On drums...

Once you start using the DrumDial, it's very difficult to tune without it. Oh sure, I can still tune the drum but only relatively and not as well.

I was bringing my Drops and Lite snare back into conformity after yanking around on the tuning on Saturday, and I was being lazy and stretched to put the DD on its perch, from which it leapt to the floor. Must have bent the shaft minutely, but it will no longer make the same reading twice. Bummer.

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Gregory

I know someone in NY you can send it to who will be happy to enter it into evidence.

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Cliff

River City Trio

What if we did all have the same opinions?

...

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Gregory

Sorry to hear about this Gregory...

...Although, Cliff's comment was right on the spot, I must say...


Don't they offer servicing them - recalibrating of some sort?!?

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Goki - short from Goran

Let the good drums roll!!!

Hey Greg,

If you do have to spring for a new one, I see that they now produce a digital version. I have been tempted to pick one up to see how it compares to the analog, but I am afraid of the old 'two clock problem'.

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Cliff

River City Trio

What if we did all have the same opinions?

Goki, last I heard (about four years ago) they could be returned for repair, for about half the price of a new one. Fair warning: Don't drop 'em.

Cliff, what do you perceive the value of a digital piece would be? I can relate to more easily read numbers. Sometimes I get the readings wrong, which would not be possible with digital.

Otherwise, I presume the internals of the digital readout are no longer a brass clockwork, but rather a more specific embedded points along the shaft, like a digital caliper. Cost is higher, but the relative readings would be more consistent, though I've not experienced a problem with the analog dial. Why on earth didn't they put the readout facing upwards?

Can I get the same Chinese thing at Harbor Freight?

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Gregory

The only potential benefit I had in mind was the ease of reading. The analog one can be a challenge in poor light, or at a bad angle.

I believe you can get the Chinese version at Harbor Freight. It has just an on/off switch; all 'on' position readings are 72.

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Cliff

River City Trio

What if we did all have the same opinions?

Yup.



The relative consistency sounds uniquely reliable and is the major value of the dial. I'll look into it.

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Gregory

Hi Guys,
My DD is still going strong after 8 years of use, but my drum parlours have padded carpets.

I use both dial and digital travel indicators at work (ASQ certified mechanical inspector for a turbomachinery manufacturer) as well as when doing internal engine work on my cars. Most of the time, I prefer watching the needle movement of a dial over the digital. But because digital indicators can be easily "zeroed" anywhere in their travel, they might be more useful in this application.

Brian

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Drums and No Money will get Me through Hard Times better than Money and No Drums!
-A Recovering Drum Addict

Generally true in my case, too, but on the evening in question an unpadded floor was in use.




Not sure the zero is so appealing to me, and watching the movement of the needle is wonderful - when I can actually see it. In the case of drum tuning, a straight and well lit view of the needle to dial relationship is often not available.

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Gregory