Drummers are only 50% musicians and the remaining 50% of the time, they are mechanics. There are no other instrumentalists that use as many mechanical devices as they do for creating our performances. However, over time and use, it is a given that the mechanical components will eventually fail. If you don’t want this to happen frequently, you need to keep your drum in top shape. How can you do that? Let’s find out:
- Cover the kit
The appearance of the drum kit is very personal for most drummers. Therefore, they can be found in so many lacquers, wraps, stains and more styles. But, the dust can damage their appearance. If they are setup for long periods, you should either dust them regularly or simply get a lightweight cover for maintaining the kit’s appearance.
- Never scratch the surface
Do a full-scale cleaning of your drum kit from time to time, but you need to use proper products, polishes and cleansers for doing so. It is best to avoid anything abrasive or has harsh chemicals in it because it can scratch the surface. You should also do drum-kit tuning every now and then to ensure your drums deliver an optimal performance.
- Polish up the chrome
To clean the chrome hardware, you need to use the same products that you do on drum shells. You just need to remove the polish thoroughly from all the nooks and crannies on the stands and lugs. In such situations, it is best to apply the polish through a cloth rather than putting it on the drum directly.
- Refresh the heads regularly
You need to check the drumheads every now and then. Heads are not made to last forever and worn-out heads can affect the drum’s performance. They need to be replaced after some time to continue functioning properly.