Suitcase Drum, any tips'

Subject: Suitcase Drum, any tips?
From: GUEST,Mathew
Date: 24 May 16 - 01:59 AM

My friends and I found an old bass pedal and Tom in the basement, so we decided to create a DIY bass drum suitcase. Does anyone have any advice for creating this?

Something like Shakey Graves.


Sorry if there is already a thread that covers this, I looked extensively and found nothing.

Cheers all

Subject: RE: Suitcase Drum, any tips'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 May 16 - 03:14 AM

Hi, Matthew -
Should I change the thread title to:

Drum Suitcase: Any Tips?

or

Suitcase for drum: any tips?

From the thread title, I thought you wanted to make a drum out of a suitcase, but your message seems to indicate you want to make a suitcase for a drum. I was thinking maybe you could use a cardboard barrel. They come in a variety of sizes. ULine is a good supplier.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Suitcase Drum, any tips'
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 24 May 16 - 03:57 AM

Mathew, & DIYers, I've never heard of Shakey Graves but I did some YouTube surfing and found him and his drum here, at 0:40

https://youtu.be/eUkSTnUK_T0

Subject: RE: Suitcase Drum, any tips'
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 24 May 16 - 04:15 AM

Mathew, you might get some more specialist info on one of these links
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Suitcase+Drum%2C+any+tips

Subject: RE: Suitcase Drum, any tips'
From: GUEST
Date: 24 May 16 - 09:07 AM

Joe,

If you look at the shaley graves video his drum seems like its cut into the suitcase. Ive seen some DIY suitcase drum kits with the suitcase acting as the bass drum itself.

However I have the drum and only plan to use it for playing along to mandolin jigs or something like that. I think the main benefit of the drum in the suitcase is the convenience of the suitcase. Either way it should be a fun project eh?

All that remains is getting the suitcase I suppose.

Subject: RE: Suitcase Drum, any tips'
From: GUEST,Mathew
Date: 24 May 16 - 09:09 AM

Apologies for the typo in the title and the other typos, these damned tiny keyboards will be the end of me

-Mathew

Subject: RE: Suitcase Drum, any tips'
From: leeneia
Date: 24 May 16 - 10:09 AM

I looked at the video. The suitcase seems to be the hard-sided plastic kind. I don't know if they make those anymore. If so, check the thrift shops.

Matthew, try this. You have the foot pedal already. To make a drum like in the video, you need a drum head, which I hope you can buy from the usual sources. (music store, drum dealer, online) I suggest attaching the head to the suitcase with Plasti-tak (Blue tak) as needed. Put several little blobs of it on the metal rim of the drum head and squeeze it onto the side of the suitcase. That will leave the skin free to resonate.

Or maybe you should make "snakes" of Plasti-tak and attach the drum head all the way around. Experiment. It will make a difference how curvy the sides of the suitcase are. The flatter it is, the better.

I play mountain dulcimer, and I put it on a table, using four blobs of Plasti-tak on the very edge of the dulcimer. The system works well, creating an empty resonating chamber below the dulcimer and making it much louder.   
==============
At this point, I'm wondering if you really need a drum head...

Subject: RE: Suitcase Drum, any tips'
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 24 May 16 - 02:41 PM

I must say, when it comes to percussion in folk music I prefer to see shoe tapping on the ground. And preferably a shoe with a soft sole.:-)

Or, done properly, a pair of clogs.

Subject: RE: Suitcase Drum, any tips'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 May 16 - 12:45 AM

Oh, now I see, Mathew. The video made it clear. What a great performance!

-Joe-=

Subject: RE: Suitcase Drum, any tips'
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 25 May 16 - 05:15 PM

A couple of snare drum sticks on a hard guitar case is also quite effective! ( In the hands of someone who has a sense of rhythm!)

Subject: RE: Suitcase Drum, any tips'
From: GUEST,Mathew
Date: 25 May 16 - 10:41 PM

Could I use the drum head from the drum I already have and attach it to the suitcase? Sorry if that sounds silly, I'm not really a drummer and this is a little new to me.

Also do you think plastitak would work long term? Would something more gluelike stop it from resonating?

Thanks for the tips

Joe,

Agreed, the guy is an entertainer

Subject: RE: Suitcase Drum, any tips'
From: GUEST,Mathew
Date: 26 May 16 - 05:30 AM

Also I have an old suitcase lying around, its about the right size but its made from leather and isnt too hard. Think it would still work? It has a good thud when I whack it as is.

Subject: RE: Suitcase Drum, any tips'
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 26 May 16 - 01:06 PM

Rather than glues I would use the existing clamps, lugs, tuning rods.
can you put extra nuts and washers on the tensioning rods to clamp the case?
Cutting a hole will weaken the case substantially, are you going to sit on it? One of the links below shows them reinforcing the case.


Here are some other links I found.

Hole cut, then the drum reassembled ... drumhead/case/drumbarrel.
This looks like the Shakey Graves method.
http://m.imgur.com/a/M5d9E
(drag to see the pics)

There are instructions here "I cut a hole in the side of the case mounted an unused 14" snare, using the lugs on the resonant side...... " you'll need to read the rest of it and see the photos.
http://www.drumforum.org/index.php?/topic/122134-my-probably-over-the-top-suitcase-kit/ it is quite a recent thread, you might get extra tips if you join up.

Good video here, needed some inserts to make it strong enough to sit on.
http://www.drumforum.org/index.php?/topic/125647-suitcase-drum-and-or-other-alternatives/

Using case and pedal, no drum head.
http://www.drumforum.org/index.php?/topic/45950-suitcase-kit/

Several ideas, using a case and pedal, no drumhead.
http://www.drumforum.org/index.php?/topic/98510-who-has-suitcase-kits/

Tuning, might help when fastening it together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3qMyc1G3XE

and... Case and foot , i.e. no drom, no pedal... -video -worth watching just for fun!
https://youtu.be/v4W92tIXhZQ

I hope you get back and post the results of whatever you decide on.

Subject: RE: Suitcase Drum, any tips'
From: GUEST
Date: 27 May 16 - 03:39 AM

Freddy,

Thanks alot for the info! I will definitely post the end results.

It looks like samsonite is the way to go, ill have to check out my local thrift shops.

For now I'm using my initial briefcase and the pedal for practice

Cheers!

Subject: RE: Suitcase Drum, any tips'
From: leeneia
Date: 27 May 16 - 10:03 AM

Don't you want to remove the drumhead from the outside of the suitcase when travelling?