Common faults & repairs
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Drum heads wear out
In drumming terms, drum heads, are a consumable product. Often times, 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 change of 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 normally change the heads around once every six months.
Drummers should be able to change the 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 the 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 drum sticks. 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 essentially metal working processes, so it makes sense to consult a repair shop that performs these kinds of repairs. All of these repair methods results in changes to the tonal qualities of the cymbal but it is better to apply one of these methods before contemplating throwing away a cymbal.
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 solder and a torch.
These repairs are all essentially metal working processes, so it makes sense to consult a repair shop that performs these kinds of repairs. All of these repair methods results in changes to the tonal qualities of the cymbal but it is better to apply one of these methods before contemplating throwing away a cymbal.
Lug maintenance and replacement
The lugs are the fittings that are attached to the drum shells. They are some of the smallest 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, which is a single unit that holds both the top and bottom heads, and the single lug, which are used on one head.
Lugs are normally in a state of high tension therefore they are subject to higher level of wear. The snare drum particularly has a much higher tension than other drums, therefore its lugs wear out faster than those of the other drums.
Inside the lug is a female screw called a lug nut and a tightening bolt that screw together. If these parts are put together when damaged, the bolt will be difficult to turn. This in turn makes it impossible to tune the heads properly, or makes the tuning unstable, so care must be taken 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, which is 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 are normally in a state of high tension therefore they are subject to higher level of wear. The snare drum particularly has a much higher tension than other drums, therefore its lugs wear out faster than those of the other drums.
Inside the lug is a female screw called a lug nut and a tightening bolt that screw together. If these parts are put together when damaged, the bolt will be difficult to turn. This in turn makes it impossible to tune the heads properly, or makes the tuning unstable, so care must be taken 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, which is 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 the sticks and touched directly by the hands during normal use. This wears off the coating over time can cause oxidization and rust that may have a negative impact on 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 basic care of the cymbal consists of maintaining its original shine therefore how much polishing is enough is determined by balancing the tone of the cymbal with the look of the cymbal.
All chemicals (polish or spray) must be used factoring in the manufacturers warnings.
All chemicals (polish or spray) must be used factoring in the manufacturers 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