1. What is the best way to clean my drums? What to use Our lacquer drums are finished in polyurethane therefore any high-quality (non-abrasive) furniture polish/wax works fine (we like sprays because they "float" dust and grit off the shells). We've also had great results with Trick Drum Polish and various guitar polishes/waxes. These products also work well on covered finishes. Preparation Remove dust off the surface of the shells before starting. To do this, use a feather duster or one of those new-fangled dusters you see on TV. Then go one step further and remove the lugs and hardware off the drums. Why remove the lugs and hardware you may ask? 1) it makes cleaning the shells faster, easier, and more thorough because you don't have to navigate around these "obstacles." 2) there's less risk of scratching the finish. You've probably already noticed that dust and grit surrounding the lugs and hardware (when they're attached to the drums) mixes with whatever cleaning solution you're using to form an abrasive that sometimes leaves fine scratches around the lugs and hardware. You can avoid this by taking the lugs and hardware off first. Polishing Use a soft clean cloth for polishing. Don't use paper towels as they are too abrasive. We usually go over the shells twice. The first time, spray on the cleaner to "float" surface dust and grit off the shells. Then carefully wipe this off and apply a lighter second coat and polish to a high gloss. Before reattaching the hardware, you can polish them to perfection (better than you can when they're attached to the drums). Make sure that you put the bass drum hoops on (especially wood hoops) exactly how you took them off so that the claw marks align.

 

2. When I throw the strainer off, the snares don't drop completely. How do I fix this? Most likely the snare strings are stretched. Try installing new strings.

3. Why does the snare drum have a white head while the rest are clear? The white is a texture coating that gives a swish, swish sound when using brushes. If you dont use brushes, you can use clear heads. However, because the coating (slightly) muffles and warms the sound, many drummers prefer these heads on all their drums.

4. How do I stop the tension rods from loosening up? Visit your local drum store and look for these products: 1) Locking nuts (finger tightened nuts that thread on the tension rods and counter-lock against the swivel nuts); or 2) Lug Locks (nylon widgets that press onto the tops of tension rods to prevent them from turning.

5. How can I make my bass drum less "boomy?" One of the simplest ways is to put a pillow or blanket into the bass drum. By the amount and placement of the padding, you can reduce the boom considerably. There are many other muffling methods available including drum heads with built-in muffling for a "cleaner" look, however. See your local authorized Pearl dealer for his or her recommendations.

6. What is the hole in the front bass drum head for? The hole allows air to escape when the drum is struck for shorter sustain. Muffling, such as pillows and blankets, can be installed through the hole without taking off the front head. The hole also allows microphones to be placed into the bass drum for recording and amplification.

7. How can I make my snare drum less "ringy?" Pearls OM-1 Tone Control is a clamp-on muffler with an adjustable pad for partial or total "ring" elimination. Other devices such as donut-shaped mufflers are also effective. Visit your local authorized Pearl dealer to test the OM-1 and other muffling products.

8. How can I get the snares to stop rattling when I hit my bass drum or toms? Muffling the drums works adequately but excessive muffling makes them sound dead and constricted. Try tuning your snare drum higher or lower to minimize the interaction between it and the other drums. Also try detuning the two tension rods adjacent to each end of the snares until the rattle is reduced. Still having problems? Try moving your drums to a larger room and minimize reflected sound by adding sound absorbing materials such as rugs, sofas, drapes, acoustic tile, etc.

9. When I try to turn the knob to tighten the snares, nothing happens. How do I fix this? The snare tension knob is tightened as far as it will go. To correct this, turn the strainer to the "off" position and loosen the strainer knob until the slider, the part that goes up and down, is halfway. Loosen the screws that hold the plastic strap on the slider and pull the strap about an eight of an inch. Retighten the screws. Turn the strainer "on" and adjust the knob until the snare sounds crisp. Readjust if necessary. For best snare sound, the snares should be centered evenly on the snare head. To do this, loosen the screws on the strainer and butt sides and pull the straps from each side until the snares are centered. Retighten the screws on the butt side. Adjust the strap on the slider, as described above, until a crisp snare sound is achieved.

10. How often should I replace the snares on my snare drum? Snares are spring-like coils of wire and over time they loose their springiness and choke the snare sound. When this happens, replace the snares.

11. Why do my snare wires break so often, are they defective? Probably not. Snare wires are capable of long life when tensioned properly. In cases of chronic snare breakage, the cause is often overtightening. Let the snares "breathe" and you'll get longer snare life.

12. How often should I change the heads on my drums? Change them when they are damaged, stretched, or sound dead. Depending on your playing style, this can take minutes or years. Even though bottom heads are not hit, they still stretch and loose their resiliency especially snare heads and must be replace periodically. For expert advice on choosing replacement heads, visit your local authorized Pearl dealer.

13. My drums were sounding great but as I played they started to sound lower and lower. I tuned them again and they've been fine ever since. What happened? This happens often with new heads. Heads need time to stabilize or "seat" into the rims and conform to the bearing edges. When you play, your sticks press the heads and help them seat; the tension slackens and the pitches drop. Once the heads are seated, however, they hold their tuning.

14. How do I keep my bass drum and hi-hat from creeping while playing? Play on a carpet or rug. Remnants can be purchased from carpet or home improvement stores at reasonable prices. For maximum slip-resistance, use the spikes on your bass drum spurs, pedal and hi-hat stand.

15. Is it OK to put oil on the moving parts of my drums and hardware? Yes. Drums are part machine, part musical instrument; therefore, to keep moving parts functioning properly, lubricated them periodically. Use quality oils and follow the manufacturers instructions. Wipe off any excess, especially on the bass pedal, to prevent oil from getting on your drums.