DW drop clutch sticking

Mastiff

Senior Member
I have a DW drop clutch and it has this little threaded hole in the side that the catch can get stuck in. If I'm playing with the clutch dropped, it's just a matter of time until it bounces up and sticks in there. The effect is that the hats are a bit further apart and clatter more. This would be fine if desired, but it's not. Has anyone encountered this, and better yet, found a way to prevent it?
 
I have one on my remote hats, and what I do is adjust it so that the hook is in the threaded hole when it's in the up/unlocked position. One of the biggest issues I've had with drop lock clutches is if you have the hats too close together in the open position they can pop open unexpectedly. My primary hats have the new Tama sizzle touch drop clutch which I think is the best drop lock clutch ever made because it doesn't pop open. At least not at my regular playing dynamics in the month I've had it.
 
Has anyone encountered this, and better yet, found a way to prevent it?
I’ve encountered it, and my solution to the myriad deficiencies was to get a Tama Sizzle clutch. It really is the best.

On a somewhat more practical note, if that hole happens to be threaded (I don’t recall off hand), you may be able to put a short screw from a memory lock or something in there, as long as it doesn’t go all the way through and clamp down on the rod. You also may be able to cover the opening with epoxy or something similar.
 
Yeah, it's threaded. A little threaded plug might help, but it might still get stuck anyway. A screw would prevent the clutch from reengaging if you were unlucky and it was there when you needs to get back to hat mode. Hard epoxy would likely work.

I'll probably go for the Tama clutch soon, though it's not exactly cheap. The DW has also shown a failure mode where it inexplicably can't regrab when pushing down on the pedal. It's really weird. It simply won't move down at all and I have to rotate the assembly by hand a bit to unstick it.
 
I was looking at those and ordered the Gibralter version.
It's got a lever you can palm or hit with a stick to drop it (According to the video demo).
We'll see...Should be here in a couple days.
(I'm assuming you are talking about a quick drop/re-engage)
 
I have a DW drop clutch and it has this little threaded hole in the side that the catch can get stuck in. If I'm playing with the clutch dropped, it's just a matter of time until it bounces up and sticks in there. The effect is that the hats are a bit further apart and clatter more. This would be fine if desired, but it's not. Has anyone encountered this, and better yet, found a way to prevent it?

Mannn... I've read this post yesterday and for some bizare reason i read 'stick' instead of 'catch' in the first sentence and i still remember myself thinking 'how is that even possible'. Now reading it again your post makes perfect sense haha.

I don't have the DW drop clutch, but i have similar issue with my (i believe) Stagg drop clutch. Very unreliable and even when i press the pedal down to pick up the cymbal, it sometimes doesn't catch it and i stays closed. Or it doesn't grip it good and immediately drops the cymbal again... so stopped using it. Looking forward to read some more suggestions here for better drop clutches.
 
I gave up on drop clutches. Same issues, sometimes it wouldnt drop, sometimes it wouldnt pick up. So I keep the hats about 1/8" apart. Nice and sloshy if not on the pedal, acts like normal hi hats if using the pedal.
 
I gave up on drop clutches. Same issues, sometimes it wouldnt drop, sometimes it wouldnt pick up. So I keep the hats about 1/8" apart. Nice and sloshy if not on the pedal, acts like normal hi hats if using the pedal.

I hear a lot of guys that seem to just go to a stack when double bassing too. It's an appealing option, aside from paying for the stack and finding a place to fit it.
 
I hear a lot of guys that seem to just go to a stack when double bassing too. It's an appealing option, aside from paying for the stack and finding a place to fit it.
Lol the second sentence is why I have no stack!
 
For real, Tama Sizzle clutch.

I modded my DW clutch to do something similar by cutting off some of the clutch and using a spring and some thin washers to stuff the gap, but the Tama clutch is much more elegant.
 
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