Tuning
Refitting Head in Top Assembly
Fit head in the Top Tension Ring.
The edge of the fulcrum ring and the inside of the head should
be lightly lubricated with Vaseline each time the head is
replaced.
The thread and head of the tension screws should be
lubricated with Vaseline each time they are removed.
Fit Top Head and Tension Ring to Fulcrum Ring and start
screws in threads by hand making sure each one
turns without restriction.
Cross tighten 4 Screws at right angles to take up initial slack.
If you do not have a Torque Limiter the following would be
required, tighten each screw in half turns in a clockwise
direction from Tension Screw 1 to 20. Make sure of exactly
which screw you start from and make certain to stop on Screw
number 20, this means you have to tighten from 1-20 several
times until the drum head starts to come in tune.
From this point adjust each screw 1/4 turn or less until head
reaches required pitch.
The screws should be tightened no further until the drum has been
played for approximately 1 hour.
Refitting Head on Bottom Assembly
A similar process as instructed for the top head should be used for refitting the bottom head.
By lightly tapping the Bottom head with a drumstick, about
an inch/25mm in from the bearing edge towards the centre,
you can determine if the head is tensioned. You will
then here a pitch sound, and as you tighten the head
you will hear the pitch changing.
It is very difficult to explain how the pitch should sound,
probably the best is to adjust one drum until it is satisfactory
and then tune all of the drums in turn. Using the drum you
have tuned to the desired pitch tighten the remaining bottom
heads until they sound all the same.
Fitting New Top Snare
First remove the Top Tension Assembly, this can be done by unscrewing the 4 screws from the side support rods,
the assembly will then lift of the shell.
To remove old snare:-
Adjust tension screw on right hand side of drum
(when hanging in playing position) anti-clockwise
until snare becomes loose.
Adjust height screw on right hand side of drum
(when hanging in playing position) anti-clockwise
until snare leaves the head.
To remove snare, slide the snare off the brackets
at either end of mechanism turn across the drum
and lift out.
To replace snare, reverse the removal procedure.
Adjusting and Tuning Top Snare
The Top Snare should be adjusted in the following way:-
When the drum is in the playing position on the
player the adjusting screw on the left hand side of
the drum just below the tension ring is to adjust the
tension on the snare, the screw on the right hand side
which is located slightly inside the drum is for the
height on the snare.
If you look through the bottom head you can see the
Top Snare Mechanism, on the left hand side of the drum,
on the side of the Mechanism, there is a small calibration
unit it has a zero in the centre and calibration to each side
of the centre. Directly above the calibration unit there is
the Tension slide, the corner of the tension slide should
line up with the zero this is the approximate
Tension for the snare.
The drum should then be hung in the playing position
again on the player, a key can then be placed in the
right hand adjusting screw. The height should be adjusted
down tapping the drum until the snare is fizzing beneath the
head, (it is not necessary to screw the snare completely
away from the head) still striking the drum with single
taps the snare should be adjusted up turning the screw
clockwise until the fizz turns to a lose crack, the height
screw should be turned another half or three quarter turn
upwards depending on the drumsticks that are being used.
It maybe necessary to adjust the tension slightly
to compensate any wear on stretching in the Snare.
This should be your Top head ready to play.
Fitting New Bottom Snare
Unscrew the top screw and remove side adjuster, release
snare off counter part on other side and slide out if drum,
to refit reverse procedure.
Adjusting and Tuning Bottom Snare
The bottom snare should be checked for level to the head,
the snare should be just touching the bearing edge and
nothing more. To adjust the bottom snare, on the side plate
there are three screw holes, the top screw adjusts the tension
off and on to the bottom snare, the other two screws are to
adjust the tension on either side of the snare so that
the complete snare is working, it is not often that these
two screws would require adjustment, only when a new snare
is fitted or if the existing snare has been slightly damaged
by over stretching.
