What’s the Best Drum Throne for Me? |
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You can’t underestimate the importance of a proper drum throne. But what are the things that make a drum throne ideal? In this Buyer’s Guide, we’ll look at the essentials to help you pick the right one. If you have any more questions after you’ve read this helpful write-up, feel free to contact us! What’s a Drum Throne? | Seat | Seat Cover | Height | Height-Adjustment | Backrest | More 1. What’s a Drum Throne?As you might expect, a drum throne is a stool that’s made specially for drummers. While you could simply use a piano stool or bench, these aren’t designed to support how drummers move while they’re playing their kit and can limit freedom of movement. A good playing posture is important, as is support in all the right places. The most important thing to look at when buying a drum throne is the seat. Preferably, the seat is of course hard-wearing and comfortable. Keep reading for more info!
2. Which Type of Drum Throne Seat is the Best?Drum throne seats are available in different shapes and can be made of different materials. There are three main shapes to choose from: round, saddle-seat and spinal glide. Round seats are the most popular. Some drummers swear by these because they offer maximum freedom of movement. Saddle seats are almost just as popular because they offer a little more comfort and support. Spinal Glide seats can come in round or saddle-style form, with the main difference being that they have a slit through the middle to offer more support for your back. If you have any problems with back ache, these are definitely worth a try. Something can be said for each of the different shapes, so if you want certainty, it’s best to actually try one out for fifteen minutes or so and pay attention to the details. Depending on your body, it may be that a round or a saddle seat starts to limit your blood flow after a while, which is something you naturally want to avoid. This can be caused by a number of factors. The seat might be too big, or you could be sitting too far back, causing the edge of the seat to put too much pressure on your legs. It can also be that a simple height adjustment is needed (see Question 4). Drum Thrones with a Round Seat
3. What Kind of Material Should the Drum Throne Seat Be Made Of?The material that the seat is made of is more important than you might think. If you want a wear-resistant seat, it’s best to go for a drum throne with a faux-leather seat, even though fabric seats are fairly hard-wearing too these days. The advantage of a smoother seat is that it offers more freedom of movement since it allows you to slide sideways a little easier. The benefit of a velour or fabric seat is that it gives you a tad more stability but, just as with the shape of the seat, it all comes down to personal preference. Drum Thrones with a Faux-Leather/Vinyl Seat
4. What’s the Ideal Height for a Drum Throne?To figure out the ideal height, there’s a handy trick: place your feet flat on the floor or stand on your drum pedals. When you then sit down, your thighs should be almost horizontal, with your knees slightly lower. This is because if your knees rise above your thighs, you’re essentially sitting too low and limiting your ability to play with your back straight. If all is well, the hoop of your snare drum is now sitting just a little higher than your thighs. If you’re sitting at the right height but find that your snare drum is lower than your thighs, your snare is set up too low and needs to be raised.
5. What Are The Different Height Adjustment Systems of Drum Thrones?The most basic height-adjustment system is a central throne rod with pre-drilled holes so that the seat can be set at a fixed height, step by step with a pin. This system ensures you’ll never start slowly sinking down. The drawback is that, due to the fixed-height, the height can’t be set very accurately or very quickly. There are also drum thrones fitted with a telescopic throne rod without any holes, which offer precise height adjustments while a fitted memory lock makes sures they’re always at the right height. Here, the downside is that such memory locks can wear out, which leads to the seat slowly but continually coming down. A third and more popular height-adjustment system includes a spindle, which is a throne rod with screw thread, where the seat is twisted and screwed up or down for quick and easy adjustments. While this system is less likely to start sinking after wear, what can happen is leeway caused as a result of long-time use, causing the seat to wobble a little. Finally, there are drum thrones equipped with a hydraulic system, much like office chairs have. The advantage of these is that the height can be adjusted rapidly and easily, but keep in mind that drum thrones with a hydraulic system generally weigh more, take up more space and are more difficult to take apart and put together again. Drum Thrones with Fixed Height Settings
6. Do I Need a Backrest?Some drummers can’t do without a backrest, while others find them restricting or simply never play with their backs straight and wouldn’t notice a backrest anyway. It all depends on your preference. If you’d like a little extra support, a backrest is a great idea. Keep in mind that you can always remove a backrest if your drum throne has one, but if it didn’t come with a backrest in the first place, you usually won’t be able to install one in the future. If there is a separate backrest available for the drum throne you’re considering buying, this is almost always stated in the product description or its specifications.
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