Giving up the second floor tom

soundgardener

Junior Member
I'm curious about people's experience using a second floor tom. How often do you get to it? Do you consider it integral to your playing? Anyone give up on and switch to a different configuration? Anyone return to it after giving it up? For gigging drummers, do you use the second tom at home, but leave it behind when you play a show?
 
I guess i run a 2 up 2 down setup at studio
And 2 up 1 down when gigging too

Adjustment isnt much even tho i like playing low toned buildup strokes on my two floor toms (T3 and T4), i would just "shift up" my hands to T2 and T3 at gigs instead of T3 T4. Not sure about having two FTs as integral to my playing. Thats up to you to decide. I just dont carry both FTs because i dont feel like lugging around both lol
If i was pro and had my own team sure bring both toms for me bros
 
Use a one up, two down setup at home

Gigging (and most other situations) it's a luxury rather than a necessity and it's left at home. Plus it's more space taken up on stage.
 
I have a second floor tom at church, but I mount it to the left of my hats. I have to use it for a few songs, so it's needed.

My travel drumset? Heck, I ditched the one crash cymbal and the rack tom. This is what I play with now:

18057732_10213197459391637_1839874448055266502_n.jpg
 
I play a one-up, two-down configuration at home but live I usually only bring one floor tom. The second tom doesn't get played all that much at home or live, but I do enjoy the option.
 
I use both floor toms on certain stages. I use 2 floors maybe 5x a year. One floor is what sees the most action.

Integral? Not at all.
 
I've never owned a kit with two floor toms, but if I did, I would make sure they sound totally different from one another, and I'd put them on either side of the kit.
 
I have one four-piece kit and one shell bank kit that I often play with two toms low (14" and 16"). I don't bring the 14" on that kit unless the music calls for it, but generally if I'm using that kit, I need more than two tom voices for the music anyway.
 
i really like the way my 14x12 sounds musically so I use it way more
that said, the head wear on the 14 is way heavier than my 16x14 FT so now I'm tryin to switch it up lol
 
I don't really understand how one can generalize.

I have a 2 up 2 down. That's my main kit.

I only bring what I need.

Depends on the gig.
 
I get to it when I set it up.
No.
Constantly.
Same as above.
No. I don't ever leave anything behind because of having to lug it around. If you are going to be there for a while, you may as well bring with you what makes you happy.
 
I have really wanted a second floor tom for a while now. I play 14 rack and 18 floor, so if I added one, it would be a 16. I wanted to order a 16×16 Legacy Maple to match my kit when I heard that Ludwig discontinued the Pewter Glass Glitter wrap, and they had enough at the time to do the drum, but they wanted $1300 for it, so I passed.
 
Although I have a 2nd floor tom I find that my auxillary snare is a much better place to keep my towel :)
 
I personnally have given up the second floor.

I really tried to appreciate to play 10 12 14 16 (2 up 2 down) Because it was kind of logical set up, and appreciate the look. Plus my kit had two suspended floor tom.
But : I went back, ordered to Mr. Dancingcrow (thx to this forum) the part to get my 16" on legs, so as to set this way 10 12 13 16.

Many reasons :
1 My main toms are definately 12 and 16". 12 in front, 16" on my right.
2 I had troubles going fast from the 12 to the 16", and play the 16" with the left limb. During fast fills, it felt risky to me and my own abilities to catch the 16" with my left hand and then get the cymbal.
3 Not so easy to install the 14"/16" on a stand
4 I am a tom guy and appreciate having 3 toms in front, even if the 10" is optional
5 I definately appreciate the tone and feel at ease with a classic 12" 13" 16" configuration.
6 Curiously enough, on my kit the 14" was really great and I had diffculties to tune the 16" low enough (felt like a 14>15)

I miss the look of the first set up, the fact that small toms in front are more practical to install. And another thing, the two hanging floor communicated together, creating a lot of lows, that was great but felt just a bit imprecise.
I must say that I have had health problem that made my body a little less supple than it should have, so fast and fluid rotation towards the 16" went difficult; I tended to play the 14" on the parts that I used to play on the 16".

PS : I hope my english is readable (!)
 
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