Ep. 26 Converted Concert Toms

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As a follow up to Ep. 25 in which we demonstrated different tuning approaches for a bass drum with the reso head removed, we decided to take the resonant heads off of a set of toms so you can hear the effect it has on smaller drums. We experiment with tuning ultra low and ultra high with only the batter heads intact.
Stick around until the end for a demonstration of the ultra low tuning with some added compression & EQ for a bit more of a big, punchy, focused sound.
Hosted by: Cody Rahn
Production: Ben O'Brien Smith @ Cadence Independent Media
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[@secondsbeforelanding]

as i have said before, and will probably say again, to me, this is the best drum information channel available on the internet. keep up the good work.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks so much for your continued support! We really appreciate it. -Ben

[@achilleuscoronel6466]

Sounds nice, you can actually feel it coming in the air...tonight.

[@benn_bazaa]

lmaoo 😭

[@jackattack2421]

And I’ve been waiting for this moment, for all my life.. oh no.

[@joelalexander4513]

She can feel it coming in her hair...LAST night, too. Sorry. I'm a pig.

[@zacdrake]

As an old fart that played pro in the 70's and 80's, single headed toms were the way to go! As a general rule we were looking to project over the Marshall's and SVT's because the drums weren't mic'd. Only occasionally in larger outdoor venues. Then, with the right sound guy and the right effects, that SM57 shoved up in an open tom could sound awesome! I've got cassette recordings that are 45 years old that still have viable drum sounds. Makes me wanna take the heads off my studio session classics! ; )

[@bryangulledge]

I know this is an old post but I was wondering what kind of heads you were using on your single headed drums? I have a 79/80' slingerland kit that the bottom bearing edges are badly damaged form throwing them around with no heads on (previous owner). Right now I dont have the money to have them repaired, and I cant get them to sound good, so Im going single head on them. Not real happy with the coated pinstipe on the 16", very plasticky.

[@zacdrake]

@@bryangulledge back in the day, the Remo clear w/ black dot CS heads were my first choice. It's important to consider whether you're looking to improve the sound you hear behind the kit or what the audience/others hear in front of the kit and whether or not you're putting mic's on/in them.

[@bryangulledge]

@@zacdrake Thanks for the reply! I like the idea of the control dot heads. Im not playing live, just trying to get a good sound for at home practicing by myself or with a few friends.

[@Jetty-me6cw]

Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters is currently using concert toms. I'm not a huge Taylor fan I just noticed it as of late. Hands down, best drum channel available. No ego or endorsement junk. Just great valid information and great advice. 👌

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Yep! He's been using concert toms on that setup for quite some time now. Certainly proof that they're not just for the 70's. Thanks for the kind words! -Ben

[@thestone5772]

Damn I’m seeing this days after his passing, rest in peace Taylor Hawkins

[@sarojaband4664]

IRON MAIDEN POWERSLAVE TOUR-- ALL SONOR CONCERT POWER TOMS 6" - 16" !!! CAN BE SEEN & HEARD ON "LIVE AFTER DEATH" VIDEO FROM THE LONG BEACH ARENA.

[@lovecraftmusic8717]

Nicko Mcbrain (the drummer) actually recorded Piece of mind, Powerslave and Somewhere in time with concert toms... Maybe also Seventh son.

[@lcarthel]

I think for many of us, our first experience with drums was toms with no bottom heads on shitty kits. I always did like the directness and simplicity of it, even if it sounded terrible.

[@DriftSpaceZero]

Firstly: I love this channel, and your approach to drum sound; I wish your channel the best of success. Secondly: I had a period of time where my only rack tom was a 10" RotoTom; it was that and a regular, 2-headed floor tom for a few years. I distinctly remember playing one show at SxSW where the sound engineer -- after I instructed him to mic the tom from beneath, as close to the head as the spokes allowed -- commented that the tom was "one of the best" he had mic'd in a long time. The only reason I stopped using this configuration was because I like to change my set-up between bands and/or albums, so I went back to a more traditional tom. (I also had a problem with some sound engineers only being able to clamp a mic to the rim, which doesn't work for a RotoTom.) I have always liked concert toms, and let's be honest with ourselves here: for as much as drummers like to talk about resonance, tone, tone woods, etc. the fact is that during the gigs 90% of drummers will play -- in bars, small clubs, and maybe theaters -- nobody in the audience cares about any of that stuff; they want to hear the drummer hit the drum, and most are not listening for (or critiquing) tone woods and/or resonance. Attack and volume are what laypeople (non-musicians) hear when it comes to drums. During my 25+ years of drumming professionally: nobody has ever approached me after a show to say anything like "I don't think 1-ply coated heads and birch were the right choices for this venue"; even drummers want to talk about other things, like cymbals, the brand of the kit, or the sizes/configuration of the drums. Live sound engineers (especially in small venues) seem to love concert toms because of the lack of resonance; there's less to EQ, and less overtones to fight with the other instruments, room, etc. I love concert toms at a live show because -- due to the lack of overtones -- they can be loud in the house and monitors, which is a thing that live sound engineers will fight back on if drums are too resonant. Resonance and tone are great for studio recording, super-professional/high-budget shows, and lower-volume, acoustic performances like jazz, but for the majority of working rock etc. drummers: concert toms make a lot of sense; you get built-in mic isolation on stage, increased attack, increased volume, and fewer heads to buy, replace, and tune. I think the awesome "produced" tom sound at the end of this video is an argument in-favor of concert toms, and it was probably a really easy sound to achieve.

[@psjones1961]

Wow! Ditto on the love for this channel. For [reasons], I ended up with a pair of concert toms as part of my main kit. I really didn't know how to compare what I thought of them to regular double-sided drums - but this video (and this comment) really help. I mainly play power pop in crappy venues ;-) and my toms are all attack, quick decay, and volume. Usually I'm competing (un-amplified) with two guitar players and a bassist, all mic'd and loud- and the volume and projection of the concert toms really help me match levels. In the rare venues where I actually get mic'd, it's super-easy for the sound man to get a good sound from them. Now I understand what I'm missing with the lack of a resonant head; and I'm glad that my accidental set-up is kind of appropriate for what I'm generally doing. Love this channel and the (generally positive) community! Thanks.

[@Chiroman527]

Timesmythe, as 69yo Beginner / low intermediate drummer, who only plays for retirement enjoyment in my basement to My Music, your comments were read with lots of interest. In general, i would think that players of any instrument, would be the person most attuned (excuse the pun) to the sound of their instrument. Similar to driving a high quality sports car, the average person doesn't care about too much of how that speed is produced, but generally enjoys the ride. I am one of those people that reads specs, manuals, to learn why that car can go fast. The same with anything for me . Appliances, etc. I have returned to the pleasure of playing drums ( if you can call it that ) after a 51 year hiatus. I won't be playing gigs, unless i improve to the extent to join a Geratric Band that could play before a Nursing Home post Woodstock era crowd, but i do try to improve to the extent that i would able to play to many tunes without missing beats!!! My club includes, Beatles ( Ringo who was so often ctriized as a so so drummer, fools you if you listen carefully), Stones, Hollies, CSN, Zombies, Animals, Petty CCR, Meloncamp, Eagles, Cowboy Junkies, even Linda Ronstandt [ she and her studio band are really good] and other basic rock bands and tunes. Be well , good luck, and hopefully we ALL get through this Pandemic ....... my opion on that is not for this forum ....

[@conorreedR2C]

I love using concert toms as my mounted toms. As you demonstrated, they just give a real powerful and clear attack that I can't get enough of. I too came to the conclusion that the depth of the floor toms aren't really conducive to this setup. I prefer a fuller, more boomy floor tom sound, so I run a hybrid setup to get a good balance of attack from my mount toms and full tone from the floor toms. I use Remo Controlled Sounds to give the whole kit a real old school sound which sounds just killer for my classic rock cover gigs.

[@jayvalle50]

I've been doing this for years......i love the attack of no bottom head.......the combination of no reso head and ebony pinstripes

[@ziccuj]

Super interesting experiment and very well executed. I gotta say this: pretty much every time there's been a drum-related question puzzling me, there's also been a comprehensive answer to it on this channel. Thanks and grab yourself a cold one! :)

[@davehampsonofficial]

My toms are always set up this way. Mainly because I was born 20 years too late and I'm a massive Genesis fan.

[@EarthtonesCymbals]

No fan of Genesis was born too late.

[@jayroberts-music2101]

Keith Moon was one of the first to do it live consistantly in the late 60's, and then with his huge drum kit in the 70's (the biggest at the time).

[@bobbylancaster4683]

I realize this video and presentation is 4 years old (at this point), but I've been playing True concert toms for 45 years and have been playing 55 years total. I bought a Slingerland drumkit in 1978 with 6 concert toms and 2 floor toms. Initially they came with coated heads, but over time and trying various heads, I came to find that remo pinstripes worked well with those drums, and particularly on the floor toms as I tune them low, but I get a nice bottom end out of the 16x16 and the 16x18. The upper toms range from a 10 inch all the way up to a 16 inch head. Some people aren't crazy about concert toms, but I love them. They're easier to tune, they weigh less than a double headed tom would, and they record very well even without close miking. Hal Blaine as well as Phil Collins and others have played and used concert toms for years with great results, and that was without the suspension systems they now use for rack toms. In my view and from my experience, the suspension systems are much ado about nothing. Some will argue they allow the shell to sing/vibrate without being stifled, but considering all the drums that have been recorded in history up until the suspension systems were introduced, I'd say they turned out just as well as anything suspended today. Frankly, it's added weight and a sales pitch to buy into the whole suspended tom thing. Again, that's my opinion from someone who's been playing for 55 years and have seen fads come and go when it comes to all things drums. Oh, and I do have a very nice set of Pearl Studio Masters drums that are incredibly well made, double headed, and use a different suspension system than other companies sell. They sound great and record very well too, but being birch shells they have an entirely different sound to them versus the Slingerland shells. Anyway, this was a very informative video with some great info, and as always, kudos! Keep up the great work.

[@ronaldperry]

Artimus Pyle played Slingerlands like that back in the day.

[@lovecraftmusic8717]

Judas Priest, Sepultura, Kreator, Jethro Tull, Nocturnus, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Exodus, Necrodeath... All of these bands can be seen with concert toms at one point in the 70's-80's.

[@ashriot6742]

Eloy casagrande still has a concert tom for metal

[@lovecraftmusic8717]

@@ashriot6742 yes, even tho it's used more like a timbales.

[@BADD400]

Love concert toms. I have them. Also use CS Black Dots

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Classic!

[@mikemike7345]

Me and my father was a drummer in the 60s 70s and the 80s he used concert times with cs heads by Remo the black...

[@ThePrateekPradhan]

You guys/gals are doing things of outstanding value.. I love you ! Don't stop this at any cost. I'll make sure to meet you some day... I'll find you and I'll hang out with you(s).

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks so much for the kind words of support! We really appreciate it. -Ben

[@WayneShlegl]

Sadly You did not even mention Hal Blaine, who appeared in countless top-100 and top-10 hits of the 60ies and 70ies. The majority of which he performed with his infamous concert tom kit with thin custom made shells. I really like the sound of concert tom sets, they definitely deserve a renaissance. Just removing reso heads from a standard modern drum kit does not cut it in my opinion.

[@EarthtonesCymbals]

Good response Wayne. I agree 100%. Cheers!

[@BadChizzle]

Last floor Tom sound was nice.

[@spasevrp]

Tommy Aldridge used concert rack toms on one of his early sonor phonic kits when he played with pat travers. Huge sound! I currently own a 70's centennial phonic kit with 4 concert toms, a kick, and a floor tom. I put evans hydraulic heads on the toms.

[@tajbaber9425]

As far as I know, rock bands in the 60's and early 70's used concert toms for projection purposes to make up for poor P.A. technology. It eventually became kind of a trend( looking at you, North drums). Then...we got power toms. Smdh!

[@aftertheendtimes]

Billy Cobham used cool non reso drums on 1976 motreux jazz festival playing with George Duke,..sounded wicked good,..love the 1970´s drumsounds a bit dry ina studiosetup,...Ahhh so good...And the Phil C drums sound is sooo epic,..Thanks you made drumtuning and knowledge so easy to understand,..Love cheers 😄😆💚

[@rod4real]

I really love concert tom!

[@heraldofthegospel]

Found this out by accident, I needed a way to consolidate my kit. I took the reso heads off and fell in love with the sound and the ease of set up and tear down. All drums fit in my bass drum. 👍

[@margovallen]

I refurbished some Tama drums. Stripped and recovered them.. new lugs, hoops. 14X11 tom (formerly a flying floor-tom) and placed it on a snare-stand. 2- 16X16 floor-toms.. and an 22X18 bass drum. Single heads on the tom and FT's. Remo Ambassador X coated (1-ply 12 mil) batter heads. Remo coated Emperor (2-ply) on the kick-side of the BD.. and a Remo Diplomat Fibyrskin on the front. No holes on the BD. No muffling. Kit sounds amazing. I used to play single-headed drums years ago.. taking the resonant heads off. Then, had several kits with two-heads. Now, I'm back to my favorite. Remo Ambassador X heads are great sounding/feeling heads for single-headed toms.

[@ContentsMayDiffer]

I love the sly Phil Collins reference.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

It seemed fitting, right? -Ben

[@mlavinv2112]

Jajajajjaaj the last one even has a slighty smile, I really laughed at it Keep the good job guys!!

[@thunderfoot11]

While everyone remembers the gate on Phil's eponymous drum fill, most people don't realize that he used concert toms on all of his toms on his kit as well. Gate a concert tome and you get that PC sound of 80s pop.

[@mikemike7345]

, yes Phil Collins is my favorite drummer I'm not saying he's the best but it just does the right thing musically

[@batouttahell454]

Everything is a Fad! We called them BOTTOM HEADS (now,Reso Heads).

[@1thess523]

In around 94' i bought my first drum set which was a CB700 for $90, I bought Remo Pinstripes for thw whole kit but i didn't know how to tune yet so i couldn't tune the toms right ao i decided to take the reso heads off and dang it totally improved my kits sound. It turned into this nice fat boomy little kit 👍

[@vvviiixxx8745]

I love concert toms - great attack, and I never realized how tribal they actually sound - makes sense since I love doing rad polyrhythmic stuff, and the quick decay allows for wonderful clarity in those more busy sections. And yes, the single-head tuning is a lot more convenient.Maybe a matter of taste, but I can get away with a surprising amount of dynamics and tonal range. I recommend it, haven't gone back since tbh.

[@erikbarrett85]

Timbale sound was awesome

[@belfastbusfan]

Peter Criss used concert toms all of his drumming career with kiss (not sure about the late 90s and early 00s) and because he’s my absolute idol, I wanted to convert my normal toms to concert toms

[@benn_bazaa]

yes!!! i was thinking of that big kit he had in the 70s and remembering he had no reso heads

[@lucksury]

I’m almost positive I’ve seen Joey Jordison use single head drums at some point or another. RIP

[@_chancey_c_]

Sameee

[@brettself]

Pulled my resos and added Evans SoundOffs to keep the HOA off my back.

[@josephsocha8325]

my setup is a C&C drums superflyer with 12" rack, 15" floor, and 18" bass, with an additional 18" Ludwig floor tom, all with only batter heads. It took a lot of experimentation, but I love using remo fiberskyns tuned a bit on the high side, the dryness of the heads really bring out the attack/articulation and are dark enough that they don't really sound like timbales. Love the videos, btw.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Way cool! I've played a few of those C&C Superflyer single-headed kits and really dug them for a specific sound. Glad to hear that you've found the perfect setup for your needs. Thanks for watching! -Ben

[@BoyGeorgestrait]

Have you guys tried the Rythm Travler by Pearl? The shallowness of the drum makes a huge differance! Very musical imho.

[@johncollins5552]

Fibreskyns are perfect for bop kits being the closest sound to calfskin heads used back in the day but with the advantage of not going out of tune due to temperature and humidity air changes. Thanks Remo!.

[@TrevorMag62]

I remember reading an interview with Phil Collins where he spoke of using two-ply heads, and tuning them to a very specific tension. At that point, if the drums were hit HARD, they would "bark" - give short burst of almost-distorted tone, with an abrupt end.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Might just have to try it!

[@gordrum]

I love concert toms. Who needs all that resonance anyway?

[@abuzman123]

I have two drum kits. One is a 4 pc. set of Ludwig Super Classics from the 1960s with 2 toms - 13 & 16 inch. The other is 5pc. Ludwigs from the 1980s with 5 concert toms 12,13, 15 & 16 inch. The bass drum came with no resonant head but after a while I added one with a port because I just like the sound. I have played the 80s kit quite a bit on club gigs, outdoors and church gigs. I definitely have to make a mental adjustment when switching from one kit to the other because of the difference in tone but I find the concert toms fit in musically and seem much easier to mike. I have used Remo Black Dots, Pinstripes and Ebony Pinstripes to tweek the sound with good effect. I like the 4 pc. kit with the resonant heads for some gigs and I call it my Jazz Kit but it is good for any purpose. Your channel is tops in content. Keep it going!

[@ralphbenites1312]

What I’ve herd in the late 60’s drummers were looking for a bigger sound in rock music so the heads were removed. Then came north drum kits horn shaped tom’s but didn’t really catch on. So slingerland/ Ludwig had them in the 70’s if that’s what you’re looking for. Thanks 🥁

[@Yourmomsideways69]

KISS has almost always used concert toms. It’s really neat, because it gives the drums a swing band/vintage jazz sound which is Peter Chris’s musical background. I always found that their music was a blend of so many different sounds and the concert toms just added to that.

[@benn_bazaa]

Criss**

[@Bliss_Hop]

I just do it cause it gives a different sound and I love it.

[@skinnyDN]

love watching these videos.

[@davidcurtis4478]

Great video dude, groove on! 🎶🥁😎👍DC

[@alexanderjamieson7971]

Would it be possible to show what happens when using a typical double ply batter head as a resonant head on toms?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Absolutely! We’ll plan to cover that in the future. Cheers! -Ben

[@davidperez5089]

You get a real fat deep sound, try it!

[@Hawiianlion67]

Deep, dark, and dead, just how i like it.

[@jhardy0786]

I have been playing the drums for 50,years and for the first 30 I never used the bottom heads at first I took them off from the 80’s to the 20’s I had concert Tom’s I’m getting to the point I think I’m going to take them off again that sound is coming back

[@jefferybiggins3783]

I own a 1968 Ludwig Hollywood drum set that did not have bottom heads or hardware on the toms. I bought the parts and heads later. I had to use a file to shave some wood off so I could

[@ivandelvalle2784]

You need more subscriptions!!!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Help spread the word to your fellow drummers!

[@ivandelvalle2784]

@@SoundsLikeADrum got you fam!

[@DG-sf9ei]

Love the timbale effect, surprisingly sounds great

[@killersajmon]

Brann Dailor of Mastodon usually records without bottom heads, and it sounds awesome.

[@steviemac2377]

With concert toms using a clear two ply heads seems to be the best route. Used single ply and also coated drum heads and the sound just doesn't compare to using a clear G2 or a Pinstripe at least for a Rock sound

[@noostrings]

Most drummers in the 70s when using concert toms used pinstripes or other thick heads. Phil Collins went the other direction and used clear diplomats. Apparently he said it made them louder.

[@johncollins5552]

Great this video brought back memories of 10 years ago I gigged a bit with a maple 12,13,16 and single coated ambassador headed with a poprock combo, it worked out fine when closemiked ,felt weird in rehearsals with no mikes.It was mainly because the tripleflange rims on the resos were not great quality and made worse by stock singleply resos. so they were pita to tune.Hmm, interesting!

[@ric2606]

Concert toms are AMAZING!

[@Peacelovesunshinepositivity]

I love concert Tom's after years listening to Peter criss of kiss. my favorite drummer of all time. I love the 70s which used it a lot across all genres. It sounds good when I play 80s glam metal, death metal or hip hop and other styles. I turned my to sound like timpini drums high pitched. 🌈🦄

[@polyduckwanaland]

Milford Graves, Free Jazz legend.

[@pawelmorrison]

John Densmore of the Doors liked using one headed toms in the 1968+ era of the band. He tuned them crazy low and used very low and beat up heads. Thats one way to make your top of the line Ludwig kit to sound like a cardboard box lol. Ive experimented with taking the resonants off, the toms sounded kinda cool to the player, but the tone doesnt carry at all if you listen from a distance. Using close micks is deffinitely a "must" on these

[@chromebull884]

I have 8" 10" 12" 14" rack toms and 16" and an 18" floor tom all concert toms. It saves money too!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Nice! No reso hardware or just no reso heads? What's your go-to batter head for these drums?

[@chromebull884]

@@SoundsLikeADrum I took the reso hardware off and the heads. I also cut the 8" 10" and 12 so they would be more shallow to enhance the high end. At the moment I am only using the 14" 16" and 18" with clear pinstripes tuned some where in tthe middle with Aquarian studio rings on the heads to get rid of some over tones. I want to use Aquarian's clasic clear (wich is comparable to an Evans G1 or Remo Ambassador) on my 8? And 10". Then I want to have Aquarian's classic clear with power dot on the 12" and a Studio X with a power dot on the 14". Lastly I want an Aquarian Performance 2 clear on the 16" and a Performance 2 with a power dot clear on the 18".

[@Eurodrummer666]

How about the edges? Aren´t they getting damaged?

[@chromebull884]

@@Eurodrummer666 nope

[@Shane07752]

Drummer Ronnie Tutt also used them.

[@WhippperSnaperater]

*plays the fill from that one Phil Collins song* "These drums sound super Phil Collins to me" Never would have guessed

[@JailDoctor1]

Added note: I like the addition of the Compres. and EQ. (tecneck?)

[@B4NDllKOOT_]

John Densmore of “The Doors” done this with his toms too as well with his bass drum so the sound he produced booms like hell 😂

[@DG-sf9ei]

This will flattened out a bass drum. There's no boom because the resonance is not being trapped in the drum shell

[@Herfinnur]

This is very cool, and it'll help me in getting the most out of my single drumset. So far, the coolest thing was tuning the batter heads high and reso heads low, but this seems ideal for modern pop and EDM. When will you guys tackle host l hi-hats? I have the cheapest set available, because I don't want to upgrade until you've explored the subject.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Glad to hear it! We’ll be covering cymbals later this year/early next year.

[@ssonicdeafmonkey]

I like that floor tom without the reso.

[@Monsterdrumma]

I did an Elton John tribute and wanted the Nigel Olsen sound so I took the bottom heads of my drums. To me they were boingy with the top heads tuned as if the bottom heads were still on. I tuned them higher then put a bit of duck tape with a square or two of toilet paper on the bottom of the heads inside the drums and they actually sounded great and much deeper sounding then how high they were actually tuned! I love tone and resonance at the same time I do a lot of quick intricate rolls (not so much on an Elton John gig) and man were they precise obviously with a ton of attack which I love!

[@PaulStonedrums]

Love your channel! Any chance at some point you could do a comparison of snare reso head tuning... tight versus medium etc?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks for the kind words! Ep. 2 goes into different snare tunings which require changes in snare side tension to balance for sound. We may consider making additional videos showcasing alternative methods in the future but the methods previously illustrated are the ones we choose to employ without fail on a regular basis. Cheers! - Ben

[@VanAvakian]

YO I've been playing single head on my rack toms and double on my floor toms, all I can tell you is if you want some killer tones you have to tune way low, kind of like a harmonizing frequency to the shells fundamental note. Then throw on some studio rings (not gels), use some smaller toms and go Waaaay low there should be a sweet spot for each drum, too low and it'll sound loose and too high and you'll choke the head with the ring on it. Good luck with that my dudes!

[@Hawiianlion67]

After seeing artimus pyle from lynyrd skynyrd, and hearing his sound, I'm woke

[@seppoinnanen5577]

Hearing Gino Vanelli's original version of Appaloosa made me fall in love with concert tom sound once again. I would mix different toms and use double headed floor toms with concert rack toms. Best from both worlds

[@evdbob]

I only use concert toms. Even my floor toms are rims suspended and a bit shallow. I use Yamaha drums with either clear pin stripe or hydraulic heads. Bass is a 20" marching bass with spurs etc. installed. Bass heads are Aquarian reso w/ port and either Emad or Powerstroke 3. Toms are 10", 12", 14" and sometimes I add 16". They are loud.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

That must be an awesome sound! We'd love to see a video/hear a recording of the set. Cheers! -Ben

[@roybeckerman9253]

Even Keith Moon , The Shadows Brian Bennett and Elvis’ Ronnie Tutt , used no bottom heads, when they were in fashion back in that era. Hal Blaine, the famous session drummer, used them as well. I prefer these on low ...big sound live.

[@joshvanatta2624]

I play drums for my church and also use the church as a practice space. There I have a Tama Rockstar kit setup with 12, 13 rack and 16 floor outfitted with Evans Frosted EC2 heads and no reso heads. All I use for microphones is a Sabian Sound Kit and the drums sound fantastic. They have a lot of attack yet still have the tone I'm looking for. I don't know if it's just that kit or what, nut I could not get the tone I wanted with using reso heads on the toms. I tried so many different tunings and none of them were content enough for me. This video really gave me a good reference on how they are maybe supposed to sound just with batter heads on them. Now, the kit I use for gigging with my band is a Pearl Vision with 12 rack and 14, 16 floor toms. I do use reso heads on them and they sound great. They have great attack and great tone. Again, I don't know if it's just the Tama Rockstar kit that has those problems that I encountered, but it definitely helped to take the reso heads off. Thanks for the great video and keep up the great work. You guys are awesome!

[@margovallen]

Sound amazing with bottoms off at original tuning. I would play them like that 100% of the time. Btw--- the pitch did not change when you removed the bottom heads. No-- as now, you can actually, hear the true pitch of both drums.

[@shalaq]

I think Billy Martin uses them for timbre and articulation. I love the compressed sound at the end - it sounds like they are distorted in a good way. Also the stick feel is amazing on single head drums.

[@pjustusxi]

I believe Billy has gone back to double-headed toms in the last couple years.

[@papagcortellino5283]

How about 'port holes' in reso tom heads???

[@BlackArtBMX]

Yes! The amount of playing in this video is perfect! (Although I wouldn't mind even more of those short improv solos)

[@MatthewBlackMedia]

I can’t believe this info is free. Thank you guys!

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks for the support! Anything you can do to spread the word to your drummer friends is greatly appreciated!

[@Toastrodamus]

That Phil Collins break had to be really satisfying to play. You have a GREAT channel, thanks for doing what you do.

[@Wrongway346]

I converted my Pearl Drums to a bottomless rim kit 20 yrs ago.. I found out the you need a good skin, Remo. oil filled rim edged skin to give the drum a nice sound... Now after many years, I change it up to a Evens two-ply. Frosted, with damping ring under the skin.... These have a low tone and less ring..... Hopefully I have it beat...I do say the my Sons Tama Set sound fantasic with his double heads... But is has been a battle to get the right sound I wanted...on my single head drum kit... Just buy the best skin you can afford, it you have a single head kit... Oil filed damping ring , twp ply it the only way to go... Or find out what Phil Collins users... His kit was a single head concert kit.. Mike M Revolver and Friends drummer.. 1982.. 2022

[@alanduncan1980]

John Densmore of The Doors used to do that to his toms. I think the main reason drummers used to do this was so they could stack drums inside of each other to save on space.

[@DEEKXXL]

Now I can tell by the look on your face no matter how much Jazz drumming you do, that really made you smile you loved that LOL😂 Just Sayin

[@james9269-8n]

I see this is an older video, but my first kit was Tama with concert Tom's because I saw Vinny Appice with Dio, and you know. Have you ever had a thought to discuss Steve Smiths drum sound in journey? To my ear, the snare and Kick were the perfect blend, and Tom's were huge. Often you learn that the tracks were some kind of sample or a machine assisted somehow.

[@triskelion2056]

For my 4-tom setup I use Remo Emperor heads(8", 10", and 12" rack toms and 14" floor tom) with Aquarian studio rings on most of the time but take them off if I want a more resonant sound like timpano if playing with mallets or a pattering rainy sound if playing with nylon tipped sticks

[@greatjobsam]

I can't keep a straight face playing that Phil (see what I did there) either...

[@lars5174]

I've noticed many Reggae Drummers remove the reso heads. Why is that?

[@Chiroman527]

Cody, with the equalization def a little "Collins...esk". Let me post a question or observation, from a "student of drumming" at 69 yo , concert toms from DW for instance," do not have the lower hoop attachment mounted on the drums (forgot the name ), does that make difference vs just removing the reso head? I have 12 and 13 inch rack Toms on a cheapo Gammon drum kit. Got it as a xmas gift from my wife in 2018. I have returned to my "love" of drumming after a 51 year hiatus. My toms are mounted the old way , atop the bass drum with poles that attach via insertion into the drum. I replaced the OEM cheap heads with Evans G1 clear batters and coated reso beads the floor tom as well. I am going to experiment with this "concert" toms maneuver for the fun of it. Retirement and COVID has apparently (having lots of arthritis certainly doesn't help) granted me considerable time. Be safe and well, All

[@franciscolorence8484]

Great video, and worthy channel❤ I’m owning currently a couple of pearl traveler drum kits one even smaller than the other and they sound great but I’m experiencing a bit trouble with the pitch on toms that’s why I came here. I used to use 2 ply heads but on bottomless toms the head behaves a bit funny, not great pitch, not a lot of projection and kind of inconsistent stick rebound. Single ply heads are good but not so great with low tunings and I was wondering if this controled sound drums heads would worth trying; those that are there single plied with the control dot or the 2 plied with the stripe around the rim. Anyways I’m figuring that maybe I’m not as good as a I thought tuning my heads, or maybe I’m looking for the regular Tom sound that I’ve heard my whole life Would anyone be so kind to share your thoughts with me? I really could use a little help here.

[@FanaticDrummer]

Portnoy went with the one headed toms for a while now on the side projects, mostly on the recent stuff and live for micing. It sounds great on Bubinga

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Really? I thought he was only doing single headed toms for the timbalitos, which are inherently single-headed drums. Will have to take a look! -Ben

[@FanaticDrummer]

Sounds Like A Drum Yup, he did it with his Winery Dogs kit. If you watch his drum camp videos, the WD kit has one head. He also used the single head on his side kit in DT for some of the later tours prior to leaving.

[@RainMakeR_Workshop]

One thing I've been curious about lately... What if you used mesh head for the reso side? Would you get a sort of "inbetween" sound? Or would it just sound like one or the other? Also could you use it to have a loud kit for rehearsal and gigs, and then use the mesh side for quiet practice?

[@florian8020]

I had the Idea to put off the reso head of my vintage 16" Sonor floortom, because I had the feeling, that it was not loud enough, when tuned low compared to the punchy rest of the kit. I was surprised, that it worked just fine! Not so much with a lower tuning, but with a medium to high one 👌 It creates more tone out of the shell and has a medium long sustain (Floortom legs are designed for sustain + standing on a fluffy carpet). I use a coated powerstroke 3 head. I might experiment with that higher tuning to keep the tom producing more tone, but pitching the sound down by cranking down 1 or 2 tension rods. I am just wondering what will happen, if you cut out a circle of the floortom reso head, so that only a 1 inch or 2 are left from the rim. Has somebody tried that and noticed a difference?

[@defan4evr]

i do think Peter Criss also used concert toms

[@catchingzip]

I have a 60s full set of Tama . 6 Toms and base. Clear black dot on the four Toms and G2s on both the floor toms(double head floor toms) I have tried so many heads on the single concert toms and still can’t get away from the quad sound my son played in marching band. It is in prisitine condition. A show piece in my living room . Lol I’m thinking of investing in hardware to double head all the toms. Note: I sometimes-sounds ok with my pistol shooting headphones on.

[@joedoherty1062]

I absolutely HATE the sound of these one-headed toms. I've never heard a single headed tom that I liked the sound of (save for maybe some recordings, which aren't really a true representation of the real sound in the room). To each their own though, but definitely not for me.

[@stevem.645]

Thanks so much for this. Extremely helpful.

[@hypnosis4207]

I have mesh reso heads even on my kick.... I just got the set, is it made of in doors? I have no idea why they're that way. I just bought all new heads for my kit, can I put the old heads as reso heads? Please help someone.... Thank you in advance 😊

[@tylerrussell6753]

I just was given a 26 piece kit that looks like it’s from the 70’s and none of the toms except the floor toms have resonant heads. How do I go about adding one to the bottom of the 12” I’m using?

[@fearnobizarre]

Don't forget that taking the bottom head off may cause some buzzing as the tuning lugs internal parts mayvibrate without tension rods to hold them in place.

[@bozthescrewup410]

Been building a massive tama cocktail jam and I definitely love the tone with a clear head compared to coated!

[@irok75]

It would be nice with markers in your videos to get straight to the point, i'm not here to hear your voice :) Maybe use some Remo heads since they are like standard go to heads for like every drummer ;)

[@man04321]

Can you guys do a video on different hoops and the effects of changing

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

That’s in the plans!

[@man04321]

great i'd love to see wood hoops, and also single flange hoops aswell as brass hoops get a mention

[@josteinv.jordet257]

The lower the tuning, the slower the drummer. The higher the tuning, the faster the drummer! Wheres the emoji that hits himself in the face?

[@josiahpringle498]

All through out John Dinsmore career with the doors he did not use reso heads on his toms. And said why he did that was because he wanted his toms to bark back at him while he is playing.

[@phileickmeyer2493]

I like concert toms in smaller sizes from 6 to 10inch. The larger drums i prefer 2 heads a batter and reso

[@metalinyourhead3604]

I just didn’t like the sound of the resos. Once I took them off they sounded a lot nicer to me. Sounded good and lasted only a few seconds.