Mounted Tom Sizes

PHILK

Member
So, why in this day and age, is it extremely difficult to find a new set with 12" and 13" mounted toms? That was the standard size in the old days. Now I only see those little 10" and 12" toms which I don't like. Why did drum manufacturers decide to change things and start making sets with smaller toms? I like a deep powerful tom sound. The larger ones look better and sound better (IMO). They should at least offer different size options. People like variety. All the sets I see nowadays have the small toms.
 
Less material used in construction?
 
The trend started in the mid to late 90's. Seems a lot of drummers thought toms an inch apart didn't give enough tonal separation. And an 11" tom never really caught on ..... so by default, the 8, 10, 12 became standard. (9, 11, 13 .... not so much:ROFLMAO:).

High end drums ..... you can order whatever you want, pretty much. Intermediate and entry level kits, yeah ..... the standard rack tom sizes right now are 10 and 12. But quite a few intermediate lines offer (at least) a 13 as an add-on.
 
I split the difference, old-skool style, and my 10 " and 12" toms are 10x10 and 12x10, so I get the new and the power at the same time. :) I am not dissatisfied.

I also have a 13x11, which atm is quite useful for collecting dust.
 
I use only a 12" tom in a snare stand, and I don't buy shell packs. I just order a 12" tom, a 16" floor tom, and a 22" bass directly from Pearl. That convention gets me exactly what I want without having to pour over factory-formulated offerings.

A 10" tom has never done it for me. It looks and sounds too diminutive. I'd play a 13" long before a 10", though 12" is (and shall remain) my customary ideal.
 
I'll also add ...... the first 2 inch apart array of toms I knew off ...... was the Remo Roto toms. 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 inch sizes. First introduced in 1968.
 
Most things seem to be cyclical, and I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of it was a turn away from the power toms of the 80s and early 90s. (Which means they should be due for a comeback any time now.) Moreover, the commercial dominance of rock waned, and I wonder if that meant the average successful professional drummer was tending to play smaller venues. Also, entirely anecdotally, although ergonomics has been around for a powerful long time, it feels like it became much more a mainstream conversation in the 80s, and smaller toms are generally easier to position in an ergonomic manner.
 
The ergonomics of a kit with 10, 12 and 14 is so much much better than 12, 13, 16.
 
I agree with the original post. I like 12" and 13" rack toms. That is what all of my drum sets have.
I have played a drum set with two 12 inch rack toms. They were easy to tune so that they sounded like a 12" and 13". And the set looked very well balanced from the front. If you did this now, the only issue might be the direction that the badge faces.

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Years back it was a trend to have 10/12/14/16 etc everything in 2" 'gaps'.
Have played 'old school' drums at rehearsal rooms which had the bigger toms (12 and 13) and i do favor those.
Maybe my next kit will be 10/12/13/14/16. If it's good for Dennis Chambers and Omar Hakim for all those years... ;)
 
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Can't you just order the sizes that you want? I've done so with Yamaha Stage...

I also think bigger drums/ cymbals have made a big comeback!
 
This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I ordered my DW Kit from the factory, 12x9 and 13x10 a few years ago....I think it took about 4 weeks for delivery. Now because of Covid you would be looking at a longer wait time. I have no use for a 10" tom
I never played a set with small toms, and I hope I never will. I definitely would never buy one.
 
So, why in this day and age, is it extremely difficult to find a new set with 12" and 13" mounted toms? That was the standard size in the old days. Now I only see those little 10" and 12" toms which I don't like. Why did drum manufacturers decide to change things and start making sets with smaller toms? I like a deep powerful tom sound. The larger ones look better and sound better (IMO). They should at least offer different size options. People like variety. All the sets I see nowadays have the small toms.
"Fusion drummers" were higher in numbers than "power-tom" guys.
I'm sure cost had a bit to do with it too.
 
So, why in this day and age, is it extremely difficult to find a new set with 12" and 13" mounted toms? That was the standard size in the old days. Now I only see those little 10" and 12" toms which I don't like. Why did drum manufacturers decide to change things and start making sets with smaller toms? I like a deep powerful tom sound. The larger ones look better and sound better (IMO). They should at least offer different size options. People like variety. All the sets I see nowadays have the small toms.
I have 12", 13", 14", & 15". But, I had to build them myself. 🥁
 
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Years back it was a trend to have 10/12/14/16 etc everything in 2" 'gaps'.
Have played 'old school' drums at rehearsal rooms which had the bigger toms (12 and 13) and i do favor those.
Maybe my next kit will be 10/12/13/14/16. If it's good for Dennis Chambers and Omad Hakim for all those years... ;)
Well, that might be mine too. I have already 10, 12, 13 rack Tom and 16 floor and I like it a lot but anytime Untried a 14", it sounded weak!? I have plan to get a 15X8 snare from Summit Drums and use it as well as a floor Tom.
 
I was always a 12/13 or 13/14 player up until about 5 years ago. All of my kits have 10/12 barring my Premier Projector which is 12/13. I just never use 10's in any of my set-ups. Usually just 12/16 as when we gig, this is what is usually provided.
 
I am only just getting back into drumming after a 15 year absence, before I stopped 12" and 13" seemed the norm, I had 10", 12" & 14" yamaha fusion which I thought I wanted when younger (I was 15 when I got the kit) but soon realised I preferred the bigger, traditional sizes.

Having now looked extensively into getting a new kit and picking up the sticks again I honestly feel the advances in the manufacturing make it less of an issue, a lot of the maple kits I have been looking at with the smaller tom sizes would easily stand up to a traditional 12" & 13" setup from 15 years ago.
 
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