Thanks for the kind words, folks!
In no particular order...
...yeah, the bass drum really seems to be the "star" of this kit so far, in looks and sound alike. It has a Remo Powerstroke 3 batter with a square pad of moleskin, and a Remo Ambassador (coated) on the front, with no other muffling. The batter is fairly loose (not "wrinkle-loose," but loose), and the reso is tuned higher. I originally tried recording the kit only with the overhead mic's, and there wasn't anywhere near enough bass drum in the sound, so I put up a PZM right in front of the bass. I haven't heard the kit from "out front," so I can't say with 100% certainty exactly how accurate the recording is in terms of the sound and volume of the bass drum. However, in person the drum certainly has some "nuts" to it, that's for sure!
...Dave, my "tuning technique" is very complicated: "Get in there and start turning tension rods 'til it sounds good."
Usually, my toms end up with the reso about a minor third higher in pitch than the batter. After making the sound files linked above, I started experimenting with the tuning, to see how the drums would sound tuned down (aiming for that "Manu Katche" sort of sound), and I realized that the 10" tom, as heard on the mp3s, was tuned with both heads about the same pitch.
The toms have single-ply coated heads at the moment - some new, some old and well-worn, and of a variety of brands. I plan to do some experimenting, tho - my Ludwig toms are the thicker 6-ply maple/poplar shells, and I've never spent a lot of time with thin-shell drums, so I'll probably go pick up a bunch of different 10" or 12" heads and see what works. I'm thinking of eventually adding a larger bass drum, and maybe another tom or two (an 8" rack, and/or a 16" floor), so I can do the official Keith Cronin "Mix and Match" thing depending on the gig. I know these will sound great at a jazz tuning, but I want to see what else I can get them to do.
...In terms of drill bits, I just used a general set of bits picked up at the hardware store. They aren't Forstner bits, and I don't think they're brad point, but I'll have to check on that. Truth be told, I did get a
little tear-out here and there, but nothing horrible, and nothing that isn't concealed by the mounting screws. Having a drill press is a big help - it's so much easier to control how quickly the bit is cutting into the shell. With the holes that had to be drilled by hand (because my drill press isn't big enough to get the shell that far in), I usually begin by using a very small bit, then gradually increasing up until I get to the 1/4" holes that most of the hardware required. I don't know if that's a valid woodworking technique, but I find that it minimizes the tear-out I get.
The best measure against tear-out, however, is one you probably already know, which is to have some sort of backing piece pressed against the interior of the shell where the bit will cut through. That, and having nice sharp bits.
...The fact that I cut the edges with a rasp...hmmm...again, this clearly is the "do as I say, not as I do" portion of the blog. I'm sure that there are some imperfections in the edge that one wouldn't get using a router table, but I went very slowly and methodically, and was very strict about cutting in only as far as a specific ply, to maintain an edge that is in true and in round. The basic shape is about the same, tho - I seem to be capable of keeping a very consistent angle around the circumference of the drum.
Had I used a router table, I would have aimed for the very same shape, so in that sense, there isn't a whole lot of difference. I've just heard horror stories about guys developing their skills cutting edges with a router, and I didn't want to tear up an edge because of my incompetence with the router. One of these days, I'll learn how to do this properly, but I've cut the edges on several drums this way, as well as numerous snare beds, and the results seem to work fine every time. We'll see if I notice any problems the longer I live with these drums, but so far, so good.
