I’m glad I made the headline, thanks man I really have been looking forward to this for a long time. I knew all it took was a little push lol, but as soon as I get home I will watch the entire thing.
Thanks so much, Terry! It's always an honor to receive your kind words! I swear, man - your ability to produce content is the wind beneath my wings! Prolific!
@@bonzoleum The left (right to the audience) crash is a modern 18" 2002 Medium, 20" 2002 Medium on right, 24" Giant Beat reissue for the ride, and 15" 1977 2002 Sound Edge Hi-Hats.
This video changed my life! I had commented previously about not believing how high the tension is, regardless of the huge size of these drums. So after accidentally deleting my comment, I turned my kit a lot higher and got amazing results. My set is a 22, 12 rack and 14 ,16 floor Tom’s. So I went a little lower with the drum dial, 82 on the bottoms, and between 75 and 78 on the batter heads. Snare is a 6.5 x 14 supraphonic so I tuned that as shown here. Thanks so much for sharing!!! My band could not get over how amazing the drums sounded at our gig. CANNONS!!!!!
You're making life with your comment, brother! I'm thrilled to hear it worked out so well for you! I think you're spot on with those numbers for the smaller sizes, too! I'll have to try those settings out next time I set up my downbeat kit (20/12/14). And!!! As much as I'm thrilled that you dig the sound, I'm also elated to hear that your band liked it, too! Well done, man! Well done!
Thank you so much! This helped configure the new Pink Vistalite Bonham setup I just bought. they tune totally higher than one would think to go, but they sound perfect. The gauge and tuning numbers helped so much.
That's fantastic to hear, my friend! I'm thrilled having those settings has been of some use to you! I hope you love your new kit! I know these Vistalites can be a totally different beast to tackle, but I love that you can throw everything you have into them, and they give it all right back to you!
I'm thrilled to hear it! I definitely plan on elaborating more on this subject in the near future, as this supposed to be part of a much broader series on the Amber Vistalite.
Thank you very much! I have been lookin for the right tuning scheme some time, and your tuning tips nails it. Specially 26" tuning made my bass drum work.
Thank you for this! I got my Vistalite kit in August - went with some generic suggested settings from the Tune Bot website and used Drum Tune Pro on my phone, it's way lower pitched than this (as I expected). I'm not necessarily going for an exact Bonham sound (I play in a Sabbath cover band) but I'm eager to play around with these settings to see how it sounds.
Aye! I'm curious to hear what you come up with! Bill Ward (to my limited knowledge) didn't tune the drums quite as high as Bonham, but he definitely still subscribed to the same tuning mentality. I'd imagine you could have some fun with what you can get away with there - especially on a vistalite kit!
@@KickItLikeBonham For sure, Bill had that old school jazz drummers influence and had a higher than modern style tuning, especially on the first two Sabbath albums. Where I'm at now does sound good...the Vistalites are just sooo gloriously thunderous. But I do want to go up in pitch a bit so the toms jump out of the mix a little better. I'm probably closer to where you're at on the 26" kick and on the LM402 and like how they're sounding , so I'll probably leave them alone, but I might shoot for somewhere in between where I'm at now and your tunings for the 14 and the floors.
So I’m assuming that the tuning would be the same for a “ Bonham “ tuning on a wood kit? Really wanting to get the kick dialed in because to me it was what I love the most about the “ Bonham “ sound. The big boomy roomy kick lol. I have all the toms around a 75 on the drum dial and it seems like I’m in the ball park on that note.
Aye! If you're using a drum dial, I would go with 75-80 on the batter, and then 80-85 on the resonant side. Of course, that will depend a little on what kind of heads you're using. I have a coated Emperor on the batter for my green sparkle and maple kits, and a Ludwig smooth single ply head on the resonant. Kind of the equivalent of a smooth Ambassador. I've found those readings to be the sweet spot on maple drums for that big, fat Bonham sound on the kick.
Kick It Like Bonham I’ll try that head combo I’ve already got a coated emperor for the batter. Now do you use felt strips just on the batter for a majority of the time or both heads?
@@brettmabe9519 I just use it on the batter, although if you're doing a lot of recording, then using one on the resonant head will make your life a little easier...
Kick It Like Bonham mostly just live stuff right now. I plan on taking the “ Bonham “ kit out on gigs and hopefully I’ll survive through miking the bass drum. I’ve heard sound guys just love anunhighly tuned 26 inch bass drum.
Hi. Derek, Great videos. Thank You. You never really talk about the snare drum in detail. IE: The snares themselves. Is that a 20 strand? or 32 strand? and!... for the later Bonham sound, did you jump to the 42 strand as i have read about? Can you do a detailed snare drum analysis video in future? It seems his snare sound changed like 4 times from 69-80. from very open, smooth encompassing sound, 69-71, to a progressively brighter tone as time went on, (even tho the snare drum itself didnt change). Head type change? snare strand change? Tuning difference? etc.. Thanks, looking forward to the insight. - peace
Hi Derek!! A courtesy: i have a Vistalite DDrum with the same sizes of Ludwig (26, 14, 16, 18) and i'm waiting for the arrival of Tune Bot...Can i tune the drums with the same data of yours? So: Tom 14": B: 180 hz - R: 187 hz, Floor Tom 16": B: 150 - R: 156 Hz, Floor Tom 18": B: 140 hz - R: 136hz? INFINITE THANKS ... YOU ARE GREAT !!!
Yes! It'll definitely be a good jumping off point for you if you're going for a similar sound. You may adjust the tuning up or down depending on the shells you end up with. Just remember: it's going to sound a lot higher in pitch than most modern tunings (typically low to medium-low), so even if it sounds 'ping-y,' you're on the right track!
Btw I absolutely love your channel, you are such an awesome resource for us who are dying to know the secrets to the legends sound and style! He would be proud for sure!!! -Ian
@@KickItLikeBonham Derek, I thank you very much for your help! One last question: do you think the parameters used for the vistaliste can also be used for my Ludwig Natural Maple with the same sizes? (26, 18, 16, 14 ... Batter: Remo Emperor Coated; Reso: Remo Ambassador Coated. Thank you again and ... sorry for my bad English! You're great!!
I hate to see you putting the drum on the floor like that, although I don't know what kind of surface that is? I tune on a large round thrown (just a suggestion cause I want that kit! lol) Are you using Giant Beats, or 2002's? I also use a drum dial to get me in the ball park, how close is it to the tune bot? This is a great tutorial, as once I get my hands on one of these kits I'll have an idea, as I know Bonham really cranked up the reso head. Have you ever seen the vid where Plant is playing on Bonzo's kit. Dam, it sounds unreal!
What was bonham tunings for the smaller kits? 22 bass drum 13 rack and 16 floor? Would this tuning translate? Or was it different? Great video by the way, really enjoying this channel.
I would try these readings on a smaller kit, but make adjustments according to your ears, and how much resistance you're getting as you screw in the tension rods more. I have smaller 22" and 13" Vistalite shells that I used these readings with (and even tuned them up a little higher), and am really happy with them. You can hear that here: ruclips.net/video/6iU-brsvRUU/видео.htmlsi=YHjNWSxfgEQ7i7n9
Because acrylic can sound so different than wooden shells, I'd LOVE it if you do this same video for a mahogony/basswood etc. shelled kit. Puhhhlleeeease?
I've always liked the Remo Clear Ambassador. Admittedly, that's pretty much all I've ever tried on them. But I prefer them tuned a bit higher and kind of "boing-y", and the clear Ambassadors really allow them to resonate clearly and brightly. If you're going for a similar tuning, especially on an 18", I would recommend those. If you're going for something a little lower and controlled, the Remo Emperor will give you a little less liveliness. And if you use a coated head instead of a clear head, I think you'll get just a little more warmth. I think coated heads just have a way of fattening up the sound just a bit...
I'm going to be working on an updated tuning guide shortly, and will have all that info on it. Unfortunately, the footage I got of the snare was so blurry, it wasn't usable, and I've since forgotten what that reading is off my head. I'll do my best to get you an accurate number as soon as possible!
Hey, thanx a lot for the video and the tunebot settings. ' appreciate the work, time and effort you put into it. Just one question: While using the tunebot, you don't dampen the reso head while hittin' the batter head with the mallet/stick and vice versa, right ? The opposite head is always undampened and rings along ? Greetings.....
Hey Derek, I've been looking for a vintage green Sparkle Bonham kit. I found one on eBay I would say it's in good to excellent condition it's just a shell pack but it comes with a 24 in modern giant beat. I'm not familiar with the prices of vintage drums he's asking $2,200 does that sound reasonable to you? Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me
I saw that. It's definitely not a bad price if that was a 3-ply kick drum. However, since that is a 6 ply and the rest are 3-ply, I'd say that $1,600 is probably more a reasonable price for that. The reissue giant beat is great though, and certainly a nice added value.
@@markkugs6622 You bet! My thinking on it is - $350 for the 18", $300 for the 16", $250 for the 14", $400 for the 26", $100 for the L-Arm and rail mount, and $200 for the giant beat. Then you factor in whatever shipping would cost...
Is it safe to tune up your snare that high man? I tried to do this using the drum dial method and it seems to be REALLY tight. I’m using a Ludwig Acrolite
Same. I have a 14"x6.5" supraphonic and before that a 14x8" supralite. In both cases I could not even really get my heads as high as in this video, and even being a few numbers lower on the drum dial it sounds waaaaay too boxy. Using a coated emperor on top
I'm confused why the Tune Bot shows 208/209 then jumps to 295/296 on some of the hits on the rack tom? Is this because of an over-ring? What # should I pay attention to if I'm using the tune-bot?
Also...I noticed that when I tune my kit to these same exact drumdial/tune bot settings...they all seem MUUUUUUUUUUUUUCH higher pitched than yours, like a LOT higher pitched. I'm almost afraid to go that high because I'm afraid I'm going to break something. I have a similar sized kit (Gretsch Catalina Rock: 26x16 kick, 13x9 rack tom, 16x16 floor tom, mahogany shells/natural interior, & a 6.5x14 ludwig supraphonic. I used the recommend settings for each drum on mine and everything is RIDICULOUSLY much higher pitched and terrible sounding compared to yours. I'm not sure what is going on...? Any suggestions?
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to respond! This comment slipped through the cracks somehow. I will readily admit that I have a hard time using the Tunebot. That's part of why I wanted to include the whole process of getting the numbers I ended up with: I'm not 100% sure which is the accurate number all the time. My guess is that if it's on the batter head, it's the lower number, and if it's the resonant head, it's the higher number. I've gotten used to using a Drum Dial as a means of getting the drums tuned relatively close to a sound I like (with small adjustments made once I'm there), and the settings I like to use in that for wood drums are: 78 on the batter heads / 85-88 on the resonant heads for the toms. On the kick, I'll go 75 on the batter / 80-85 on the resonant. Snare is 88 on the batter / 90 on the resonant. In regards to the sound, the vistalites are definitely pitched up a bit higher than the wood drums would've been, but if you feel like your wood drums are waaaaayyy too high, then I would recommend starting to tune down the batter head first and see if you can find the sweet spot (and sound) while the resonant head is still pitched up. If you get to a point where the batter head is at about medium tension and it still doesn't sound the way you like, then start adjusting the resonant side. Keep in mind, this style of tuning may be VERY different than you're accustomed to. The first time I heard it in person, I was shocked at how much higher in pitch they were to what I was used to hearing. That being said, all it took was for someone to play them with me standing a few feet away to be sold on the sound. Now, when I play a kit that's tuned to more modern sensibilities, I find the drums to sound dull and thuddy, even if that gives you more control over a full band mix. So, depending on your experience with the drums, if the toms are all sounding like a snare drum is supposed to be tuned, then yeah - they're definitely tuned too tightly. But, if they're not that high, I would recommend having someone play them while you stand a few feet away, and see if that makes a difference in your perception of how they sound. Then, you can start making small adjustments from there using your ears (and then be able to get your own readings with the Tune Bot afterwards to save for future use). Again, I'm sorry for such a late response, but I hope this may still be of some use to you!
@@KickItLikeBonham thanks for the replay man. I've been experimenting with both the drum dial and the tune bot. I don't know why but I have a terrible ear when I try to tune by ear. It's so frustrating because it seems like EVERYONE can tune by ear...except for me!...it's like sometimes my mind plays tricks on me in regards to to some lugs being higher/lower...also, sometimes a certain lug will obviously be tuned higher than another lug (according to the tunebot and drum dial)...yet for some reason the "higher" pitched lug sounds lower to my ears. I don't know how to explain it...
Yes, indeed! I actually have a video here on the channel that utilizes a 22" and 13" Amber vistalite, and it's actually pitched up even higher - 1975 style. It's one of my more recent uploads, so it should be pretty easy to find in my videos section...
Derek also mentions in a comment for the Green Sparkle kit, that the snare drum is tuned 87/90 and in the video for the Vistalite drums, 97/90 for the same snare drum - that sounds strange to me !
I do like the drum dial quite a bit. I use it pretty often because it gets me close to a general range of tuning that I like, and then I make small adjustments from there. In my experience, it's been pretty consistent and certainly makes tuning your drums a more efficient process.
You may sound like Bonham, both in your style and in your drums, but you will always sound AS much as yourself. Sorry about that, a bit negative comment that i left in your stainless steel drum set video. But what im trying to say is, take what you learned from Bonzo, and watch a whole lotta (you may think "whole lotta love") other drummers, take what you learn from them as well and you will be an even better drummer than you already are. Why would you try to be an exact copy of someone anyways, i hope you don't get angry when i say this, because, most of my years as a drummer, i've been trying to be Ian Paice, but when i watched a Dave Weckl video, him talking about trying to be Buddy Rich, and saying that was worthless, my whole world opened up. I thought, i can be Ian Paice, or i can be a mix of him and every other great drummer ever. So what would you do? Try to make money of being someone else? Or try to make money of being yourself? BUT(T) vintage Ludwig drums are still the best! 👍( i just liked your video)
Aye! I couldn't agree more! It's only by virtue of this channel being called, "Kick It Like Bonham" that I try to keep things as Bonzo-centric and specific as I do. Of course, that stems from my love for his playing and my good fortunate to collect drum kits similar to his. When it became clear that there was an audience for all this material, I figured it would be in my best interest to keep it as accurate and genuine as possible if I were to keep making these videos. Still, my muscles don't move the same way Bonham's did, and my brain doesn't think about things the same way Bonham's did. As soon as I'm tasked with coming up with parts for an original song, the Derek Smith in me kicks in full force. I'm definitely strongly influenced by John Bonham, but I also have Carter Beauford and Matt Cameron's voices in my head. Mitch Mitchell, John Densmore, Joe Morello, Clyde Stubblefield and many others have had a great influence on the way I approach composing drums. At some point, I'll put up drum covers of songs I've played on that feature my own approach; I think there are already some videos from way back of various bands I've played in. Still, since it's a channel dedicated to Bonham, the specificity of it all is geared towards helping fill in gaps for other drummers that may admire his playing. If that allows them to expand on their own unique voice and contribution to the world of drumming, then I'm all for it!
@@KickItLikeBonham well, i can't say your videos have been useless for me either, i've tuned my drums this way and i couldnt have been happier with the sound, and you are a totally awesome drummer, Cheers!
I have a 1970s 6 lug Your trying to make a 8 lug re-issue Sound like a 1970s 6 lug There not the same drum I have a 8 lug maple 3 ply I hate the sound of them I use my 6 lug 10x 14 for my two Thermal gloss kits I don’t remember what the reasoning is. I asked Romano Cotone of RCI and he explained it to me, but I really don’t remember. I don’t like the eight lug sound compared to the six lug sound. I don’t really understand how you’re trying to do something but it’s two different monsters here.
I’m glad I made the headline, thanks man I really have been looking forward to this for a long time. I knew all it took was a little push lol, but as soon as I get home I will watch the entire thing.
Terrific video, Derek! And as always, outstanding playing and sound!!!!
Thanks so much, Terry! It's always an honor to receive your kind words! I swear, man - your ability to produce content is the wind beneath my wings! Prolific!
@@KickItLikeBonham Yep, Terry does produce a lot of wind! (Love both your channels.)
@@maprow Ah yes!
@@KickItLikeBonham D: is your left side crash an 18" GB Multi here?
@@bonzoleum The left (right to the audience) crash is a modern 18" 2002 Medium, 20" 2002 Medium on right, 24" Giant Beat reissue for the ride, and 15" 1977 2002 Sound Edge Hi-Hats.
This video changed my life! I had commented previously about not believing how high the tension is, regardless of the huge size of these drums. So after accidentally deleting my comment, I turned my kit a lot higher and got amazing results. My set is a 22, 12 rack and 14 ,16 floor Tom’s. So I went a little lower with the drum dial, 82 on the bottoms, and between 75 and 78 on the batter heads. Snare is a 6.5 x 14 supraphonic so I tuned that as shown here. Thanks so much for sharing!!! My band could not get over how amazing the drums sounded at our gig. CANNONS!!!!!
You're making life with your comment, brother! I'm thrilled to hear it worked out so well for you! I think you're spot on with those numbers for the smaller sizes, too! I'll have to try those settings out next time I set up my downbeat kit (20/12/14). And!!! As much as I'm thrilled that you dig the sound, I'm also elated to hear that your band liked it, too! Well done, man! Well done!
Thank you so much! This helped configure the new Pink Vistalite Bonham setup I just bought. they tune totally higher than one would think to go, but they sound perfect. The gauge and tuning numbers helped so much.
That's fantastic to hear, my friend! I'm thrilled having those settings has been of some use to you! I hope you love your new kit! I know these Vistalites can be a totally different beast to tackle, but I love that you can throw everything you have into them, and they give it all right back to you!
Fantastic video. Thank you so much for doing this. Ludwig should write you a check: You just sold a Vistalite drum set.
Ha, ha! I'm thrilled you have a Vistalite in your future! I will definitely look into who I need to talk to at Ludwig about my commission rate! 😜
Thanks for doing this video Derek. Excellent, very clear. If anyone asks me to do tunebot settings I'm going to send them to this video! 👌🏼😁
Gotta say, I didn’t realize the drumdial settings would of been that high on your snare. Pretty cool!
I've been waiting for this video, even more than I am waiting for Game of Thrones
Thank you so much for sharing this!
Thank you, exactly the info I was looking for
I'm thrilled to hear it! I definitely plan on elaborating more on this subject in the near future, as this supposed to be part of a much broader series on the Amber Vistalite.
As a beginner I find tuning drums the most frustrating part. Videos like this help add to my understanding.
Beautiful!!!!! I was waiting for this!
Greetings from Brazil!
Thank you very much! I have been lookin for the right tuning scheme some time, and your tuning tips nails it. Specially 26" tuning made my bass drum work.
Man I bought a vistalite set. This video was great for me. Freaking bangs ! 94 reso and 70 on the bass freaking smacks
Well worth the wait, fantastic as always Derek. Keep up the great work.
I fell asleep. What happened at the end?
Very valuable lesson and demonstration. Well done!
Thank you! Derek!! I have the drum dial! I appreciate you!
Fantastic content as always, Derek!
Thank you for this! I got my Vistalite kit in August - went with some generic suggested settings from the Tune Bot website and used Drum Tune Pro on my phone, it's way lower pitched than this (as I expected). I'm not necessarily going for an exact Bonham sound (I play in a Sabbath cover band) but I'm eager to play around with these settings to see how it sounds.
Aye! I'm curious to hear what you come up with! Bill Ward (to my limited knowledge) didn't tune the drums quite as high as Bonham, but he definitely still subscribed to the same tuning mentality. I'd imagine you could have some fun with what you can get away with there - especially on a vistalite kit!
@@KickItLikeBonham For sure, Bill had that old school jazz drummers influence and had a higher than modern style tuning, especially on the first two Sabbath albums. Where I'm at now does sound good...the Vistalites are just sooo gloriously thunderous. But I do want to go up in pitch a bit so the toms jump out of the mix a little better. I'm probably closer to where you're at on the 26" kick and on the LM402 and like how they're sounding , so I'll probably leave them alone, but I might shoot for somewhere in between where I'm at now and your tunings for the 14 and the floors.
great video! thanks so much for posting really helped me to fine tune and get resonance and a monster sound!!! thanks
Hey man great video! Thanks!
OH SHIT!! IT'S COMING!!!
So I’m assuming that the tuning would be the same for a “ Bonham “ tuning on a wood kit? Really wanting to get the kick dialed in because to me it was what I love the most about the “ Bonham “ sound. The big boomy roomy kick lol. I have all the toms around a 75 on the drum dial and it seems like I’m in the ball park on that note.
Aye! If you're using a drum dial, I would go with 75-80 on the batter, and then 80-85 on the resonant side. Of course, that will depend a little on what kind of heads you're using. I have a coated Emperor on the batter for my green sparkle and maple kits, and a Ludwig smooth single ply head on the resonant. Kind of the equivalent of a smooth Ambassador. I've found those readings to be the sweet spot on maple drums for that big, fat Bonham sound on the kick.
Kick It Like Bonham I’ll try that head combo I’ve already got a coated emperor for the batter. Now do you use felt strips just on the batter for a majority of the time or both heads?
@@brettmabe9519 I just use it on the batter, although if you're doing a lot of recording, then using one on the resonant head will make your life a little easier...
Thank you for all your help! 😎.
Kick It Like Bonham mostly just live stuff right now. I plan on taking the “ Bonham “ kit out on gigs and hopefully I’ll survive through miking the bass drum. I’ve heard sound guys just love anunhighly tuned 26 inch bass drum.
Folks if you love Ludwig Drums Led Zeppelin and amazing drummers you better be subscribed to this channel.
Thanks Derek!
Hi. Derek, Great videos. Thank You. You never really talk about the snare drum in detail. IE: The snares themselves. Is that a 20 strand? or 32 strand? and!... for the later Bonham sound, did you jump to the 42 strand as i have read about? Can you do a detailed snare drum analysis video in future? It seems his snare sound changed like 4 times from 69-80. from very open, smooth encompassing sound, 69-71, to a progressively brighter tone as time went on, (even tho the snare drum itself didnt change). Head type change? snare strand change? Tuning difference? etc.. Thanks, looking forward to the insight. - peace
I'll give you a proper response in just a bit...
Rip
Hi Derek!! A courtesy: i have a Vistalite DDrum with the same sizes of Ludwig (26, 14, 16, 18) and i'm waiting for the arrival of Tune Bot...Can i tune the drums with the same data of yours? So: Tom 14": B: 180 hz - R: 187 hz, Floor Tom 16": B: 150 - R: 156 Hz, Floor Tom 18": B: 140 hz - R: 136hz? INFINITE THANKS ... YOU ARE GREAT !!!
Yes! It'll definitely be a good jumping off point for you if you're going for a similar sound. You may adjust the tuning up or down depending on the shells you end up with. Just remember: it's going to sound a lot higher in pitch than most modern tunings (typically low to medium-low), so even if it sounds 'ping-y,' you're on the right track!
@@KickItLikeBonham How do approach tuning just 2 toms? What interval would you set the rack and floor tom if I may?
Btw I absolutely love your channel, you are such an awesome resource for us who are dying to know the secrets to the legends sound and style! He would be proud for sure!!! -Ian
@@KickItLikeBonham Derek, I thank you very much for your help! One last question: do you think the parameters used for the vistaliste can also be used for my Ludwig Natural Maple with the same sizes? (26, 18, 16, 14 ... Batter: Remo Emperor Coated; Reso: Remo Ambassador Coated. Thank you again and ... sorry for my bad English! You're great!!
Hey Derek. Can you tell me what snare wires are those? And thanks for yet another video. Keep 'em coming 😄
Hey Goran! I think in this video I have the stock Ludwig 20-strand wires on, but I usually use Gretsch 42-strand wires.
Thanks man! You're the best!!
WOAH IT’S ALMOST HERE!!!!!
I hate to see you putting the drum on the floor like that, although I don't know what kind of surface that is? I tune on a large round thrown (just a suggestion cause I want that kit! lol) Are you using Giant Beats, or 2002's? I also use a drum dial to get me in the ball park, how close is it to the tune bot? This is a great tutorial, as once I get my hands on one of these kits I'll have an idea, as I know Bonham really cranked up the reso head. Have you ever seen the vid where Plant is playing on Bonzo's kit. Dam, it sounds unreal!
Did I see that right??? 477 on the TB reso snare???? HOLY CRANK!!!!
PLEASE! I'd say use the sound sample and not that number. I realized after words that it will probably beak the drum head if you crank it that high.
@@KickItLikeBonham I figured.
What was bonham tunings for the smaller kits? 22 bass drum 13 rack and 16 floor? Would this tuning translate? Or was it different?
Great video by the way, really enjoying this channel.
I would try these readings on a smaller kit, but make adjustments according to your ears, and how much resistance you're getting as you screw in the tension rods more. I have smaller 22" and 13" Vistalite shells that I used these readings with (and even tuned them up a little higher), and am really happy with them. You can hear that here:
ruclips.net/video/6iU-brsvRUU/видео.htmlsi=YHjNWSxfgEQ7i7n9
@@KickItLikeBonham Thank you, I really appreciate it.
Because acrylic can sound so different than wooden shells, I'd LOVE it if you do this same video for a mahogony/basswood etc. shelled kit. Puhhhlleeeease?
Thx buddy great vid!
What bottom head would you recommend using on Vistalite toms? Particularly asking about an 18". But all in general. Excellent videos.
I've always liked the Remo Clear Ambassador. Admittedly, that's pretty much all I've ever tried on them. But I prefer them tuned a bit higher and kind of "boing-y", and the clear Ambassadors really allow them to resonate clearly and brightly. If you're going for a similar tuning, especially on an 18", I would recommend those. If you're going for something a little lower and controlled, the Remo Emperor will give you a little less liveliness. And if you use a coated head instead of a clear head, I think you'll get just a little more warmth. I think coated heads just have a way of fattening up the sound just a bit...
Kick It Like Bonham thank you so much for replying and thanks for that info! Very appreciated! 🤘
Masterful!
Thank you!!
How was the snare tuned with the Tune Bot on the reso site, please?
I'm going to be working on an updated tuning guide shortly, and will have all that info on it. Unfortunately, the footage I got of the snare was so blurry, it wasn't usable, and I've since forgotten what that reading is off my head. I'll do my best to get you an accurate number as soon as possible!
The video stops before the tune bot settings on rezo side of snare ! What were the tune bot settings on rezo side ?
*Early birthday present*
Hey, thanx a lot for the video and the tunebot settings. ' appreciate the work, time and effort you put into it.
Just one question: While using the tunebot, you don't dampen the reso head while hittin' the batter head with the mallet/stick and vice versa, right ?
The opposite head is always undampened and rings along ?
Greetings.....
Hey Derek, I've been looking for a vintage green Sparkle Bonham kit. I found one on eBay I would say it's in good to excellent condition it's just a shell pack but it comes with a 24 in modern giant beat. I'm not familiar with the prices of vintage drums he's asking $2,200 does that sound reasonable to you? Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me
I saw that. It's definitely not a bad price if that was a 3-ply kick drum. However, since that is a 6 ply and the rest are 3-ply, I'd say that $1,600 is probably more a reasonable price for that. The reissue giant beat is great though, and certainly a nice added value.
@@KickItLikeBonham thanks so much. Ill speak to him. Really appreciate your opinion! Let me know if you ever decide to sell yours.
@@markkugs6622 You bet! My thinking on it is - $350 for the 18", $300 for the 16", $250 for the 14", $400 for the 26", $100 for the L-Arm and rail mount, and $200 for the giant beat. Then you factor in whatever shipping would cost...
@@KickItLikeBonham I gotta say you are one of the nicest and most responsive guys I know on you tube thanks again. Merry christmas !
I thought Bonzo tuned the resos way higher than the batters?😊
My god YES!
Is it safe to tune up your snare that high man? I tried to do this using the drum dial method and it seems to be REALLY tight. I’m using a Ludwig Acrolite
Same. I have a 14"x6.5" supraphonic and before that a 14x8" supralite. In both cases I could not even really get my heads as high as in this video, and even being a few numbers lower on the drum dial it sounds waaaaay too boxy. Using a coated emperor on top
Great 👍
Awesome dude
try not to flinch challenge
Can you tell what your set consists of and the cymbals you a using
How might this tuning work on the non-Vistalite., i.e., the wood kits(minus the SS kit).
It should be pretty comparable. At the very least, it'll get you in the ballpark and then you can fine tune it from there.
Thanks!
Yes! No silly loose heads!
I'm confused why the Tune Bot shows 208/209 then jumps to 295/296 on some of the hits on the rack tom? Is this because of an over-ring? What # should I pay attention to if I'm using the tune-bot?
Also...I noticed that when I tune my kit to these same exact drumdial/tune bot settings...they all seem MUUUUUUUUUUUUUCH higher pitched than yours, like a LOT higher pitched. I'm almost afraid to go that high because I'm afraid I'm going to break something. I have a similar sized kit (Gretsch Catalina Rock: 26x16 kick, 13x9 rack tom, 16x16 floor tom, mahogany shells/natural interior, & a 6.5x14 ludwig supraphonic. I used the recommend settings for each drum on mine and everything is RIDICULOUSLY much higher pitched and terrible sounding compared to yours. I'm not sure what is going on...? Any suggestions?
anyone...?
This is such a waste of time
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to respond! This comment slipped through the cracks somehow. I will readily admit that I have a hard time using the Tunebot. That's part of why I wanted to include the whole process of getting the numbers I ended up with: I'm not 100% sure which is the accurate number all the time. My guess is that if it's on the batter head, it's the lower number, and if it's the resonant head, it's the higher number. I've gotten used to using a Drum Dial as a means of getting the drums tuned relatively close to a sound I like (with small adjustments made once I'm there), and the settings I like to use in that for wood drums are: 78 on the batter heads / 85-88 on the resonant heads for the toms. On the kick, I'll go 75 on the batter / 80-85 on the resonant. Snare is 88 on the batter / 90 on the resonant.
In regards to the sound, the vistalites are definitely pitched up a bit higher than the wood drums would've been, but if you feel like your wood drums are waaaaayyy too high, then I would recommend starting to tune down the batter head first and see if you can find the sweet spot (and sound) while the resonant head is still pitched up. If you get to a point where the batter head is at about medium tension and it still doesn't sound the way you like, then start adjusting the resonant side. Keep in mind, this style of tuning may be VERY different than you're accustomed to. The first time I heard it in person, I was shocked at how much higher in pitch they were to what I was used to hearing. That being said, all it took was for someone to play them with me standing a few feet away to be sold on the sound. Now, when I play a kit that's tuned to more modern sensibilities, I find the drums to sound dull and thuddy, even if that gives you more control over a full band mix. So, depending on your experience with the drums, if the toms are all sounding like a snare drum is supposed to be tuned, then yeah - they're definitely tuned too tightly. But, if they're not that high, I would recommend having someone play them while you stand a few feet away, and see if that makes a difference in your perception of how they sound. Then, you can start making small adjustments from there using your ears (and then be able to get your own readings with the Tune Bot afterwards to save for future use).
Again, I'm sorry for such a late response, but I hope this may still be of some use to you!
@@KickItLikeBonham thanks for the replay man. I've been experimenting with both the drum dial and the tune bot. I don't know why but I have a terrible ear when I try to tune by ear. It's so frustrating because it seems like EVERYONE can tune by ear...except for me!...it's like sometimes my mind plays tricks on me in regards to to some lugs being higher/lower...also, sometimes a certain lug will obviously be tuned higher than another lug (according to the tunebot and drum dial)...yet for some reason the "higher" pitched lug sounds lower to my ears. I don't know how to explain it...
Great! Thanks for sharing!
If i applied this to a smaller non vistalite kit, would it still sound any good?
Yes, indeed! I actually have a video here on the channel that utilizes a 22" and 13" Amber vistalite, and it's actually pitched up even higher - 1975 style. It's one of my more recent uploads, so it should be pretty easy to find in my videos section...
@@KickItLikeBonham great! Thanks dude
Hey bud, I feel that your drum dial is not calibrated right more so on the snare 97 on the batter and 90 on the side seems a little off.
Derek also mentions in a comment for the Green Sparkle kit, that the snare drum is tuned 87/90 and in the video for the Vistalite drums, 97/90 for the same snare drum - that sounds strange to me !
do you have the audio in flac or wav? sounds awesome
Get better man. Load up on Vit C.
Does that dial actually work?
I do like the drum dial quite a bit. I use it pretty often because it gets me close to a general range of tuning that I like, and then I make small adjustments from there. In my experience, it's been pretty consistent and certainly makes tuning your drums a more efficient process.
😀👍
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
You may sound like Bonham, both in your style and in your drums, but you will always sound AS much as yourself. Sorry about that, a bit negative comment that i left in your stainless steel drum set video. But what im trying to say is, take what you learned from Bonzo, and watch a whole lotta (you may think "whole lotta love") other drummers, take what you learn from them as well and you will be an even better drummer than you already are. Why would you try to be an exact copy of someone anyways, i hope you don't get angry when i say this, because, most of my years as a drummer, i've been trying to be Ian Paice, but when i watched a Dave Weckl video, him talking about trying to be Buddy Rich, and saying that was worthless, my whole world opened up. I thought, i can be Ian Paice, or i can be a mix of him and every other great drummer ever. So what would you do? Try to make money of being someone else? Or try to make money of being yourself? BUT(T) vintage Ludwig drums are still the best! 👍( i just liked your video)
Aye! I couldn't agree more! It's only by virtue of this channel being called, "Kick It Like Bonham" that I try to keep things as Bonzo-centric and specific as I do. Of course, that stems from my love for his playing and my good fortunate to collect drum kits similar to his. When it became clear that there was an audience for all this material, I figured it would be in my best interest to keep it as accurate and genuine as possible if I were to keep making these videos. Still, my muscles don't move the same way Bonham's did, and my brain doesn't think about things the same way Bonham's did. As soon as I'm tasked with coming up with parts for an original song, the Derek Smith in me kicks in full force. I'm definitely strongly influenced by John Bonham, but I also have Carter Beauford and Matt Cameron's voices in my head. Mitch Mitchell, John Densmore, Joe Morello, Clyde Stubblefield and many others have had a great influence on the way I approach composing drums. At some point, I'll put up drum covers of songs I've played on that feature my own approach; I think there are already some videos from way back of various bands I've played in.
Still, since it's a channel dedicated to Bonham, the specificity of it all is geared towards helping fill in gaps for other drummers that may admire his playing. If that allows them to expand on their own unique voice and contribution to the world of drumming, then I'm all for it!
@@KickItLikeBonham well, i can't say your videos have been useless for me either, i've tuned my drums this way and i couldnt have been happier with the sound, and you are a totally awesome drummer, Cheers!
From Brazil, ensina a afinar please
I have a 1970s 6 lug
Your trying to make a 8 lug re-issue
Sound like a 1970s 6 lug
There not the same drum
I have a 8 lug maple 3 ply
I hate the sound of them
I use my 6 lug 10x 14 for my two
Thermal gloss kits
I don’t remember what the reasoning is. I asked Romano Cotone of RCI and he explained it to me, but I really don’t remember.
I don’t like the eight lug sound compared to the six lug sound. I don’t really understand how you’re trying to do something but it’s two different monsters here.