Since 2007 I've had 5 toms, double hi-hats/rides/chinas/splashes and three crashes.
I’m sure every drummer with larger kits faces this dilemma at some point or another. Most of us start with stands so it’s easy to just keep getting more and more of them, get some clamps and extra cymbal holders. You know every little trick you can do with stands, there’s endless options and you can mount a lot of stuff on a good stand. Sometimes if space is limited at a venue you can just put your stands in different places and do some reconfiguration.
Racks should solve a lot of your problems, though. Less stuff on the floor – we all know the difficulty of trying to figure out where exactly does each tripod leg go when you have few of them next to each other and a bass drum nearby – and easier configuration because your tom and cymbal holders can be pretty much go anywhere as they aren’t limited by bass drums or the floor tom(s). You can also move things on the rack easier, because you don’t need to worry about whether moving one stand means you need to move three others. And if you play shows, imagine being able to leave all your tom and cymbal holders in the right position and just carry the rack on stage – sounds too good to be true!
So why have I gone so many years with stands while my kit is massive and I do take it to pretty much every show that I play nowadays? Part of it is because of a bad break-up and part of it is because I have so much more experience with stands and I have always believed I’m better off with them. But now I’m not so sure anymore. Played a show few nights ago and while setting up my kit I was talking with Samuli Mikkonen. Now, I’ve been asked many times why I don’t have a rack, but for some reason this time it really made me think about it.
I used to have a Gibraltar rack and because I put it together from few practice pad kits it had mostly plastic parts. Bad idea. During one show I actually had a pretty bad incident as the rack start slipping and my cymbals started falling towards me. This resulted in a long pause while I moved some of my cymbals to stands. So much for that.
I never toured with my own kit back then, but when you don’t have a van or a trailer a rack is probably a bad idea. If you need to take the rack apart for every show, you’re most likely better off with stands. But now that I’m in a situation where 95 % of the shows I play we have a van and a trailer I could most likely get away with just putting the rack in the back of the van or in the trailer and at the venue we just carry it to the stage. The possibility of quick set-ups and everything being in the right place instantly just sounds like an idea worth considering.
What are my options then? Clearly I’m going to go with Pearl Icon, there’s no doubt in my mind. But I have such a big kit it brings up few very important questions.
- Curved or straight?
- Three or four sides?
- One big rack, or two smaller ones?
Curved of straight
Curved rack makes way more sense to me and the price difference isn’t really an issue as it’s not that much. But curved racks are 44″ and straight 36″. This is what really makes it difficult. Two curved front bars is almost too much and would definitely cause problems at smaller venues. One curved front bar is not enough for a double bass set-up unless you do some extra configuration. Heikki Saari has done just that and while his bass drums are 20″ it’s definitely an interesting idea.
Naturally the other option is to go with two straight front bars, no problems there. Obviously the straight bar will present some issues regarding tom placement especially, but I can’t see that being too big of an issues, especially seeing Pearl tom holders come with long and short arms. Kai Hahto has an interesting configuration with straight bars and definitely got me thinking.
Three or four sides
While I have a pretty basic set-up in front (three toms, hi-hats and crashes on both sides and two splashes in the center) it’s also spread to both sides. Rides and chinas on both sides and an extra crash to my right. Four sides would mean I could easily have everything in the rack, but again I’m afraid it might present some issues with smaller venues/stages/drum risers. Would three be enough? I only have ride and a china that really extend to my left, so could I position them in the far end of the front bar and manage? Watching some older pictures of Flo Mounier suggest I might be able to do with just three sides.
One big rack or two smaller ones
The last big question mark is should I get one big rack or two smaller ones. As far as looks, price and configuration goes, one big rack obviously makes more sense. But I have to keep in mind my own situation. We play a lot of club shows too, so while one big rack even with four sides wouldn’t be a problem at festivals, having that at most clubs would cause a problem. Two smaller racks are way easier to manage, to carry and to store whether we’re talking about the venue or the van. There’s always the option to join these two small racks in the middle for extra security/placement/looks, too.
Obviously there’s a difference in price too if you build everything from smaller parts, but to me comfort is the most important thing.
Pros and cons
- Stands are easier to store on the side of the stage as they each take up so little space… But you will have many stands, possibly spread to many different places.
- If space is limited, stands allow easier reconfiguration to fit everything in.
- It’s easier to go with smaller configuration with stands as you can just leave one or two things out.
- Racks should save time if you can transport them with tom and cymbal holders in place. Imagine carrying your rack to the stage, unfolding it, putting your cymbals and toms in the holders and you’re set. We’re talking about 10 minutes here!
- No one can really accidentally take a part of your rack with them, but especially when they’re torn down, this could happen with stands.
- Racks make adding more stuff to your set-up easier as you don’t have to worry about floorspace, other stands, bass drums etc.
So what am I going to do?
I really need to consider all sides here (no pun intended). How many shows a year do we play, the stages and venues (where do I store my gear when other bands play), how could I store my rack during transportation and while other bands are playing, what if some other band needs to use my kit (taking the rack away also takes away the toms) etc. While I love the idea of having a curved rack, unless I decide to go with some custom configuration like Heikki, I think I might go with straight bars just to save some space. At the same time, I think I should probably try with three sides at first and get an extra one only if I really need it.
The toughest question really is one big or two smaller ones. I can see all the troubles carrying a large rack at small venues and this is why two smaller ones fascinate me, but of course it’s a possibility to carry the big one in smaller pieces as long as you don’t have your cymbals and toms in it.
Decisions, decisions…
I have a feeling I’ll be making some calls next week, looking at various pictures even more carefully and measuring the distances in my current configuration. I do have to say I’m pretty excited. Who knows, in two weeks you might see me on stage with a beautiful rack (and I’m not talking about double D’s, I’m talking about double Bass)!
