bass drum claws

yamdrum

Junior Member
I'm a rookie, maybe this question will be telling. I purchased a used Yamaha kit complete with everything except claws for the bass drum. My question is: are claws universal? The bass is 16x22. The hoops are 23"OD. I saw a set of 20 pearl bass claws for $30. This happens to be the number I need. Would these work? Would appreciate any input.
 
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Yes, you can use different claws. Tension rods are the same diameter on almost all kits. Drummers often buy different style claws for their bass drum because they want a different look..
 
In my experience all claws fit a standard bass drum hoop thickness, but some claws might require shorter or longer tension rods, to reach and tighten the lugs. So make sure the combination works.
 
Beware cheap stamped claws on thicker hoops, & also higher quality cast claws on thin hoops. Other than that disparity that can lead to poor fit or tension rod splay, most combinations are universal.
 
I'm a rookie, maybe this question will be telling. I purchased a used Yamaha kit complete with everything except claws for the bass drum. My question is: are claws universal? The bass is 16x22. The hoops are 23"OD. I saw a set of 20 pearl bass claws for $30. This happens to be the number I need. Would these work? Would appreciate any input.


All claws do not fit all hoops b/c all hoops are not the same thickness.

Hoop thickness determines what claw to use. Good luck determining what thickness hoop any given claw fits, the easiest way is to trust what the manufacture puts out, YAMAHA claws-YAMAHA hoops, match the series/model too.

You may get lucky and mix and match, but if the claw doesn't fit the hoop correctly as Andy said there'll be alignment problems and possibly damage to the hoops.

If the YAMAHA set you have is worth anything, its worth getting the correct YAMAHA claws for it. Tension rods are another story, easily third party matched.
 
I put some wide butterfly claws from a 22" bass onto an 18" bass.
They were a little too flat though - not enough curve to them. I had to bend them a little to fit.
I'll probably replace them with something a litte more suitable in the future though.
 
I put some wide butterfly claws from a 22" bass onto an 18" bass.
They were a little too flat though - not enough curve to them. I had to bend them a little to fit.
I'll probably replace them with something a litte more suitable in the future though.

So 32 to 40 bends that might or might not work, good case for just buying the correct claws.

Keep in mind bass drum hoops have a head side and a claw side, its not uncommon for them to be reversed, meaning the flat side is not against the head. I've encountered this bf, ppl can put BD hoops on wrong sometimes, they have a 50/50 chance of getting it right if they know nothing about BD hoops.
 
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