Full DIY Shell

[Herl]

Why do you saw toms in half? Why not convert an a-kit into an e-kit and keep the shells? My question is are there any practical reasons?

I have at least one a-kit that I would want to convert but I want the a-look so I am not gonna saw anything in half. I am COMPLETELY ignorant as far as DIY goes, so please do not give me tips yet (I will forget, anyway).

The only thing I wonder is "why not leave the shells intact?"

[daveybabes]

Acoustic drums can be left as they are without cutting in half using all the original mounts but a deep drum does not sit on a V rack if it's more than 5" deep, the "L" arm is not long enough. So if one plans to add deeper more realistic drums to their V rack any more than 5" creates problems. Check the pic, it only just fits ... sorry for the pic quality.

http://vdrums.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=32&pictureid=224

You could convert an acoustic set to electric without even drilling a hole in the kit ...

A lot depends on how much kit space one has, some folks can only fit a V rack into their rooms.

[Gastric]

And some people do it to simply double their drum yield by cutting it into 2 pieces. You start with one 12" tom. You end up with two 12" toms. Viola!

['lectric drumma]

I think it all just depends on what you want. Do you want the sound you get from your e-drums, and that's it, or do you want the look as well. I can imagine if it's a kit just for home practice, you could buy a crappy 12" and 13", saw them in 2 and you 've already got your 4 toms prepared (if you'd want 4 of course).

Davybabes, I can't really see the pic clear (has to do with my screen too, no worries about the pic itself). From what you're saying and what I see I think the clamp is on the backside of the rack, right? If you place the clamp on the other side of the rack, won't your problem be solved?


Stijn

[Herl]

Acoustic drums can be left as they are without cutting in half using all the original mounts but a deep drum does not sit on a V rack if it's more than 5" deep, the "L" arm is not long enough. So if one plans to add deeper more realistic drums to their V rack any more than 5" creates problems. Check the pic, it only just fits ... sorry for the pic quality.

http://vdrums.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=32&pictureid=224

You could convert an acoustic set to electric without even drilling a hole in the kit ...

A lot depends on how much kit space one has, some folks can only fit a V rack into their rooms.

The project I had in mind was to convert a complete acoustic kit into an e-kit. I would not use a rack at all, just a simple old 5-piece kit. But I certainly see the problem with the L-arm, so thanks for that view.

[Herl]

And some people do it to simply double their drum yield by cutting it into 2 pieces. You start with one 12" tom. You end up with two 12" toms. Viola!

LOL, if it were some old kit I found somewhere (and for practice purposes), I think that would be smart. But I really have a problem with sawing drums in half ... it is an emotional thing

[Herl]

I think it all just depends on what you want. Do you want the sound you get from your e-drums, and that's it, or do you want the look as well. I can imagine if it's a kit just for home practice, you could buy a crappy 12" and 13", saw them in 2 and you 've already got your 4 toms prepared (if you'd want 4 of course).

I would love 8 toms

But in my case, I would want the look as well. However, as a first-time project, I might want to get an old kit and do the sawing thing (and it would hurt me more than the shells). Who knows, if that DIY project works, I should move on to the real project.

[tripp2k]

Herl,
I'm close to starting my first one as well. I elected to try first converting a snare since (1) I got the parts cheap enough that I could dispose of them if I failed and (2) It wouldn't matter much whether the snare matched the rest of the kit if I eventually converted a complete kit although a nice wrap could fix that.

I bought a 14" Pearl Rythmn Traveler tom for about $11 off ebay that will be perfect for this. I will likely end up using full size everything else except that I plan to use a 14" bass drum...but need to make sure that snare works flawlessly first. The Traveler allowed me to bypass the painful sawing.

Tripp

[Gastric]

Not to dissaude you from sawing but you do short yourself some hardware when you do this. You'll only have a rim on one side of the drum. And you'll be short mounting hardware to attach it to a rack. So you're increasing your drum yield but also increasing your work load and will have to purchase some more mounting hardware.

Based on reviewing the total DIYs and rack-based stuff I've mostly decided it's very cost effective to simply buy a complete used kit with all of the hardware and drums and cymbals you need. At least in Raleigh they're readily available. You can score a real crappy 5 piece with crash/ride/hh and all the hardware for $125 on up. You can score a real kicking 7 piece with double-bass pedals and gobs of cymbals for $600 on up. Of course you have to add the electronic conversion cost, but you have to do that regardless.

I do have to say personally I enjoyed playing on my A-to-E conversion more than my rack-based factory produced hit. It's visually and psycho acoustically enjoyable. Plus it's an easy re-sell if you ever need to sell it. Just pull out the electronics and it's an acoustic again.

Just my opinion of course.

I'm onto my 2nd DIY A-to-E and am going for an intermediate level kit to base it on, purely for the better hardware. Hardware is the weak link of the true entry level kits like Percussion Plus and stuff. I found the Groove Percussion hardware was pretty thick and rugged compared to most other beginner kits but you can't get parts for when they break.

Pros and cons to everything. Obviously no matter what you build they all sound the same in the end. Make it with plastic dinner plates or a $1000 Gretch kit. Once electrified they all trigger the same sample sounds.

[Daddy-O]

Herl--My A to E kit is exactly as Gastric has suggested: I bought a cheap A kit to experiment on and went from there. Now, as it's my first build, I already have a wish-list of improvements to make, but for the time being I'm enjoying the fruits of my labor!

Here's a front shot--looks completely like an A kit.

['lectric drumma]

Nice one Daddy-O. Not to criticise, but I've never understood how one can play with toms on that angle...? If one would put me behind a kit and the toms are angled like that, changing that would be the first thing I'd do...

Just out of curiosity... Are you new to drumming or have you been playing like that for years already?


Stijn

[eric_B]

Herl--My A to E kit is exactly as Gastric has suggested: I bought a cheap A kit to experiment on and went from there. Now, as it's my first build, I already have a wish-list of improvements to make, but for the time being I'm enjoying the fruits of my labor!

Here's a front shot--looks completely like an A kit.

Hmmm... do you have an assistant who operates the Iron Cobra under the (very, very deep) floor tom (?). And also the toms attached to it. Or do you have very flexibel limbs?

...hey Stijn, I think he's new to drumming: just look at the 'Digital Drum instruction manual' on the right: no experienced drummer would ever read instructions manuals

[Navare]

Looks like a small stand up kit as played by Andy Sturmer in Jellyfish, not only a great drummer but a damn fine singer to...lol

N.

[Daddy-O]

Ahhh, Eric...that's just WRONG!!! Even if it is true!

Yeah, the tom angles are not the greatest. I would have preferred a traditional bass drum mounted tom system, but at less than $190 usd I thought I'd be able to manage. I really want a nice rack, but I wasn't willing to pay 1.5 to 2x what the entire kit cost! I'm trying to get up the nerve to make my own, but then I would need to purchase or develop a mounting system for the toms themselves, and I'm a big chicken!

Funny that you guys would notice how my kit is set up. I'm not comfortable behind it, and before I make a more permanent mounting platform I'd like to have a better idea of where I should lay things out. Also, I'm very much afraid that I prefer to play open-handed, which is not possible with the Ludwig hi-hat and double bass pedals.

I may reverse the bass and hi-hat positions, and try making my left foot primary. This is not really a problem, as I ride motorcycles for a living, and have a fair degree of coordination. When I imagine what would be a comfortable kit for me to play on, I keep coming back to a double bass drum set-up, with the snare and hi-hat centered in between. I know....I'm doomed.



The Iron Cobra powered cocktail kit on the left is nicer, and for the moment it will stay as an A kit. You just can't go wrong with a 2x2 foot "stage footprint" that can be picked up and carried/transported in my van in one piece.


Any suggestions?
John

['lectric drumma]

Why wouldn't open handed playing be possible? Or are you thinking about open handed with your current hand still leading, so switching hi-hat to the other side?

As far as your toms go, I'd suggest you just put them at the same angle, but not tilted to each other, but to yóu. Lowest part of the toms facing you, hightest part of the toms facing, well... the audience. Hope you get what I mean?

Best of luck!


Stijn