26" Bass Drum!?!? Where have you been all my life...

[vintagedrummersweden]

I've used my 28" Premier bass drum a lot, and the biggest advantage is that you don't need a bass player - you just kick harder!

 

[1988fxlr]

I’m a fan. They take a little more dialing in to balance punch and sustain than a 22” but when you get them just right, there are few more satisfying drums to play

 

[mkelley]

Keio Stroud has used a 26 with Big and Rich for a few years. Just a killer tone

I used a 26” back during the grunge era but I found I like 22’s for live shows better and unmuffled 20’s for my own enjoyment.

 

[Talktotommy]

Lol. What do you have, if you don't mind me asking, and do you have a favorite? I had mentioned I have a Yestayear Starclassic B/B in Bonham sizes. The sound would be great for certain styles of music, but not what I'm looking for. It is a beautiful, rare kit, but it's just not practical.
If I can get the "Bonham" sound with the Centennial, I think that's the most practical. I have an Artstar I can get pretty close, but not that bass drum

Three 40’s Radio Kings and an early 70’s 3 ply Slingerland.
All 14x26
Just seem to give a broader foundation. May not be as comfortable if you want to use more than one rack tom.

 

[flatwins]

I’m a fan. They take a little more dialing in to balance punch and sustain than a 22” but when you get them just right, there are few more satisfying drums to play View attachment 539151

That North is bananas! Love it.

 

[bpaluzzi]

Very nice. All of it! The kit sounds great live, and in the studio. At about 4:55 in the vid the tom/bass groove really did sound special, as I could hear everything so clearly, and that snare sound is killer. I read the short story in the description. That had to be tough. I don't have enough superlatives in my vocab to give the description everything deserves. Great stuff!

Thanks man, that's so kind of you! Really happy with the way that kit records, that's for sure. Especially for $800 brand new, including a snare (!)

Here's the studio version of the song from 4:55 -- really love the floor tom sound on this one.

 

[Renoroger]

So, if one is good two must be better, right?…

 

[mebeatee]

I almost had 2 of them....26’erz.....last year.....as there was a blue acrylic kit in our local indy music store w/26” bd but I passed...er a snoozed...BUT last spring a friend asked if I would store his kit at my house and do a little refurbishing and of course I said yes!!!!
’79 Ludwig’s.....13, 16, 18 toms...and 14x26 BD.....and early last Dec. he wanted to know if I wanted to buy them....a no brainer.
I had a rehearsal with some folks where I usually use an old Slingy 12x22 converted marching BD....and used the 26. It’s a 2 piece kit btw...with big washy Dream Bliss’ and a Gretsch 6 1/2 x 14 snare with George Ayotte snares. The fellows literally stopped playing with their jaws on the floor after a few plomps on the 26”.....fits that music perfectly as we all play as few notes as possible in that combo. Can’t wait for (proper) live gigs to come back......

Here it is the day after it arrived at the house.....next to a ‘65 set of Sonor’s w/ 20” bd.
bt

 

[Houndog]

Love my 26s....

View attachment 539137 View attachment 539138

Thought you hated one up on a double kick ????

 

[SnickSound]

I have come to believe that if you're going to go bigger and smaller than a 22", you should do it in 4" increments.
If you want a bigger kick, forego the 24 and go straight to the 26.

 

[What It Is]

Always liked Stanton's incorporation of the big bass drum.

 

[High on Stress]

I have come to believe that if you're going to go bigger and smaller than a 22", you should do it in 4" increments.
If you want a bigger kick, forego the 24 and go straight to the 26.

I’ve come to this conclusion as well. My 20 is my least favorite, other people’s 20s that I have liked better than mine sounded like … my 22s. I have one 24 and it’s good but I’ve got a couple 22s that are better/bigger sounding. My 24 and 20 only sound incrementally different than my 22s and not necessarily better in any way.

My 26 is a completely different beast in every way and as noted by others, it’s not just a lower or longer note. There are more desirable highs and mids, a richness and bigger variety of sounds you can get depending on foot technique and dynamics.

 

[swarfrat]

I have come to believe that if you're going to go bigger and smaller than a 22", you should do it in 4" increments.
If you want a bigger kick, forego the 24 and go straight to the 26.

I actually feel a 24 is better if you're after a deep muffled rock t-rex stomp. If you want wide open with ALLLL the overtones, by all means go as large as you wish. Big drums seem to want to be papery starting at 26 and up. Take a look at the size of the felt on that 32 back a page or two. It's about 24" wide.

 

[jptrickster]

After this thread I want one ! Not sure how I’ll hide it

 

[JDA]

"26-bass-drum where-have-you-been-all-my-life."
probably in some (every) high School band room..

 

[hsosdrum]

When I ordered my Vistalite kit in 1973 I let the drum shop owner talk me out of 26" BDs and into 24" BDs ("The 26s will be too hard to control"). Upon delivery I instantly regretted that choice — the 24s just didn't give me That Sound.

When I bought my Ludwig Classics in 1990 I got them with 16x26 BDs and Was. Not. Sorry.

 

[JDA]

those were the days of wood paneling

 

[hsosdrum]

those were the days of wood paneling

A rehearsal studio in Portland, OR back in 1999.

 

[JDA]

eh wasn't too long ago ; )

 

[Steech]

those were the days of wood paneling

On cars, too.