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What’s the Best Drum Hardware for Me?

What’s the Best Drum Hardware for Me?

In our drum hardware section, you can find everything you need to set up your drum kit, including all the stands for the drums and cymbals, as well as tom mounts, clamps, kick pedals, and thrones. To help you find exactly what you need, this Guide answers all of your frequency asked hardware-based questions. If you have a question and can’t find the answer here, feel free to contact us!

1. What’s Drum Hardware?

Drum hardware is used to support the drums and cymbals of a drum kit. Hardware includes all of the stands, mounts, and clamps that make up a kit, as well as the drum throne (stool) and pedals. If you decide to buy a drum kit that doesn’t come with hardware (also known as a shell set), then picking up a complete hardware pack can be a cheaper option. But if you have a complete kit, you can upgrade single stands and components as needed. Getting a full hardware pack can also be handy if you want to upgrade your old setup in one go, since all of the included stands will come from the same series and have the same look. Hardware packs usually include a snare stand, a hi-hat stand, and two or more cymbal stands. Many packs also include a kick pedal.

Hardware Packs with Kick Pedals
All hardware Packs
All Drum Hardware

2. Do I Need a Single or Double Kick Pedal?

To play most drum beats, you’ll only need a single kick pedal. For beginners, a single kick pedal is definitely recommended. A double kick pedal is played with both feet and strikes the same bass drum with two beaters so you can play extra-fast rhythms. There are double kick pedals available for both left-footed and right-footed drummers. Most drummers will use a right-handed setup, where the hi-hat is placed on the left and the bass drum is placed on the right. With a left-handed setup, the bass drum is on the left and the hi-hat is on the right; if you use this setup, you’ll need to use a left-footed double kick pedal.

Single Kick Pedals
Double Kick Pedals

3. How Do I Pick the Right Kick Pedal?

When browsing through all of the kick pedals we have, you can use the filters found on the left of the page to specify the features you want. The most important features are the drive mechanism and the type of beater. The drive mechanism is what links the footplate to the beater and most of the time, this will be a chain. For most drumming work, a single chain will be fine, but for heavier work, you could go for a dual-chain drive. Your playing style will also dictate the kind of beater you’ll need. A felt beater has a warmer sound, but when you pick a double or even a four-sided beater, you can rotate the beater so that a different surface faces the drumhead, and each surface will have its own sound.

Single Chain Drive Kick Pedals
Dual Chain Drive Kick Pedals
Kick Pedals with Felt Beaters
Kick Pedals with Double or Four-Sided Beaters

4. What Kind of Drum Throne Do I Need?

The most important feature of your drum throne is the seat. The most common drum throne seat shape is round. A round seat will work for any drummer no matter their build or height and allows the drummer to shift around freely while playing. Another common seat shape is a saddle-style seat that can be recognised by a pointed front, like a motorcycle seat. This more fixed shape is less recommended for younger drummers or drummers who play with a lot of force. The advantage of using a saddle seat is that it has no raised seams around the edge, which may cut into the bottom of your thighs after a while. The height of a drum throne can be adjusted in a number of different ways, and since every system comes with its own advantages and disadvantages, it’s difficult to say which is the best. The height range of any drum throne is almost always listed in the specifications.

Drum Thrones with Round Seats
Drum Thrones with Saddle Seats
Other Drum Thrones
All Drum Thrones

5. What Kind of Snare Stand Do I Need?

The snare stand you pick needs to match the diameter of your snare drum. This is really important if the diameter of your snare is less than 12 inches. A snare stand is fitted with a ‘basket’ which needs to securely grip the snare. Another important feature is the depth of the basket, which needs to be able to support the depth of your snare. You can use an extra-low snare stand if your snare drum is particularly deep or you can use a lower setup.

Snare Drum Stands

6. What Kind of Hi-Hat Stand Do I Need?

A normal hi-hat stand will be supported by a tripod for maximum stability. To save a little floor space (when using a double kick pedal, for example), you can opt for a hi-hat stand with just two legs. There are also mounting arms available for setting up a hi-hat. These aren’t fitted with or connected to a hi-hat pedal but do have a clutch to open and close the hi-hat via a switch. These mounting arms tend to be used to add a second hi-hat to your kit.

Tripod Hi-Hat Stands
Hi-Hat Stands with Two Legs
Hi-Hat Arms

7. What Kind of Cymbal Stands Do I Need?

In our cymbal stand section, you’ll find four different stand types. Straight cymbal stands have a vertical tube system with a tripod support, which offers more stability but less adjustment options. A boom-stand is a straight cymbal stand fitted with an arm (boom) that can be adjusted in length and rotated for the perfect angle. Cymbal arms can also be picked up separately - so without the stand. Combined with a clamp, these cymbal arms offer an easy way to add an extra cymbal to your kit. A stacker is a small cymbal mount for adding an extra cymbal to a stand and is often used to mount a splash cymbal.

Straight Cymbal Stands
Boom-Arm Cymbal Stands
Cymbal Arms
Stackers

8. What Kind of Tom Stands or Mounts Do I Need?

With many drum kits, the toms are mounted directly onto the bass drum. If that’s not the case with your kit, then you can use a tom stand which is fitted with a tripod-style base so it can be placed where you need it. Tom stands are also useful if you want to add an extra tom to your kit. A tom mount isn’t fitted onto a stand but can be mounted onto a stand using a clamp, or mounted directly onto a bass drum. Before you think about mounting your tom in this way, always check the kind of mounting system your tom needs, since different manufacturers can tend to use different systems. By using the ‘tom mount type’ filter on the left of the page when browsing through all tom stands and mounts, you can easily select the brand of the tom you need a mount for. Depending on how many toms you want to add, you can go for a single or double model.

Tom Stands
Tom Mounts

9. When Should I Use a Rack?

A rack is an alternative to using stands. For a basic drum kit, this won’t be necessary since there aren’t so many parts. The benefit of using a rack is that it takes up less floor space and gives you a really stable setup. Using a rack can be useful when you have an extensive kit with many stands that take up a lot of space and take a long time to set up for each rehearsal or gig. The downside of a rack is that it offers less setup and positioning options when compared to stands. A basic drum rack has two legs connected by a crossbar to which tom mounts and cymbals arms can be mounted using clamps.

All Racks
All Racks & Accessories

10. Can You Also Get Separate Drum Hardware Parts?

Absolutely. To find replacement parts, like bolts and legs, you can take a look at our Hardware Parts section or Drum Parts section. Make sure to pick the same manufacturer that made the hardware so that you know the part will fit.

Hardware Parts
Drum Parts

Links & More Information

Blogs & Buyer’s Guides

Kick Pedal Buyer's Guide
Drum Throne Buyer's Guide