Hoops
The hoops sit over the ends of the cylindrical shell. Along the edge of the hoop is a number of evenly spaced
holes that co-incide with the number of tuning points of the drum, typically the
number of points will vary from 6 for a smaller tom up to 10-12 for snare drums
and bass drums. generally the larger the drum the more tuning points it will
have, the more tuning points a drum has the easier it is to tune and the better
it maintains tune.
A drum that appears to have too few tuning points should be avoided as this is generally a sign of cost cutting. Such an approach is usually reflected in the overall sound and quality of the instrument. Student and cheap drums for example have such characteristics. See drumdojo for an article on why cheap drums are cheap
Triple Flanged Hoop
By far the most common type
of hoop is the flanged hoop (normally triple flanged) which is rolled into shape
from a single strip of metal, made circular and welded.Equally spaced holes
made to accept the [tension rods] are punched into the rim.
This type of hoop has
two main advantages, firstly it is cheap and secondly it has a degree of
flexibility in use which allows it to provide good contact all around with both head
and shell, particularly where a drum is not exactly round or where some lateral
torsion is evident.
Generally this type of hoop is found on toms and when
playing gives a 'soft' strike and increased rebound.
Flanged hoops are
available made out of metals of differing thicknesses, a thicker hoop will act
more like a die-cast hoop (see below)
Die Cast Hoop
The second type of hoop is
die-cast.
As the name suggests this is cast from molten metal into a mould
(die) which is the exact shape and size of the finished rim. This is a very
solid piece of hardware and it resonates a a unit which gives greater attack and
a sharper more 'brittle' sound to the drum
There is limited flex within the
hoop and it is more inclined to show up any inconsistencies in the bearing edge,
head and your tuning than you would find with a flanged hoop.
When the drum is
struck, lateral vibrations move across the head and hit the hoop, as it is
constructed from a solid piece of metal, the sound is not absorbed and is
reflected back in towards the centre of the drum again, giving increased
overtones and clarity. Die-cast hoops are a love/hate thing, many drummers
love the extra ring and bite that it gives them, it certainly facilitates high
tuners who want that high more ringy sound, others find them too cutting, it is
very much a matter of personal taste.
The other point to consider is that
Die-casts will have less of a rebound than a flanged hoop, the head will feel
'harder' requiring increased control by the player.
It is most common to see
Die-cast hoops on snare drums as they lend themselves to this type of sound more
than rack toms, however some manufacturers such as Gretsch and Premier have used die-casts all around their kits for many years.
Wooden Hoops
The third main type is
wooden hoops. These are constructed from plies of wood laminate and are about 3/4"
thick. If you think of a very shallow but very thick-shelled laminate drum
shell you get the idea. The plies give the hoop strength to withstand the
battering they will take and they are much more durable than you would imagine.
They are the opposite of the die-cast hoops, as they impart a 'warmer' tone into
the drum by absorbing vibration instead of purely reflecting; they vibrating
and impart that vibration in a manner not dissimilar to a
shell. These are the most expensive type of hoop available with the
exception of gold plated hoops.
Trackback(0)
 |
The Drumset 
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/Hide comments
Show/Hide comment form