Installation
Regular Tonewings™
Mini Tonewings™
Preparation
1) The first step in installing your Tonewings™ is to remove the batter head of your drum.
(if you do not need instructions on removing your drum head or preparing your shell, you can skip down to INSTALLATION.)
a. With your drum key, loosen the tension rods.
b. Completely loosen all the tension rods from the lug casings with your fingers, but leave them in the counter hoop.
c. Carefully lift the hoop off and set the hoop and tension rods down on a clean surface.
2) Prepare the drum shell
a. Tip the shell and tap it to remove any wood chips or other loose items from the shell.
b. Wipe out the inside of the shell with a soft cloth.
c. Clean the shell’s bearing edge with a soft, clean cloth.
d. Inspect resonant drum head and decide if it needs to be replaced.
e. Set shell with the open end up and with the throw off mechanism to the right side.
Installation
General Considerations-
- If mounting more than one Tonewing™ they must be placed across from each other
(see video), beginning at least one mounting lug away from the throw off. - Each Tonewing™ must be at least 3/4 inch (1.9 cm) from the top of the shell to prevent
direct contact of the drum head and the Tone Wing™. The mounting slot will allow for
adjustment of the height.
Procedure
1) Remove the drum’s batter head, counter hoop and tension rods as described above or using your normal process.
2) Decide what size (regular or mini) and how many Tonewings™ you are going to attach. Choose the locations.
NOTE: It is important to mount each Tone Wing™ one at a time. Follow the steps below for each wing, and then repeat until all are mounted.
3) Loosen, but do not remove, the tension rod on the bottom side of the lug where the tonewing™ is to be installed.
4) Remove each lug-mounting screw, washer, and bolt set that is holding each lug casing to be removed to add a Tonewing™.
5) One at a time, place each Tonewing™ mounting slot over the correct pair of screw holes. Begin replacing each set (screw, washer and bolt) by partially tightening down on the Tonewing™ while re-engaging the lug casings on the outside of the shell.
NOTE: It may be necessary to replace the existing screw or bolt on some older or unique model drums to make a Tonewing™ fit properly. Determine this before proceeding with the next Tonewing™.
If installing a Tonewing™ on a metal shell drum, the cup washer holding the lug will need to be flipped outward or replaced with a regular washer before tightening the screw.
6) Align the Tonewing™ to the height you choose by sliding the wing into place and gently tightening down both sets of screws the rest of way, making sure the units of the lug casings and Tonewing™ are secure.
7) Repeat until all Tonewings™ are in place. See typical placement of Tonewings™ when complete sets are used below.
Regular sized Tonewings™
Mini sized Tonewings™
Completion
To complete the process you must tighten the bottom tension rods. Then replace the batter head, counter hoop and upper tension rods on to the shell. The last step is to tune your drum. See steps below:
1) Tighten the lower tension rods on the snare head.
2) Place batter head on to the shell with the name aligned as you wish.
3) Place the counter hoop carefully over the head and on to the bearing edge, aligning the tension rod holes over each lug casing.
4) Press down on the counter hoop to ensure it is well-seated.
5) Insert each tension rod into its lug casing and finger-tighten them. Go around the drum again finger-tightening the rods until firmly, equally tightened.
6) Using your drum set key, tighten the tension rods in the pattern shown.
7) Tune the drum to your desired tuning.
Checkout www.kennysharretts.com for tuning guides
Magnetic Tonewings Installation
Purchasing Options
Drum Paradise Nashville
Drum Supply House
Bentley's Drum Shop
Liquid Sound Tech
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Drum Tuning Guide
What You Need Before Tuning Your Drums
As straightforward as they may seem, did you know that your drums still need some fine-tuning? Apparently, the more frequently you play them, the more frequently you need to tune them. This is necessary for drums to produce precise, fully bodied tones. They don’t have strings like guitars, so you might be wondering how exactly that works. Don’t worry; we’re here to show you how! You’ll need to prepare your drum key and your drum sticks.
Your drum has tension rods that determine the pitch of your drum, which can be adjusted using your drum key. Meanwhile, your drum sticks are there for sound checking purposes.
What is the Drum Tuning Process?
The Drum Tuning Process is quite simple.
If you have an old, frequently used drum, check if the drum heads are up for replacement, otherwise, you won’t be able to tune it as effectively. If your drum heads are new or have not worn out yet, make sure you place them at the center of the drum itself and your tension rods are securely tied prior to starting the tuning.
Bring out your drum key to adjust the tightness on your tension rod. As you start tuning, bring out your drum sticks and start tapping on the head to play around with the sound.
Keep playing and tune your rods until you reach your desired sound and feel of the drum.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tone in drumming pertains to the musical quality (e.g. sound, pitch) produced. A drum’s tone ideally sounds clear and full-bodied.
Quite simple actually. You need a drum key, drum sticks, and our personal recommendation, our very own Tone Wings™!
You can improve your drum tone by consistently tuning your drums with our Tone Wings, especially if you are using them frequently. Regularly cleaning and maintaining your entire drums as well will help keep your instrument in good playing condition.
The shape and size of the shell can affect the quality of the drum tone.
Professional musicians recommend at least twice a week, especially if you are playing regularly. The more often you play your drums, the more often you need to tune them as well.
When they’re not being used frequently, they may stay in tune for some days or weeks. However, if it takes long months without playing them, then chances are, they’ve gone out of tune.
Make sure your drum heads are not worn out. Regular tuning especially with Tone Wings™ can make your drum set’s sound even more satisfying!
Drum tuners are devices that assist drummers and music/sound engineers while fine-tuning a drum set.
Yes, when used correctly, they do.
You’ll know your drum is in tune if you’ve achieved the sound and pitch you desire while playing. Likewise, the sound quality is clear, loud, and full.
If you feel that your ears aren’t well-versed yet in detecting sounds in your drum that may need improvement or you’ve just started adjusting your drum tuning, then getting a drum tuner may be helpful for you.
A drum tuner gives a visual representation that will help professionals see what needs to be adjusted to make the sound more professional. This may come in handy for beginners who are starting to tune their drums.
Tone in drumming pertains to the musical quality (e.g. sound, pitch) produced. A drum’s tone ideally sounds clear and full-bodied.
Quite simple actually. You need a drum key, drum sticks, and our personal recommendation, our very own Tone Wings™!
You can improve your drum tone by consistently tuning your drums with our Tone Wings, especially if you are using them frequently. Regularly cleaning and maintaining your entire drums as well will help keep your instrument in good playing condition.
The shape and size of the shell can affect the quality of the drum tone.
Professional musicians recommend at least twice a week, especially if you are playing regularly. The more often you play your drums, the more often you need to tune them as well.
When they’re not being used frequently, they may stay in tune for some days or weeks. However, if it takes long months without playing them, then chances are, they’ve gone out of tune.
Make sure your drum heads are not worn out. Regular tuning especially with Tone Wings™ can make your drum set’s sound even more satisfying!
Drum tuners are devices that assist drummers and music/sound engineers while fine-tuning a drum set.
Yes, when used correctly, they do.
You’ll know your drum is in tune if you’ve achieved the sound and pitch you desire while playing. Likewise, the sound quality is clear, loud, and full.
If you feel that your ears aren’t well-versed yet in detecting sounds in your drum that may need improvement or you’ve just started adjusting your drum tuning, then getting a drum tuner may be helpful for you.
A drum tuner gives a visual representation that will help professionals see what needs to be adjusted to make the sound more professional. This may come in handy for beginners who are starting to tune their drums.
