Tech Speak is a regular segment of the Pearl Drummers' Resources and features articles pertaining to Pearl drums and (sometimes) drumming in general. It is written by Gene Okamoto and Raymond Massey, Pearl's resident nuts and bolts guys.


Jungle Gig
by Raymond Massey

Welcome to the new edition of Tech Speak. This time we'll highlight the NEW JG-16 "Jungle Gig Adapter".

The JG-16 allows you to convert your 16" Floor Tom into a Bass Drum without drilling any holes or making permanent changes to the shell of your drum. In the following step-by-step tutorial, we'll show just how simple and easy it is to use to create a Jungle Kit from your existing drum set.

But first, what is a Jungle Kit, and how do you use it?

Jungle is a relatively new style of music that consists of fast techno house grooves that vary in texture for extended periods of time. The music is almost trance-like at times and very popular at Rave parties and clubs. The source of this music originated from DJ's who programmed various samples and sounds on computers to create their own original dance mixes. This music has now made its way into live venues performed by live musicians and thus has created a demand for Jungle drum sets with smaller 16" bass drums that creates the popular beat-box sound that is so sought after. This style is very challenging to play and not very easy to recreate. The fast tempos, over-lapping parts, and almost inhuman programmed patterns all attribute to this.




Jungle-type kits are not limited to just Jungle music but are versatile for many different musical contexts such as club, casuals, and even weddings gigs. The bass drum (floor tom) requires little muffling and sounds incredible when tuned low.

Lets go through the following eight steps and to see how easy it is to convert your floor tom to a mini-bass drum with the JG-16 and take your kit to the Jungle!

Note: Please read though all eight steps before you apply changes to your kit.




JG-16
The NEW JG-16 Jungle Gig adapter consists of the following items: two spurs, height tube, and pedal mounting plate.




The JG-16 is intended to be used with the Pearl I.S.S. Tom Bracket and the BT-3 Tom Holder. You can use the existing ones from your kit, or they may be purchased separately through an authorized Pearl dealer.




For our tutorial we'll use the Forum " Ready Set Go" FX-725C, however virtually any set with 3/8" diameter legs on the floor tom and hoops that accommodates the I.S.S. mounting system will also work.


The Eight Easy Steps




Step One
Start by turning the floor tom over and removing the legs from the drum.




Step Two
Next insert the JG-16 spurs in the floor tom leg brackets.




Step Three
Space the spurs as shown. They can be fine adjusted later if needed.




Step Four
Tighten the stop locks (this secures the spurs from sliding forward or backwards).


Important note on JG-16 spur placement




8-Lug Floor Toms
When using an 8-lug Floor Tom, the JG-16 spurs are inserted into the leg brackets located on ether side of the badge.




6-Lug Floor Tom
On 6-lug Floor Toms, any pair of leg brackets can be used. We recommend using the bracket adjacent to the air vent and the bracket to the right of the vent as shown in the picture above. This will allow the badge of the drum to face upward.




Step Five
Place the I.S.S. on the batter hoop side, center and tighten.




Step Six, Part 1
Insert height tube into the pedal plate of the JG-16…




Step Six, Part 2
then into BT-3 and tighten wing nuts, leave the memory lock loose for now.




Step Seven
Attach the bass drum pedal to the pedal plate on the JG-16.




Step Eight
Next loosen the wing nut on the BT-3 (red arrow) and adjust the height of the drum to the desired tilt. Set and tighten the Stop Lock against the BT-3. Make sure the height rod doesn't touch the drum to allow full resonance and to prevent damage to the drum's finish (white arrow).




Finish
Add your rack toms, snare drum, and cymbals and you are ready to tackle some funky grooves.

Please note that we used extra hardware to complete the kit. Items used: (2) AX-28, (2) TH-98S, (1) B-800W (1) PC-316 Crash Cymbal



If you have any questions or comments regarding this set-up or anything else, please feel free to contact me at: RaymondMassey@PearlDrums.com

On behalf of the Pearl Corporation and myself, thank you for visiting our Web site and choosing to play Pearl Drums. We appreciate it!

Until next time, keep up the good work and keep practicing.

Best regards,


Raymond Massey
Pearl Corporation
Product Specialist