Yes, I bought the Ahead Spinal Glide and it's is well worth the money. After years of playing and hardly able to walk the next morning after hours on a worn out drum stool this Ahead product has really truly been worth the 200.00 bucks to get. Not only a great and comfortable seat, the base of the throne sturdy as a rock. Spend the extra doe for the base and get rid of that worn out stand that you know you need to replace. Keep swinging drummers and all good things.
Great review! I've had mine for about 6 months now and it has made all the difference in the world in my playing! The ONLY thing I have against this throne is that in order to have a backrest attached, you either have to: a. buy the Spinal Glide throne that has the backrest mounted (which I didn't know about) or to install an aftermarket backrest attachment (such as the Gibraltar Universal backrest) to the seat post via a clamp. The other thing is that I'm not crazy about the clamp being mounted directly to the seat post, fearing that the clamp may damage the threading of the post if too much tension is applied in securing the backrest for maximum stability. I've purchased the backrest attachment a couple of weeks ago from Gibraltar. So far, it has been "OK", but because it is attached to the seat post, the backrest doesn't rotate with the seat. Because of the pandemic, I haven't had much of an opportunity to put this backrest to through the paces yet, so I can't give my complete opinion on it. If anyone is in the market for an Ahead Spinal Glide throne, my recommendation is to purchase the Spinal Glide with the backrest, which is built into the throne.... not a detachable accessory. I spoke with the people at Ahead and they are supposed to be coming out with a backrest attachment sometime in the future, but no date of release has been issued as of yet.
I've had mine for over two years now . Spent 44 years on the road and wish I had one the whole time. Leg cramps and backaches are completely gone !! Top fits in cheap zippered bag from Walmart or a large capacity cymbal bag . Try one and you won't regret it . No problem getting through one hour or 90 minute sets ...
Great review, thanks much. I was about to purchase a dw airlift but because of your fine review, going with ahead. At 62 years old and many thrones over the years, this makes perfect sense. Continued blessings and all good things!!
Thank you for addressing the "junk" issue. Something pretty much ALL of the other throne manufacturer's won't talk about. Long gigs (like long bike rides) will numb you up and that's not a good thing. Great review bro. Thanks for looking out for trap players everywhere.
Them not mentioning it to me means there’s some medical lawsuit issues. I personally have tried one of these. I kinda don’t get it myself. And I really don’t get the tailbone aspect. Your tailbone shouldn’t rest on a seat so you shouldn’t need the space.
Legit have never commented in RU-vid before, thanks for this. Just bought mine today! Got a different base, Lunar Nitro from Roc-n-Soc. Gonna make it work, need that pneumatic height adjustment in my life!
I went ahead and got the Charmicheal thone. I was deciding between the Attack, or Charmicheal. I was going to get the Attack, as the Charmicheal isn't cheap. Definitely quality, and well designed
Many thanks for the review Steve, really helpful. I’ve been researching a new throne for a few weeks for all the reasons you discussed in your video. Had my eye on the Ahead so you made my mind up. Arrived this morning and so far I’m very chuffed. (North west English for I like it a lot ) Cheers man Nick
First note: Ahead also sells a three-leg version. I have used this throne for several years now and am very happy about it. However, there it has two disadvantages: it is very heavy and the seat is much larger than average. It does not fit in my hardware case. That's why I use it mainly at home as part of my practice kit. I do not that many gigs so for gigs I use another throne that fits in my case.
I just keep my throne fully assembled. There's always a good spot to stick a throne when everything's all packed up and loaded in the car or wherever it's loaded. Besides, you will never find a good throne that's also light. They just don't exist because what makes a good throne adds the majority of the weight.
How do you like the throne after using it for a longer time, is the seat keeping his shape, or is it pressing together? I have read somewhere the seat is compressed after 3 weeks drumming, and he give it back. It should be a very bad quality?
Yo this is a fantastic vid! I got mine 2 months ago & it's by far my most treasured piece of gear. I made a vid as well, but clearly you know a bit more about makin vids than I do..I got the sparkle finish - it so sweet! Rock on man ! Love the vid!
I have this drum throne.... Its great drum throne, with the last one I have back pain and pain in my left leg!!! I buy this from Ahead and after some weeks I don't have pain any more!
Thank you I'm a Percussionist and I'm now totally convinced . I bought a Gibraltar after trying out one a drummer had on a gig ...thought it was real comfortable then until i got my own, started using it on a gig and i found it to be very uncomfortable even with the back rest. Hope it's not just me (can't be because i never had a problem with my cheap round stool) Just gotta take your word because unfortunately you can't find many high end stools in the music stores.
Uncomfortable how? Which model? The saddle seat or the round? I find saddle seats to be very uncomfortable while round seats give me 100% comfort. Others say the opposite. So it's probably due to the same thing: you probably need the opposite style seat of the one you tried in order to have comfort.
I love mine - I just wish there was an option of it coming with or fitting onto a hydraulic / Gas cylinder base.... trying to find a base out there which it will fit on, so if you know of any, please let me know!
I want one but wondering, round vs saddle? Im looking to relieve mild sciatica and up my double bass game for metal. Wondering if the round will be less restrictive and better for what i want to do
Being I had six surgeries on my back I want to get one. I just need to know (being both are not available in stores to try) which to get, the bike seat or the round. I am very short maybe 5’3” play on round (shitty) throne play a mix of on edge or seated on throne. Can anyone out there give me a little advice on which to choose. Oh I play single bass primarily
how is the long period play on these? looks too thin to last for 1 hour, let alone 4 hours of practice. sometimes i play more than that in a day... my current gibraltar won't support my weight anymore.
Thank you for this great review Steve! How is it holding up after all these years? I'm considering getting one, would you still recommend it or have you found something better since then? Thanks again.
Love sonor too. I have the prolite 5 peice and a Benny greb beech snare. On the throne the one half of the seat looks like it's protruding out further than the other. Does it cause any issue when seated on it?
Was thinking about getting the round version of this throne. Been having lumbar and sciatic problems ever since i had an operation epidural for my mid section, and chronic pain. I work out and stretch as often as i can, even when i'm not playing. However, pain is still there from time to time, sometimes for months at a time. I'm hoping this drum throne can help diminish the pain i have.
I'm trying to choose between this and the Carmichael - any thoughts? Main thing holding me back from this is what seems to be a smaller gap - how does that work? Thanks
The Carmichael is more expensive, its gap is wider and the foam is much firmer -- so you feel more on top of it. The Ahead is softer, wider and the gap is smaller so you sink in a bit more. The comfort level (for me) is about the same. Both take the pressure off your junk and both are huge leaps forward in sitting technology.
Carmichael blows it away. The channel on the spinal G is way to narrow to do anything, check out the Carmichael. The Ahead is wicked heavy and doesn’t travel well with that bottom plate crazy stem protrusion. 👎🏼
Thanks for the great review Steve! At age 55, I'm relatively new to drumming long hours (guitarist for years who always wanted to play drums so recently put a kit in my living room and enrolled in an online course). I'm also a fairly active runner and enjoy walking and hiking at times. Twice now, I've developed pain in my lower back / left hip / buttock that may or may not be related to the time spent at the kit. I'm considering replacing my basic Gibraltar stool with a higher quality throne such as this but just wanted to ask if you or anyone else reading this has experienced or heard of other drummers experiencing this kind of pain and if a great new throne is likely to be the solution. Thanks for any input that may help! Really loving playing drums and don't wanna have to dial back at all
Hi - a good throne helps, but sometimes a simple adjustment of throne height will remove the pain location you describe. If new to drums certain muscles and movements take time to build, so don't overdue it at first.
i got $300 pearl throne i got years ago ,its sturdy but its seat is the most uncomfortable thing i ever sat on ,i think just putting a big rock behind my kit would be better ,based on this review though i think i'm gonna buy the ahead seat and put it on my pearl stand ,good review
Just like A bike style throne, I do not want A throne that I have rotate in position every time I sit down. During A performance I may stand up, Walk away from the kit, ect. I want to jump back on the throne without that extra step.
I got a used one with a kit I bought off list and it's great. Would but another. A good throne really does help your playing. Before this I had and still have a nice mapex bought new for 150. This throne is better and my go to. I've sat on the dw hydraulic that's like 250 new. Only throne i would say is better than this.
The only part that makes this seem fake is that not only did your friend happen to have it but he said it changed his life too. Lol. Either way I just got the throne and its very comfortable. I'm still getting used to playing on it but it seems like it's gonna be a keeper.
I have a Carmichael too and it's much firmer, the channel is wider and (to me) the comfort level is about same. Very nice, but it's quite a bit more expensive.
The channel is not wide enough. And what about the springs inside, WTH!? 7/8” is the industry standard spindle diameter, Gary should’ve told you that. The real deal is a Carmichael, deff the best spine floating throne on the market. Another question you didn’t answer, How much does that top weigh?
How do you like the throne after using it for a longer time, is the seat keeping his shape, or is it pressing together? I have read somewhere the seat is compressed after 3 weeks drumming, and he give it back. It should be a very bad quality?
@@friedpickles342 Lol, I'm not a heavyweight ether. 6 foot and 165 Lbs. But I perform to spend more money for a good quality throne. You say you spend your money spend well, and it's a good choice. That's what I want to hear, so I order this one too. Thanks for the answer.
I just got my round top Spinal G today. The split is more than wide enough. It's perfect. It doesn't need to be any wider. While sitting on it, I thought about how wide the Carmichael's split is and right away I thought, "Yeah the width of that split is completely unnecessary". Perhaps the reason they have such a wide split is so that it looks good in product photos and videos. I have a 22-year old super-soft and cushy Pork Pie round throne. The Ahead Spinal G is far more comfortable and supportive and it's just as well-made and sturdy. On the Pork Pie throne, I sink into the padding and yes that's extremely comfortable and I can sit on that for hours. I even took a nap on it once while leaning up against a wall (I had a practice room with nowhere else to sit). On the Ahead Spinal G though, I feel like I'm floating comfortably on the top of its memory foam padding. I'm not sinking in at all. I'm just sitting. At first, it feels like it would be too firm for long-term sitting (like for several hours), but it's not. It's absolutely perfect. There's never any fatigue or pressure points. Dare I say, I'm playing better thanks to the Spinal G as well because I'm more comfortable and I'm supported better. My body naturally holds good posture while I'm playing now, which is a first. I don't have to think about good posture anymore.
thanks for your take... so they make a round top as well as the motor cycle seat? i was thinking an ultra soft pork pie like you have would be the ultimate but then i saw the Carmichael and thought thatd prob be better but now ill have to seriously consider a round spinal g.
Yeah, now I'm seeing why everyone else loves the Spinal G (except for just a few, which is normal of course). Round seats work far better for me, so if they didn't make one, then I wouldn't have even considered ordering a Spinal G. I'd still be using my Pork Pie. I had a bicycle style seat Roc N Soc Nitro from February 2015 until just a few months ago. What happened was, I was bored and so I tried my Pork Pie for the first time since getting my Roc N Soc and immediately I was more comfortable and had noticeably more support and I played better because of it. I spent a great deal of time trying to figure out why, and I figured out that it's the round shape. The bicycle style shape forced me to support myself more with my feet whereas I don't have to do that at all with a round seat. I get the same excellent support from the round Ahead Spinal G and more. It might be the best drum-related investment I have made so far. This is almost a game-changer for me. This might sound like a round seat hinders the movement of my legs, but it doesn't. It's that I get full support by the drum stool, vs. like half the support I need like with a bicycle style seat. And that's just it: the first time I sat on the Roc N Soc, I felt like I was sitting on half of a seat. It felt way too small. The area of the seat that supported me was too small. I'm a little guy too, 5'4" 140-150 pounds. Anyway, so yeah, the Ahead Spinal G. Wow. The base is pretty damn good too. It's the one in the product photo on Ahead's website: www.aheaddrumsticks.com/drum-thrones-spg-artb.html Thanks to the nut and wingbolt design for the clamps, I can adjust them so that the wingbolts end up being perfectly horizontal when fully-tightened. :) This means I can truly set the seat as low as it can go if I really wanted to and still swivel without the wingbolts hitting anything. I think I'm starting to see too why some people sit very high: sitting higher takes pressure off of the tailbone because it protrudes when the legs are at more of a 90-degree angle at the hips (and protrudes more of course as the angle increases into a squat or fetal position). I notice I tend to open up and make my legs as straight as I can in my office chair when I sit for long periods of time, and I'm thinking it must be my body's natural way of taking pressure off the tailbone. It's not something I do consciously. It just happens. I can start out seated more 'properly' but then it changes over time. Perhaps this is why I like the super soft sink-in cushy seat of the Pork Pie. Or really, why I *used* to like it.
I have some more to say, believe it or not. :) In my previous post I said, "This is almost a game-changer for me." I take that back. This is absolutely a game-changer for me. I'm consistently playing better and with greater ease due to being much more comfortable. Or maybe I can say "due to finally being 100% comfortable". My energy level doesn't continually drop anymore while playing either, and I think it's due to not having any pressure on my tailbone. I'm 40 years old and I'm feeling like a kid again while playing. I haven't been this excited about playing every day in YEARS. Things are coming out of me in my playing that actually make me laugh and play with more joy, and these things often feel natural as though it was just instinct or something. I can't explain it. Ahead says, "The most comfortable and supportive drum throne that you'll ever own. The Ergokinectic™ technology eliminates tail-bone compression and supports the way your body moves, by maximizing your flexibility around the kit while minimizing fatigue and stress to your shoulders, hips and back." I didn't believe much of this at first, especially "supports the way your body moves, by maximizing your flexibility around the kit while minimizing fatigue and stress to your shoulders, hips and back". I definitely believe it now though, especially after the way I've been feeling while playing, and the way I've been playing. I'm noticing ALL of these things. It did take me a while to get the seat height correct for me though because it's a very firm (yet extremely comfortable) memory foam padding. You see, my Pork Pie throne is very soft and I just sink down into it a good 3-4 inches. So, I had to spend time adjusting the height up and down to find the best height. I also had to find the best location of the seat as well because it's a little smaller in diameter than the Pork Pie which threw me off in combination of not sinking into the seat at all. When I found the best location and height though, I didn't want to stop playing. Having no pressure points while sitting helps too. That's another thing I hated about the Roc N Soc: I had pressure points while sitting. Oh yeah, and this drum stool is heavy as well. For me, this means that if I accidentally bump into it, it doesn't move out of place as easily as my Pork Pie which is lighter. I love that. I can walk around behind the kit now with less worry I might move my perfectly-placed drum stool. lol :) Some people complain about the weight because it's something heavy to carry around, but it doesn't bother me and my muscles are weak. I never get exercise or lift, so if I can carry it around with no problem, anyone can. This is the best drum stool I have owned so far. I think I found my "Holy Grail" of drum stools.
@@TwoCablesOCN thats great. did you watch that vid somebody posted on that vid of the drummer who nw stands while playing, of that drummer w back probs who uses a round roc n soc?
I would say that you found out that you need the opposite style of seat. If you had this issue with the saddle style, then go with round. Or if you had this issue with the round one, go with the saddle style. That's been my experience anyway.
The video is a pretty big disappointment, I mean no celebrities'? You couldn't get Rodney Allen Rippey, or maybe even Mikey from the Life Cereal commercial. Hell even the old Taco Bell bobble head would have shown some effort. There really is no excuse for not having at least one celeb, maybe Kim Kardashians 2 cousin twice removed on her mothers side, someone, ANYONE. Next time it's Honey BooBoo or bust ok? Get it together and remember, this isn't just one small step for me, it's one gian't leap for mankind.
