Odd Sized Toms

Interesting discussion. My late 80's Granstars are 10", 13", and 15". I ordered them custom and was a bit naive/inexperienced about the whole thing to be honest. I just found I liked smaller toms and kinda went with it. (the 13" and 15" are both hanging floor toms)

Alas, in my youth, I went with a 22" bass drum ... which never sounds right with the rest of the kit. Did I mention I was inexperienced?

On the bright and somewhat humourous side, the toms are power tom depth, but it is still the kit I get the most compliments with for the tom sound. I use light heads (ambassadors or G1/G2) and make them sing. I grow a mullet when I use them on gigs ....

radman
 
I love my early 70's Ludwig 3ply 15 inch floor tom.
 
I actually bought a quartet of 11" hoops for a couple of different projects. Keller told me they can do 11" shell stock, though orders for it are rare. You can get 24" length Keller tubes from Anderson International Trading (aitwood.com).

As for their usefulness, I see them as a solution for smaller setups, where your range might be from an 8" to a 14", but you can't swing four toms. No problem; 8/11/14 tom setup (I use oddballs for this same thing, only as a 10/13/16 or 12/15/18 setup). Even a 4-pc similar to that Craviotto with a 7x11 rack and 14x14 floor tom would be a bitchen' little bop kit. On the other end of the scale, a closely tuned melodic setup (I'm thinking of a notable Zappa drummer here), would benefit from smaller size increments that are able to follow the tuning more precisely.

Heads are an easier deal than you think. While the initial order is a little painful, it's a good idea to stock your own spares when dealing with "out" head sizes. I'm getting ready to buy a 23" bass drum from DW, and you can bet I'm including a spare batter head or two in the order so I'm not caught flat-footed. My 11" toms will get the same treatment. These days, anything other than 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 22" in the drumhead department is tricky sometimes.
 
Interesting discussion. My late 80's Granstars are 10", 13", and 15". I ordered them custom and was a bit naive/inexperienced about the whole thing to be honest. I just found I liked smaller toms and kinda went with it. (the 13" and 15" are both hanging floor toms)

Alas, in my youth, I went with a 22" bass drum ... which never sounds right with the rest of the kit. Did I mention I was inexperienced?

On the bright and somewhat humourous side, the toms are power tom depth, but it is still the kit I get the most compliments with for the tom sound. I use light heads (ambassadors or G1/G2) and make them sing. I grow a mullet when I use them on gigs ....

radman

I think you were being Dave Weckl. He hipped everyone to 13 and 15 hanging toms. 22" bass drums aren't bad. He used one too.
 
I didn't know they ever made 17" drums till I came up with the heads for them. I am helping a friend dispose of a bunch of heads and they include a fair amount of 15", 17" and 18". No 11" though. Now, if you want to see some odd size toms, I have some old Ludwig concert toms that are 6", 8" 10-1/2" and 12" Yes, 10-1/2". No, I didn't miss measure. I actually had to have a special head made for it by Remo. Oddly enough, I actually found a spare rim for it. Don't know how old it is. It was given to me by my old college band director who was retired and has since passed away. I think it is from the 30's. BTW, I have a bunch of these other heads for sale, all new condition if anyone is interested.
 
Now, if you want to see some odd size toms, I have some old Ludwig concert toms that are 6", 8" 10-1/2" and 12" Yes, 10-1/2". No, I didn't miss measure. I actually had to have a special head made for it by Remo. Oddly enough, I actually found a spare rim for it. Don't know how old it is. It was given to me by my old college band director who was retired and has since passed away. I think it is from the 30's. BTW, I have a bunch of these other heads for sale, all new condition if anyone is interested.

Ludwig and others offered 7x11" toms around that time. Maybe the shell was a bit undersized? I read that there was a bit more inconsistency in that area until Remo and Evans started making synthetic heads and brought a certain precision into play as a result.
 
Ludwig and others offered 7x11" toms around that time. Maybe the shell was a bit undersized? I read that there was a bit more inconsistency in that area until Remo and Evans started making synthetic heads and brought a certain precision into play as a result.

Well, if the shell is undersized then the rim is also undersized. I took this drum to Lone Star Percussion because they didn't believe me either. When they saw it their jaws dropped. They were able to get Remo to make a custom head to fit it. Since it is a concert tom, I had no use for a second rim let alone a second head but I had Remo make two heads just in case I broke one. Some time later I ran across that second rim from another source so I know it wasn't the only drum made. I would like to know when Ludwig made such a drum and how prolific they were.
 
Bonus! Drum Factory Direct has a fair chunk of Remo heads in one-inch increments from 8" to 18". No Aquarians though but I do think it'd be easy enough to get them through dealer contact, as Mikecore suggested.
 
I think you were being Dave Weckl. He hipped everyone to 13 and 15 hanging toms. 22" bass drums aren't bad. He used one too.

Yup, there may be some truth to that. I remember being sold on how good the hanging floor toms would sound without those pesky three legs. lol

I do love the kit - which is why I still have it. But the never did like the bass drum ... I always felt it was too much for the rest of the kit. I guess in keeping with the theme, I should have had a 21" or 19" bass drum.... ;-)

Cheers,
radman
 
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