the above tunings I should try? Thanks again!
Hi Rafael- Well, just by saying Top 40...but not really knowing what era of music you're playing my only guess is to go for a low punchy sound. Really the point of these videos is to get you experimenting on your own. Try and get a few of these sounds (or any you might stumble upon) and see what works for you and the band. What sound do you dig? What sound works in the band? Do some exploring. Let me know what you find! Thanks!
My new 18 inch is flat on the ground but the pedal beater doesn't hit flush. Its at a slight angle and the middle to top make contact with the head. Any tips to make it hit flush? Thanks!
I just subscribed. I like what you are doing here. I am considering starting with the drums and wonder what you might advise in a bass drum size so that I eliminate, as much as possible, having to manipulate the sounds too much right from the start. My likes are prettty wide, which may complicate things. I tend to like Classic Rock (Beatles, the Who, Sweet, Alex Van Halen come to mind) of the late 60s to early 80s, and the stuff that Hal Blaine drummed on a bit earlier than that.
Love my 18” compared to my 22”. Don’t put a hole in the front head or a thick Powerstroke on the beater side. Learn how to play it without planting the beater. I also use a wood beater. The best heads I’ve found are called Dynaton made for Taye Drums. If you do want a dead Rock sound out a drum, then get a 22” or a 24” preferably by 14” deep. If you have to get it out of an 18” then yes get a Powerstroke beater head with a small pillow or towel touching both heads lightly with a ported front head. That kills the fun of an 18” but you might need to do that depending on the sound you need. (Edit: And get a riser so that the beater hits closer to the middle.)
Hey Blair, just found your channel, and it's great! At about 12:20, when you were doing your favorite tuning, low and wide open, with a flurry of beats, it reminded of hearing big booming fireworks from a distance.... very kool! One last thing, please tell me about your fabulous ride cymbal..... Thanks and Blessings!!
Thank you tmaddrummer...That Ride is the now discontinued Matt Chamberlain signature...quite close to an Agop Signature but a little more definition. Thanks for writing!
I've watched several of your videos during the past 2 hours, and I've learned so much already. I'm just a Drummer, if that, and I am truly amazed by your vast knowledge of finding and creating and recording so many colorful and articulate drum and cymbal sounds..... I am amazed, and grateful to you and your channel. I also love the 18" Bass, and Istanbul Agop cymbals. I am currently searching for a sound that I only know it when I hear it, and various Agop cymbals most likely what I hope to build a small cymbal palate around, but it's hard to do because they are just not available in most Drum Shops and I really don't have any shops close by. Anyway, thanks again, and it's a pleasure finding your channel... Blessings!
i have a 20x18 bass drum with EMAD2 and a single ply head at the resonant, inside it's muffled with a pillow and some sheets, sounds perfect for hip hop. Any recomendation to have a nice sound in a jazz situation? i think revoming the sheets and toughen the heads it would work.
This is awesome info! I loved the various tones you were able to get. I'm going to do some experimenting on my 18" DW bop kit now that I've seen this. I've been pretty happy using an Emad batter and stock DW reso. When you use the wood beater, do you use patches to protect the head or just let the head wear? The first time I used my Danmar wood beater it didn't take long to put serious wear in the head. Also, do you use different batter heads on the bass drum for different sounds or just stick with a favorite? Thanks!
Thanks Erich. Usually only use a patch on my kick heads if I'm touring. I also let the beater rebound from the head which might help the life of it. I do use different batter heads but more on different drums as opposed to changing heads on one drum. That way I know what each drum's sound is. Then I pick the drum and tune it according to that. Thanks for your questions.
I’m looking at a kit with an 18x20 kick. I’ve been worried it won’t be loud enough.. I just started playing in a funk band (guitar, keys, bass, sax, drums). Wondering if anyone has experienced a similar dilemma. I just don’t want to be disappointed in the volume of the kick. It doesn’t need to be absolutely massive but I like to tune low. Any advice/experience? Thanks!
Usually smaller drums tuned higher cut more. It's always tricky to compete against non-acoustic instruments. If you're mic'ed up it shouldn't matter. If you're just playing acoustically hopefully your bandmates can find a medium with you. Obviously you'll need to lay into the drum though (regardless of size) if it's a loud situation.
Nice video! I like your example of the bop tuning, i've been trying to achieve that sound for years, however on my 18" bass drum i get very little low end and a lot of ringing overtones when i tune it high. How do you tune the front and batter head in relation to each other, are they the same pitch? also what heads do you use? i have coated ambassadors on both sides.
Hi, Thanks! Getting the heads close to the same pitch is helpful and cuts down on odd overtones..just like a tom or smaller drum. Or, just like in the video do some experimenting with where the front head sounds good with where the batter head is tuned (or vice versa) and see if you can find a sweet spot. I often find that the drum will "open up" at certain pitches or tuning relations. Ambassadors are great for the front head... like a P3 usually on the batter. Has a nice low tone fundamentally and plenty of resonance. Keep searching the tuning..my guess is that you'll find the low end.
I just use DW beaters. Wood, hard felt, soft felt. It's really about the sound for me so I haven't done much exploring of beaters beyond that. Thanks Dexter!
they are www.gk-music.com/product/ultraphones/ Really great isolation and not too much high end which is nice if you're wearing them for long periods of time...less fatigue.
WOW! that was a fast reply.... i'll look into them. my hearing needs saving...you should do a video on them and how they work. not anything on yt on the headphones. just to pass on the info. thanks!
I play single ply heads with no muffle rings on my 18 for jazz. The muffle rings on your drums kind of kills it for me, and I can't tell much difference when you tune high or low. If I feel there I'd too much ring on the single ply heads, I simply add small pieces of muffling gel and keep adding until it sounds good. With the muffle rings already on the heads like yours, there's not much you can do to un muffle the sound so you are really limited to the sound of hitting a cardboard box full of clothes. Try it single ply heads. I love it.
Hi Ron, thanks for checking out the video and commenting. I agree that single ply heads (I use them on different drums) do offer a different ton. I don't agree that you can't tell the difference between the high or low pitch because of the head and I don't agree that that those heads or the tones here sound like cardboard boxes. The front head on the bass drum is single ply and I used that a lot to manipulate the length of the sound I want. I feel the P3 on the batter provides a nice low fundamental with less overtones than a single ply that I dig for the many situations I use this particular drum.
Can you explain boppy a little better? Without totally knowing that term I’d say go for a lower tuning. The more the head “flaps” on the batter side the more attack. Maybe a beefier head too...
