Introduction
A bass drum riser proves useful in multiple situations. Most commonly on this website for converting a tom into a small bass drum for the purpose of assembling a small footprint or portable drum kit. There are other uses beyond this though. Many jazz / bop kits with 18″ and even 20″ bass drums have a riser simply to facilitate striking the centre of the head. Bass drum risers are used for larger drums too. Not for the center hit factor but for getting the bass drum a few inches off the floor to allow the sound to project free-er. This is also an essential, but often overlooked factor with a smaller bass drum. Getting it a few inches off the ground extends the “reach” of the sound coming from a smaller drum.
There are a few types of risers available. The most common being a cradle for the entire drum, a lift that attaches to the shell on the batter side, and a lift that attaches to the rim on the batter side. The two latter requiring spurs on the audience facing side.
Personally, I enjoy coming up with my own home-made contraptions. This is not necessarily sensible though, since a good riser can be had for $40 or even less and I end up spending hours making one. My own contraptions often end up looking less than aesthetically pleasing too.
I chose to compile this bass drum riser comparison in table form. Actually Dual table form. One for risers and one for cradles. Hopefully I’ve managed to boil down and present all the relevant data. I also hope you will find this bass drum riser comparison useful in easily determining the best riser for your particular application and budget. However, don’t forget to consider the DIY option. there are a few designs on our DIY Bass Drum Risers page, and plenty more on the Internet to get the creative juices flowing.
All prices in US$. Click any image for a full size view
Bass Drum Riser Comparison
Bass Drum Riser Comparison Table
Bare with me… It’s coming. You know how we’ve managed to put those snazzy picture slideshows on some of the pages of this website? Impressive aren’t they? Believe it or not, they are a breeze. A table however, just a simple grid display of data……. I’ve managed three garbled messes so far…. OK, I think I’ve got it…
Brand Model | Image | Style | Lift | List Street | Included | Comments | Website |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dixson "The Lift" | Batter side Cradle | ? | $66 $37 | Just "The Lift" | No adjustability for shell size or height. No attachment to drum | http://bassdrumlift.com/ | |
DW 9908 | Attached to shell | adjustable | $92 $55 | Riser, Mounting screws | Available in Black, Gold & Chrome. Adjustable angle | http://dwdrums.com/ | |
Gibraltar SC-BDPM | Clamps to hoop | Adjustable to 2" | $46 $25 | Just the riser | Fits 18" and 20" | http://www.gibraltarhardware.com | |
Mapex AC909 | Clamps to hoop | 5.5 cm | $29 $17 | Just the riser | Horizontally adjustable Fits 18" | http://mapexdrums.com/ | |
Pearl JG16 | Attaches to rim with I.S.S. Mount or shell with tom mounting clamp (Not included) | Adjustable | $60 $35 | Spurs, Memory locks | Pearl JG16 Jungle Jig Full Review | http://pearldrum.com/ | |
Trick Conversion Kit | Attaches to rim | ? | $89 $89 | Spurs | Available in 16" and 18" versions | http://store.trickdrums.com/ | |
Bass Drum Cradle Comparison Table
Brand Model | Image | Style | Lift | List Street | Included | Comments | Website |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DW 9909 | Multipoint Android insect cradle | Adjustable | $280 $170 | Just the spider like contraption of tangled chrome | Scary | http://www.dwdrums.com/ | |
D'Amico Drums Bass Drum Cradle | Four post | Adjustable | $200 $200 | Just the Cradle | http://www.damicodrums.com/ | ||
Danmar Floor Tom Kick Riser | Cradle | Adjustable | $205 $140 | Just the cradle | Multiple finishes available | http://www.danmarpercussion.com/ | |
The Kickstand | Cradle | Fixed | $80 | Just the cradle | Solid | https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/214556978/the-kickstand-floor-tom-to-bass-drum?ulsfg=true |