Posts
Cheap and good condenser mics
If I were to use a single mic for the whole kit (including cymbals) I would place an overhead SM81. It may not be the most inexpensive, but it will b...
14 years agoRestoring / Modifying Vistalite set - tom mounts & BD Hoops
For BD hoops I have found the best way to repair them is to first mask the inlay with 3M blue masking tape. Use a scapel with a number 11 blade or an...
14 years agoWhat Year Did Ludwig Stop Dating Shells?
I special ordered three classic toms from the factory in late 1972 or early 1973 (BO Badge, sn 122xxxx). They came with the speckled interior paint a...
14 years agoFinally Finished my Vistalites
David, Thanks for the reminder. On vistalites I generally tighten lug screws finger tight plus one-quarter turn. I tighten mounting hardware until...
14 years agoFinally Finished my Vistalites
I finally got around to finishing my cleaning/rehab of a vistalite pattern "C" kit in red/amber/yellow (I call it "Tequila Sunrise with a Twist"). I...
14 years agoAny suggestions for removing factory labels/graphics from drum heads?
If you want to start a bit less aggressive than acetone (nail polish remover) try either isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) or methanol (wood alcohol). S...
14 years agofull headphone recommendations anyone?
Most of my playing with monitors is at church and we use an Aviom system with individual 16 channel mixers for each instrumentalist. I used to use on...
14 years agoThoughts about physics of Trixon conical?
O-lugs, There are a couple of different acoustic issues involved in evaluating those particular drums. First is the fact that the heads will virtual...
14 years agoRestoring kick pedal: how to clean a bearing?
I clean old grease from small parts with a mixture of 5% mineral oil in hexane. If you have access to a sonic cleaning bath it will take about 5 minu...
14 years agoWhat is near mint condition??
It looks to me like in this case "near mint" meant "I haven't laid a finger on this drum in the 55 years since my daddy bought it. It has never been...
14 years agoA Naive Question
I'm with OddBall on this. The lugs, screws, etc. all were randomly picked from a series of bins at the original build, so I clean everything from a s...
14 years agoForgone Conclusions
Before you pitch you current cymbals for jazz/swing (or until you get those dream pieces of bronze), try switching to a lighter pair of sticks (e.g. 7...
14 years agoWhich way is up on 1969 Ludwig floor tom leg mounts?
From a quick perusal of old Ludwig catalogs it appears to have not made a difference at the factory. The majority of the floor toms seem to have the...
14 years agoHow many Q-Tips?
This is a case where the right tool is a real help. I clean metal parts (lugs, inserts, springs, screws, bolts, and BD claws) by immersing the parts...
14 years agoWeldOn4 for fixing Vistalites
This is a great example of crossover between hobbies. I also do railroad modeling and use "solvent welding" extensively in building models. There ar...
14 years ago