It's really personal taste to me. Some like them low, some high, some pitched and some level. It's really to where you can play everything on them at a comfortable level to your style.

Hi Glenn!

Check out my other thread in the general drum question section. Related to this one. I am debating setting mine lower so I can more easily hit the top of the hats with a bit of a swipe, or keep it higher and hit the edge a bit more. Figured I would start this thread and just see where people are in general. :)

It really is dependent on the player - their height, throne, snare and other component set up. I guess mine is mainly based on the height of the snare, making it comfortable to cross over sticks.

I only play mine two ways, open or closed, and use a drop clutch; so I keep them high enough in relation to the snare so that I don't keep wacking my freakin' thumb with the piece of lumber I am trying to kill the snare drum with....... I never really thought about hitting the top or the bell or anything I guess, so the location is strictly to avoid pain for me!

Ditto for me!

some hats can only go so high im 3 inches off the top of rod with my old wfl hat

I don't have a measurement, but I will say that it works out such that my hat and ride tom(s) are pretty much the same level, and my snare and floor tom(s) are pretty much at the same level.

I go for economy of motion, even in a big kit. So, I have my ride toms as lows I can mount them over my bass, and the angles set carefully so they are parallel to the natural stroke at that height- that is to say I can play a clean rim shot on any Tom if I choose to do so, and my drum head life is very long regardless of how hard I may be hitting.

Cymbals are just above the toms, but my ride is just above my floor Tom. I can ride for a week and stay relaxed. On the old Yamaha kit I will have the ride higher in the classic on-bass configuration, but my RC kit it is as low as possible.

And, playing traditional, whacking my left thumb with my right hand was once an issue, and last night I played on a kit at Cafe 9 and the hats were so low I literally could not play them. They were about four inches above the snare! I was hitting my right hand on the snare head trying to play this set up... The ride he had was sweet however, and on my list to check out now.

Anyway, a long answer, but it may be more useful than a simple measurement.

+2. For the record, my hat's are at 33" and my throne is at 24" (I think I may sit higher than the average bear). I'm a tad under 6' and play a 24" kick.

I only hit the edge of the hats with the upper shaft of the stick, for accents/effect, as I do with the bell and bottom hat (it's way heavier). Been using the same hats since '78.

There are so many variables, as previously mentioned.

B

Same here all around on the set up.

Cafe 9, I've played that kit, I know of what you speak.