Drum Hardware Glossary

ABS - A durable plastic/nylon material used in and on many percussion stands.

Adjustable angle clamp - A rack clamp that connects two horizontal support bars without the use of a leg.

Anodized steel - Electric paint process for metal in colored and brushed finishes.

ATS (Advanced Tripod System) - Leg brace which utilizes separately adjustable collars to position legs.

Ball-and-socket (or 360 degree adjustment) - A tilting mechanism used on various mounts which utilizes an ABS ball to swivel mount.

Bass drum beater - A metal shaft topped by a beater ball, which is inserted into a hole in the beater hub of a bass drum pedal.

Bass pedal spring - The spring that connects to the cam assembly and a receptor in the base of the frame of a bass drum pedal, which pulls the pedal back from the head when the pedal board is not depressed.

Batter head - The top head of a drum which is struck.

Bearing edge - Point of drum shell where the head makes contact.

Beater hub - The bass pedal assembly that attaches the bass drum beater to the drive shaft.

Beater pad - The pad that affixes to the bass drumhead at the point of impact.

Boom stand - A stand that has a boom arm attachment.

Brushed finish - Metal which has a slightly rough finish. Sometimes anodized, sometimes tumbled to smooth rough finishes.

Butt end (see snare butt) - Usually found on the side of a snare drum opposite the throw-off. This piece holds the snares in a fixed position.

Cable hi-hat pedal - A pedal that allows the hi-hat cymbals to be positioned anywhere on a drum kit.

Cam drive - A non-tooth or toothless chain drive mechanism.

Chain drive - A pedal with a bicycle chain that connects the beater hub to footboard.

Chrome finish - A three-step process of electrically adhering several metal to steel to give a brilliant covering.

Claw hooks - The hooks that grip the outer edge of the bass drum hoop.

Clutch - The clamping mechanism that holds the top hi-hat cymbal to the pull rod.

Counterhoop - A circular piece of steel, brass or wood that applies tension on the drumhead when the tension rods are tightened.

Counterweight - On bass drum beaters, attaches to the beater shaft to fine-tune the pedal action. On boom cymbal stands, attaches to the bottom of a boom arm to counteract the weight of cymbal.

Cymbal sleeve - A plastic or nylon sleeve that prevents a cymbal from touching the metal rod of a cymbal stand.

Cymbal stacker - Allows two cymbals to be mounted above and below each other on one stand.

Die-cast - Made by casting metal in a mold

Double-bass pedal - A two-pedal system that enables the drummer to play a single bass drum with both feet.

Double-braced - Tripod legs constructed of two parallel pieces of stamped metal that meet and attach at both the rubber foot and the top collar.

Drop clutch - A hi-hat clutch that allows a drummer to close the hi-hat cymbals by hitting the clutchÕs release arm with a stick.

Elliptical leg base - A stand leg base which utilizes round to oval tube stock.

Rock or Turbo plate - A metal plate connected to the underside of a bass pedalÕs heel plate and to the bottom of the pedalÕs frame, replacing the standard radius rod.

Forty-Five Degree Angle System - A leg system that supports the weight of an item on an angle.

Free-floating - Drum tensioning hardware which does not touch the shell

Hardened steel - Steel which has gone through a special process of heating and cooling to increase its strength.

Hide-away boom - A cymbal stand which can double as a straight or boom stand.

Hi-hat stabilizer - Secures cable hi-hat pedals to other pieces of hardware.

Knurl - A small projecting ridge to assist in gripping an object.

L-rod - L-shaped rod used to mount percussion instruments.

Lug - The bracket attached to a drum that accepts a tension rod.

Lug nut - The receptacle which fits inside a lug and accepts a tension rod, allowing a drum to be tuned.

Memory clamp - Holds chosen positions on stands and rack systems.

Multi-clamp - A clamp which mounts various instruments and/or stands to each other. (Traditionally used on cymbal stands.)

Nodal lug mounting - A method of mounting a drumÕs lugs at points on the shell where the vibrations from stick hits coverage.

Nylon bushing - Internal collar that prevents metal-to-metal contact within a stand.

Pedal board - The flat surface of a bass or hi-hat pedal which is activated by foot pressure, usually consisting of a footplate and a heel plate, connected by a hinge.

Percussion table - Flat table usually padded with edges to hold hand percussion instruments.

Platform stand - A stand used to mount several items.

Pot metal - Slang for casted zinc

Powder coating - Special color process which bakes paint onto metal.

Pull rod - The internal drive of a hi-hat pedal.

Rachet - A wheel or bar beating a series of notches in which a pivoted tongue engages to prevent backward movement.

Rack multi-clamp - A clamp which mounts instruments to a rack a systems.

Rack system - A combination of horizontal and vertical bars and clamps on which instruments are mounted.

Resonant head - Bottom head used on tom toms and snare drums or the front of a bass drum.

Single-braced hardware - Tripod legs made of a solitary piece of stamped metal tipped with a rubber foot.

Snare basket - The upper assembly of a snare stand which cradles the snare drum

Snare butt - The clamping device that holds the snare strands firmly on the side of the shell opposite the throw-off.

Snare cord (or straps) - Holds snares to throw-off and butt assembly.

Snares - Coiled metal strands which vibrate against the bottom (snare side) head of a snare drum.

Snare side head - The thinner head found on the bottom of a snare drum.

Spanner system - A horizontal rack bar that connects to two cymbal or tom stands.

Sproket drive - A chain-drive mechanism with teeth.

Stand - A telescoping series of tubular tiers held vertically by a tripod base that suspends an instrument.

Straight stand - A stand that has a single central shaft that is vertical to the floor.

Strap drive - A pedal with a leather or synthetic strap that connects the beater hub to the footboard.

Swivel cam - A protruding, circular part at the top of a bass pedalÕs frame which transmits a back-and-forth motion to the horizontal shaft supporting the beater hub.

T-clamp - The clamp that connects a leg to a rackÕs support bar.

Tension rod (or key rod) - Flat-nosed straight-sided screws that insert into a drumÕs lugs and apply pressure to the counterhoop.

Throw-off - A locking mechanism that provides tension on the snare strands.

Tier - The modular tubes that nest inside one another in the central body of a stand.

T-leg system - A leg system found on rack systems which has equal balance in the front and rear.

Tripod - A three-legged base.

Tom mount - The bracket which accepts a tom tom arm to mount a tom-tom to a bass drum, rack or stand.

Tube lug - A tubular, low-mass lug, commonly made of brass.

U joint - Metal assembly which allows movement with multiple position adjustment. Usually connects secondary pedal to primary pedal on double-pedal systems.

Washer - A metal or felt disc that sits between two objects.

Wingscrew - A screw with wing-like finger grips.