Drum Tuner!

Okay, since finishing that Pearl Piccolo and not being happy with the sound of it, I decided that I was going to re-tune it. So I took the wires and both the heads off and started over before I actually delivered it to Luke. 

However this time around, I made the decision to go out and buy a tuner. I'm not sure of my reasoning as to why I never really wanted one but think I was always a little confused about them, so I avoided it. I also thought I never really "needed" one. Guitarists have tuners, So I used that as my justification on going out and buying one because I for some reason felt that using one was "cheating". Since an experienced drummer should be able to tune them by ear, yadda yadda yadda.

So I went out and bought this guy right here. Its called "Drum Dial". I must say that I'm totally in love with it. I forumed around a bit and some seemed to like it and some seemed to dislike it, but that goes for anything really. Tuning is a really hard thing to do. I've been tuning drums for 7 years and Ive always said "hm, that sounds alright" after EVERY drum that Ive ever tuned. That is now a thing of the past to me, hello confidence!

"DrumDial quickly and precisely tunes all drums by accurately measuring drumhead tension NOT tension rod torque. Tension rod torque can be used to tell you when you are over tightening a bolt to prevent thread damage, but is not accurate for drum tuning because of the difference in screw tolerances, plating, corrosion, and thread wear. You can eliminate these problems by using a DrumDial to measure drumhead tension directly from the drumhead, allowing you to precisely tune your drums faster and easier than ever before."- www.drumdial.com

I love it mainly cause the manual gives you a bunch of standard tensions for different size drums. So you get a starting point to try, then fine tune what you like and dont like from there depending on what sound you want out of your drum(s). Since I've been doing snares over I've already been finding out what I like for snares, I'm definitely not following the tensions that are given in the manual. I dont really agree with the tom tensions but, I do like the kick drum tensions they gave. I'm happy with them, even though I should probably put new heads of my kit, I'm getting my custom hopefully soon, so whats the point?

For lukes snare, I was lucky enough to find someone in a drum forum who was using a Drum Dial and had the same exact snare. So I used the tensions he had used and I think the drum sounds fantastic now. Although I'm not sure if the drum dial just served as a placebo or not, since I'm not aware of what my tensions were BEFORE I re-tuned it with the dial. Kind of bummed on that. It's still ringy, but I'm happy with it now. 

I've come to realize that the drum dial isn't "cheating", to be honest I really don't even know why I have this sort of guilt about it haha because I can still go by ear and learn that way, then just use the dial to even out the lugs I went either too far or too loose on. I can definitely tell already though just by using it once the huge difference there is when you have ALL your tension around the drum perfect on both tops and reso heads rather than a "guessed" tuned drum.

If you want ALL the info about how it works, go to www.drumdial.com. The site is pretty much a blog within itself.

OH, Hey, Australia!

LOOK WHAT I GOT IN THE MAIL TODAY!

We're getting closer and closer! Now all I need is to save the money!

Saving starts soon!

Now that I have this thing, anyone down for a Canada sesh!?

Snare Drum Re-Doins Pt. 1

I took up a project 2 weeks ago. I saw this snare drum sitting in Luke Taylors basement. Its a Pearl Piccolo 13"x3". Its been in his basement for lord knows how months. It wasn't being used since the top head had exploded, there was a VHS tape sitting inside the thing for gods sake. So since I have nothing else better to do with my spare time, I decided to take it home and refurbish it.

It was my first time ever taking a snare or any drum for that matter, completely apart, tuning both TOP and Bottom heads on a snare AND replacing snare wires. I figured it "good for me" since I love drums and don't ever shut up about them or stop looking at drums, drooling on the internet. So why not learn more, since you can never know too much about something you're sincerely passionate about.

Here's what it looked like BEFORE:


Now I was really trying to refrain from using the word "refurbish". Since it sounds really intense and like hard work. Where I didn't really do much. I just kinda "cleaned" it. Though I did take the time and got some polish from my grandfather and clean all the hoops, lugs and tension rods so they'd shine real nice.

Here's what it looks like NOW:


I think it came out pretty good. The only thing that stresses me out is the tuning of it. I don't know what it sounded like before hand. I'm also not familiar with Steel snares, especially piccolos. I think its way too ringy, but i'm not sure if that's just the nature of this drum/steel drums in general. Maybe I choked it or the strainer isn't set right, it could definitely be something with the bottom head. It doesn't sound awful but I personally don't particularly like the sound very much but that could have been because I did something incorrectly. 

Though for a first try, I give myself credit. You have to learn some how so its an experience. There's another snare to "refurbish". So i'm going to try my luck with that one. It is also steel, but I believe its deeper, so this one will also sound different, but I am interested in seeing the difference between a 5-7 inch steel snare and a 3".

When my kit is finished and I get my new snare, I plan on changing the bottom head on my 14X7 Yamaha and see how that goes. So if I struggle with that one its only my back up and not my ONLY snare that I have. 

Letters And Packages

So many koala bears! I got a package from my friends in Australia today! They sent it out before they flew out of California, which was probably...2 days ago, i think? They were SUPPOSED to give me them when they were here in New England, but noooooo.

Im pumped on it! I love gifts! Even if its Dave & Busters frisbees! Which I only recieved because I was in D&B one time talking to Kristy and told her I was there and she had no idea what it was until she came across one while in Cali.

THANK YOU LADIES! You are too sweet!

Ill be awaiting my second package! Since apparently you forgot something, I cannot imagine what it could be!

I hope that I'll be seeing yous by next summer! <3

Australia!

Next year I plan on accomplishing 1 of the things I'd like to do before I die. I'm going to Australia!

All this came about so strange. I recieve a message from a young lady claiming that she is from Australia and coming to the US. At first I thought "okay, yeah, so what, why the hell are you telling me"? So, I replyed anyway haha. Turns out that she was coming to Mass and also attending Metal Fest. Which is extremely close to me. So after some more talking, it came to be that she also knew/was going to meet lots of people I knew in the Western Mass area. So needless to say, I then became interested in meeting these, what turned out to be 3 females from the country of Australia.

from left to right: Ashleigh, Kirstie, Kristy & me! I'm very glad that I got a chance to meet these 3 ladies. They are extremely nice people and seem to have no attitudes at all. They were all very funny and witty ladies and we got along great right from the get go, it was fantastic. I had a lot of fun being around them and hanging for what was sadly the one and only night I got to spend with them. I didnt think they would be as awesome as they were! I do feel I missed out but having to work on weekdays and them spending their time in Mass an hour and a half away prohibited maximum hangs, but ill make up for that next year!

Kristy was sweet enough to just GIVE me money from her Country. One of the questions that I had asked her was if Australian currency had Kangaroos on it. Since anything to do with Australia, I always assume it has to do with Kangaroos. It turns out it does! Australian dollar coins are WAY cooler than the USAs Sacagawea dollar coin, that thing is stupid! Theirs has cute animals on it! The large 50 cent coin also has Kangaroos on it! Im very much pumped on having money from Australia and I definitly plan on using it! Since Ive met nice and awesome people from there, it has given me lots of ambition to actually get going on it. I now have friends to see and a place to stay so the stress of going on this trip completely alone is now gone! After I finish paying for my drums that will be finished in the next few months, I have nothing else to save for. They were the most expensive goal in my life, other than buying cars. So now that thats out of the way, its travel time!

It feels nice to have a goal. One that I know I can reach. Because the only thing thats holding me back is the money for a plane ticket. Which is something I can easily raise. I love to travel, I know there is a whole world out there and I want to see it! Im surrounded by it always, friends are off in bands, doing something they love and I also love, MUSIC. I wish I could catch a break on that part of my life. Though it doesnt matter, music will always be there, its something that im always going to be doing or trying to do. If I cant mix traveling and music together, so be it. Its not going to hold me back from raising the money to go off and see other places. It just makes it easier haha. Ive filled out my passport form. I'm going to go get my photo taken in the next coming week and then drop that off and await the 1st very small step towards making my journey to a beautiful country to arrive in the mail.

Plus I have this to look forward to!

Im going to be hanging out with all these ladies! Its going to be awesome! Hopefully there wont be much singing involved! HA!(this is actually them! this isnt a random video I picked off youtube!). I cant wait to see all the cool things the country has to offer from scenery to FOOD and Of course holding a koala bear! I'm not sure where Ill be going in the country but im sure that I wont be disappointed.

July 2010 here I come Australia!

Experiments

2009 seems to be the year for them. If you could even call them that at all. Speaking for myself of course and since absolutely nothing thus far has been going my way, I've come to notice that positivity is hardly with me anymore like it was in January where all this "new lease and outlook on...(add variable X here)" started and im starting to wonder if I've just been shitting it all out with every afternoons BM. So in retaliation to my most recent blog entry(the one below this one) I've taken it upon myself to do something about "it".

My plan was everything but well crafted last night as I made the decision to not listen to ANY music, at all, for an unknown period of time. Since I find myself confiding in music always, searching for solace without much result of making things any better. So whats the fucking point? I kind of find it impossible however to not listen to anything, even though I have not tried it yet, the sounds of nature, life, the city, the hum of my vehicle as I gracefully disobey the speed limit, just wont cut it.

Im still going to try though, today was the day of Snapcase. I think I really just have to apply myself and say "no, dont listen to that" and try to focus on other things and listen to other things that I just find myself not caring to relate to and ignoring. I see it the only way. What Id like to help, isnt helping and if I want to do things different this year, I have to actually fucking do it.

"Problems" weight me down easy. I feel that I could have always done better, done more, I have trouble letting go, I have trouble accepting. I beat myself into the ground so hard I feel the warmth from hell, Id swear that Ive almost reached it a few times but in order to cast all these things away, really isnt up to any band or any song or any single person but myself. So in reality, what should it matter what I listen to? Well that is something I cannot answer, for some reason, it matters, in my world. If it hurts, why fucking deal with it any longer?

I really need to cut the shit with these rule breakers.

Which Came First?

A lot of the time I think about this very thing. Maybe I need to branch out more and find new music? Even though I know within that new music, whatever it may be, I will search for substance, meaning, a connection, which I or anyone should see nothing wrong with since its something I think everyone does. Im coming to the conclusion that what Im attracted to and the kind of person that I am, is what never gets me out of the holes I find myself in yearly, usually over the same thing. So maybe its me? Even down to the books that I read, whether a fictional story or a philosophical book by a writer who has a far better grip on his/her own case of fucking... melancholia, than I will ever have. They all have one thing in common, dark, evil, depressing shit about loss, death, confusion and the shere burden of being given life.

I need a new playlist...or maybe a renewed sense of being.

"My bright, is too slight, to hold back all my dark"

Sorry for this Blog rule breaker.