Silencing lugs?

[Robert Randolph]

I'm currently working with a drummer who tunes his drums VERY loose. It sounds great for what they're doing, but I'm constantly dealing with tension rods/lugs that rattle, loosen and even fall off.

What are some ideas? I've tried stuffing small bits of cotton to stop the rattling, but it doesnt help the loosening. Those little plastic lug-locks don't work on his drums eithe r

[Space Nugget]

Thats pretty loose...do they even vibrate?

Back in my drumming days i would cut sponges (the kind you would use to wash dishes) into strips and wedge them between the tension rod and drum shell.

Try that...shouldnt cost too much at all.

[Berolzheimer]

maybe a long bungi cord around the lugs?

[joeq]

Are you saying the lugs rattle when the drum is "tuned" the way he likes it? I think that if lug screws are rattling around, they are simply too loose.

I believe that any head tension that is playable (i.e. that will actually rebound the stick) can be achieved by tightening all the lugs to the same "x" tension. As opposed to some of the lugs being at "x+" and some being at "x-" which is what rattling suggests to me.

If the screws are rattling, that means they are not engaged, and that means the tension is probably not even - in which case the head is, by most definitions, 'out of tune'.

If by some stretch of the artistic imagination this state of affairs is truly what your friend actually desires, I would recommend removing any lugs that rattle. Just take them out. If they rattle, they are not fully engaged, and if they are not tensioning the head, why have them there at all?

Perhaps on an 8-lug drum he could leave in 4 screws and get what he desires.


As to them loosening up, I also am having a hard time visualizing a situation where lug locks would not 'work'.

You could always try the Tight Screw Locking Tension Rods

[joeq]

Lug Locks work well for most people I know - including some very hard hitters

if you want to get heavy duty there is the Tuner-Fish which has a 'tail' (UK only I think)

and the Keane which has a tail and is made out of steel

these things literally have nowhere to go.

[Nutmeg II.]

• A bit of teflon tape around the lugs.
• Tape all over it.
• Sonor Tune Safe.
• Rope instead of metal lugs might be a cool idea.
• Find small springs that fits over the lugs, in between the Lug and the washer or the rim and the washer.

I have played very lose tuned drums with tape on the head for some reggae recordings, but there was no ratteling at all.
The soudn records very well.

[Robert Randolph]

Thanks for the ideas so far.

The problem with lug locks is that they simply don't fit on his drums. He has die-cast rims with very 'rounded' tension rods. The lug-locks I've tried don't even come close to fitting.

The drums sound great and I'm not worried about his playing. Great player and he can do whatever he wants with drum tuning... as long as I can tame the noises

[joeq]

Originally Posted by Robert Randolph

The problem with lug locks is that they simply don't fit on his drums. He has die-cast rims with very 'rounded' tension rods. The lug-locks I've tried don't even come close to fitting.

I am still having difficulty understanding this.

how 'rounded' can they be if a drum key can grab them to tune them?

regardless of what kind of hoops he has, the screws could be removed and replaced with something else that can be locked

[Nutmeg II.]

Try the pice of sponge between shell and lug.

Everything else => duct or gaffa tape.