Jinx - If there is one major selling point on these DD's, it is the devices ability to replicate a chosen tuning. In your situation, it's a -necessity- if you want to maintain any consistency at all in how the drums sound 'right out of the box.'

I have to commend you for assembling and tuning your drums before shipping them out. While attempting to cut corners, a lot of drum companies these days opt for the 'Ikea Method' - let the customer/end-user put them together!

Your way is better!

John

So, I picked up a DrumDial yesterday. I can't believe I haven't bought one of these sooner! I have always been decent at tuning my drums and found that I was pretty close in most instances. But, using this really woke my drums up! What i did find was that I was off on my 16" floor tom between top head vs bottom head tension. Anyhow, it is a great tool to use and I'm glad I bought it.

Purdie- I checked out one of those TuneBots while at GC the other day and it seemed to have too many buttons for my taste. I played around with the display one and i became frustrated with it pretty easily. I think that feeling would ease after learning how to use it though. Also, I'm not certain it would be accurate in a loud musical setting...

Justin - You bought the right one! I've already used mine to tune up every kit I own. Like you mentioned, a couple of drums really woke up after tuning with the DD.

Thanks for posting your review. I'm loving mine too. Great time saver!

John

Just came across this thread and I agree with you Purdie, get it close with the dial and finish by ear. Significantly reduced my tuning time.

Man, you pulled this thread out of the abyss! I have been using my drum dial on everything I own. Greatest tool in the world to put you right in the ballpark every time. Useful tool for drummers.

A little tip for great sounding toms: 70 on the reso, 75 on top/batter. Killer sounding toms every time!

John

Thanks I'll try that John! I have been tuning to about the same pitch on each head, sometimes slightly tighter on the bottom head. hell... i may even go and give it a ride here in a few minutes before it gets too late! :D

the tune bot works great! i bought a drum dial first and it got me close but i found that if you had a rusty or stuborn lug the tuning might be off just a bit. the best tutorial i have seen on how to use it is on youtube under "mike johnston endorses tune bot"

for me the tune bot is not a crutch, i can tune by ear pretty good, its just a tool i use to tune up quickly especially if i'm moving my drums from inside my air conditioned house to hotter temps outside.

I never had much luck with the Drum Dial. For example I can put it next to a lug and completely remove the lug without hardly moving the needle at all. How can that happen.

I do use it to quickly rough in the tension when I change heads. I also tried an app for my iPhone that works like a guitar tuner. It's better but it gets tricked easily so it's hard to work with.

The one I can recommend (although it's expensive) is the Resotune. It take a while to figure it all out. For example you don't dampen one head to tune the other side. It looks at the whole drum at once. Once you go back and "clear" the heads they magically resonate like never before.

[QUOTE=dboomer;308602]I never had much luck with the Drum Dial. For example I can put it next to a lug and completely remove the lug without hardly moving the needle at all. How can that happen.

If you have it sitting next to a lug, after you detune it, pick the Dial up and set it back down. That will "reset" it, so to speak, and will give you a more accurate tension.

I would think that should happen. But it doesn't always work that way. Sometimes there is very little change showing after resetting it.