Question 1

Would this be good for tuning hand drums?  How would I know what tension to tune for?

Accepted Answer

This is a very good tool to have for anyone who has drums with nearly any kind of tuning system. My son uses this tool on his hand drums with mechanical tuners. I use it on my Tabla set. We both use it on our trap sets. The drums sound noticeably better after a tuning. A previous answer detailed how this tuner works, so I will not repeat those instructions.

Question 2

Would you recommend this for tuning Tama drums? I understand the ear is your best friend when tuning ,but to get your exact tension measurement I thought it would be cool .I'm just not sure

Accepted Answer

You can use this on any drum... so long as it has lugs, tension rods, hoops, and most importantly a batter/reso drum head. (Batter/reso is fancy for top and bottom heads. You will get a sheet that gives "guideline numbers" as to the tension you should have for each instrument. However i know i like my batter snare head tight and 85 wasnt going to do it for me so my settings are very different. BUT for beginners or people who've been playing and just have trouble tuning by ear this is perfect. I got mine at Guitar Center (i had a gift card). But Im 35 now and started playing drums when i was 11. I played in my middle school jazz band, marching band, symphonic. I've played in a rock pop band, heavy metal, and now im a studio drummer. I use this tool daily. It gives great base line readings and from there you tune by ear. Watch some YouTube videos on it. Just dont take the numbers given as the word of God. The tension on my snare head is 92... ive got it cranked. But i loosen my snares a bit to get a full sound. Someone mentioned this device was made for drums with perfect new bearing edges, new perfectly round hoops, and new heads. They arent wrong. But even if your drums are old with dents and dings this tuner can still tune faster than you would be able to by ear. You cant go wrong with this drumdial. My only con is if your tuning to pitch then look for a tuner bot. Theres a silver one here for 69.99. It will tune your drum to the exact note you want. Drumdial does have software that will allow you to do the same but you need a mic set up. Also never try tuning with this while its on your kit. Set it on a flat surface to get accurate readings.

Question 3

Does it tune steel drums

Accepted Answer

NO. Steel drums, aka pan, are not going to be tuned with this.

Question 4

Can youvuse it for tuning congas and tumbales?

Accepted Answer

I personally don't own either instruments, but I would imagine it would for timbales due to their similarities to wooden drums. The dial worked just fine on my Pearl steel snare drum. I have no idea about congas. I would imagine you could test for even tension on congas with it, but I have not tested the dial on a set.

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AheadDrum Dial Precision Drum Tuner ADD

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