How bearing edges change a drums sound

Back in the home studio looking at the 7 piece Pearl Vision drum set I first tried using polyurethane and a metal flake for the finish; and I was thinking, I can redo the bearing edges to get a better sound. When talking to most drummers about drum kits or snares, the talk will usually go around the material, hardware, and make without really taking into account the kind of bearing edges the drums have.

Although the shell material influences the sound of a drum; the amount of contact that a drumhead makes with the shell will determine how much vibration / sound travels through the shell. More contact with the drumhead will dampen the sound of a drumhead and have more vibrations pass through the shell. This will have the shell resonate more and become more prominent in the overall sound of the drum. Sharper edges usually have less contact that will allow the drum head to resonate more and have less vibrations pass through the body of the drum.

A bearing edge consists of the inner edge (that is usually the larger angle) and the counter edge. The inner edge typically takes 50% – 80% of the shell itself while the counter edge is the smaller side that faces the shoulder of the drumhead. The closer the edge is to the center of the shell; the less contact the drum makes with the shoulder of the drumhead and, will have the drumhead resonate more openly. The most common bearing edge you will find on drums are 45 degree angles but, 30 degree angles and full roundover edges can help dial in the killer tone you may have never known you needed.

45 ° Bearing Edges

This is the most common edge fitted to drums because of the sharp edge and little footprint it has on a drumhead. This is perfect to allow drumheads to work their magic and resonate openly with little interference from the shell material. This is how and why many sets with inferior wood can sound good with a fresh set of drumheads. Most of your sounds and tone will be coming from the dumheads rich in overtones.

30 ° Bearing Edges

This is a less common type of bearing edge and often thought of / associated with vintage styled drums. This edge is typically just as sharp, if not very close to, as a 45° angle and will provide a some natural dampening from the wood. This edge also allows a drum to keep more wood at the point of contact, which will have more mass to transfer vibrations from the head to the wood. This is why you typically get warmer sounding drums from these kind of edges and closer to the body / tone that vintage drum got.

Partial / Full Roundover

This type of edge is becoming more popular and most often used for the counteredge of the bearing edge. As you probably guessed, this is the edge that makes the most contact with a drumhead. This will get you the most natural dampening out of the edge types and will produce a fatter, more focused sound. This will also provide the most vibration transfer to a drumshell and will bring the most tone out of the shell. This is why you will see bass drums and floor toms with these kinds of edges.

Our motto is to bring you the best sound and quality for your money. That said, we set out to find the very best in cymbals and found Tongxiang Cymbals in China. They produce quality cymbals mixing Turkish and Chinese hammering methods to produce a wide variety of sounds and voices that are only matched by the unique looks. Manufactured in China, we are glad and honored to bring them to the United States.

Tongxiang TS Cymbal Series

A breakdown of Tongxiang's TS cymbal line. Quality cymbals hammered by master artisans without the price markup.

Contact Us

Have questions about the cymbals we carry? Need a specific model from Tongxiang? Or a custom mix / match pack to build your sound? Let us know how we can help and we will respond as soon as possible.

What Shapes A Cymbal’s Sound P.2 Tonxiang TZS Cymbal Series