Common faults & repairs
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Drum heads wear out
In drumming terms, drum heads are a consumable product. Often, around a year after using a drum kit, the sound changes. In most cases, this is because the head has worn out, resulting in a shift in the tone. Loosen the heads, and if the portion where the drumstick contacts the head is full of pits, then it is time to change them. Drummers who practice a lot should usually change their heads around once every six months.
Drummers should be able to change their heads without any problem; however, if it is the first time, it might make sense as part of learning to have someone at the drum shop, or an experienced drummer, teach you how to do this.
Drummers should be able to change their heads without any problem; however, if it is the first time, it might make sense as part of learning to have someone at the drum shop, or an experienced drummer, teach you how to do this.
Snares wear out
The snare is also a consumable product, and drummers who play a lot should change it once every six months to a year. If the strands become misshapen or detached, that is also the time to change it.
Cracked cymbals
Cymbals, as part of drum playing, are constantly pounded with drumsticks. This eventually results in cracks forming, holes appearing or the cymbal splitting.
Cymbals with cracks are repaired in the following manner: -
These repairs are all metalworking processes, so consulting a repair shop that performs them makes sense. All of these repair methods result in changes to the tonal qualities of the cymbal. Still, applying one of these methods before contemplating throwing away a cymbal is better.
Cymbals with cracks are repaired in the following manner: -
- Drill a 2- or 3-mm hole at both ends of the crack to stop the crack from growing.
- Cleanly cut out the section that contains the crack.
- Cut off a circular section that includes the cracked portion and make the cymbal smaller.
- Close the crack using a solder and a torch.
These repairs are all metalworking processes, so consulting a repair shop that performs them makes sense. All of these repair methods result in changes to the tonal qualities of the cymbal. Still, applying one of these methods before contemplating throwing away a cymbal is better.
Lug maintenance and replacement
The lugs are the fittings that are attached to the drum shells. They are some of the most minor and vital parts of drums that also require care. They work to secure the rims and head and are used to adjust the tension on the heads. They include the high-tension lug, a single unit that holds both the top and bottom heads, and the single lug used on one head.
Lugs usually are in a state of high tension; therefore, they are subject to a higher level of wear. The snare drum has a much higher tension than other drums; therefore, its lugs wear out faster than the other drums.
Inside the lug is a female screw called a lug nut and a tightening bolt that screws together. If these parts are assembled when damaged, the bolt will be challenging to turn. This, in turn, makes it impossible to tune the heads properly or makes the tuning unstable, so you must take care with these parts. Replacement lug nuts and bolts are available. Inspect the lug nuts when changing the heads. If they are damaged, replace both the lug nut and the bolt. As a rough guide, the snare drum, played the most, should have its lugs replaced about once a year.
A small amount of daily maintenance can reduce lug wear dramatically. Just wiping the lugs carefully with a dry cloth and a small amount (drop) of brass-instrument grease as a habit can keep them in top condition for a long time and keep the bolts turning smoothly.
Lugs usually are in a state of high tension; therefore, they are subject to a higher level of wear. The snare drum has a much higher tension than other drums; therefore, its lugs wear out faster than the other drums.
Inside the lug is a female screw called a lug nut and a tightening bolt that screws together. If these parts are assembled when damaged, the bolt will be challenging to turn. This, in turn, makes it impossible to tune the heads properly or makes the tuning unstable, so you must take care with these parts. Replacement lug nuts and bolts are available. Inspect the lug nuts when changing the heads. If they are damaged, replace both the lug nut and the bolt. As a rough guide, the snare drum, played the most, should have its lugs replaced about once a year.
A small amount of daily maintenance can reduce lug wear dramatically. Just wiping the lugs carefully with a dry cloth and a small amount (drop) of brass-instrument grease as a habit can keep them in top condition for a long time and keep the bolts turning smoothly.
Polishing cymbals to high gloss
Cymbals are struck with sticks and touched directly by the hands during regular use. This wearing off the coating over time can cause oxidization and rust that may harm its tonal qualities. With time, the hardware also gets rusty, and parts with screws stop moving properly, so wiping down the cymbals as much as possible using piano polish or spray can help with polishing fittings, shells, and cymbals. The primary care of the cymbal consists of maintaining its original shine; therefore, how much polishing is enough is determined by balancing the cymbal's tone with the cymbal's look.
You must use all chemicals (polish or spray), following the manufacturer's warnings.
You must use all chemicals (polish or spray), following the manufacturer's warnings.
Maintenance and troubleshooting (Digital)
Generally digital drums are more delicate than acoustic drums and can be difficult to repair. It is therefore important to take the necessary precautionary measures to extend the life of your digital drum set. The key things you should be aware of are: -
To ensure long life of your digital drum kit, these are some of the tips adhere to: -
- If your drum cables and pad isn’t triggering or is triggering intermittently, as a first step you check the cables and the pads. Disconnect and reconnect the cable and make sure it is fully connected. If that doesn’t work, connect the cable from the faulty trigger to a pad that is working. If the pad triggers, that means the cable is working.
- If your cymbal pads have a crash and choke function, make sure that the logo on the cymbal facing towards you. While the entire cymbal pad is a trigger, the Choke and Edge triggers are located opposite of the logo
- Following the first 2 steps above, you check the module settings. Depending on how you play, you may need to make further adjustments. Refer to the module’s user guide for instructions on how to navigate these settings. Follow the steps below to troubleshoot the module.
- Increase sensitivity and decrease the threshold in small increments
- Increasing the sensitivity triggers louder sounds with softer hits, and decreasing the threshold triggers the sample with softer hits.
- Decrease Crosstalk (X-talk).
- Perform a factory reset of the module.
- Increase sensitivity and decrease the threshold in small increments
To ensure long life of your digital drum kit, these are some of the tips adhere to: -
- Don’t him the drum pads too hard because it can cause damage to the internal trigger
- Use a plastic or rubber bass drum pedal beater especially if your electric bass drum pad has a mesh head. This is because felt beaters can cause friction and tear to the bass drum head prematurely
- Make sure your drum kit is set on a carpet or drum rug since this reduces vibration and prevents the kit from moving around.
- Use the correct kind of cables especially if your module uses quarter inch cable connections
- Ensure the relevant firmware of the kit is updated when appropriate if applicable