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Bass Drums

Bass drums can be made in virtually any size to meet your playing needs. We have built bass drums from
 12 inch diameter to 28 inch diameter, and as long as 72 inches. See our shell price list for standard size shells, or contact us for custom sizes.

Monster Bass Drums!
Bass drum shells are available in maximum lengths of 24 inches for one piece construction. We can custom build longer shells by notching and gluing more than one shell together to achieve any length!

Bass drums can be made with our “split / latch” feature, which allows the drum to be opened by releasing three latches. Other drums (or gear) can be stored and transported inside for convenience. Our latching system achieves precision alignment of shell halves, and no noticeable loss in sound quality.

Yes, we can build a 22x22 bass drum. It has become
one of the most popular sizes in recent years.
20x20 bass drums, along with virtually any other size,
 can be made to your specifications.

Shell type:

Maple is the choice of most drummers. However, Keller shells are now available in other types of wood, combinations, and construction methods. See our Keller Shell section for more information on shell types.

Drum size:

Diameters available for Maple Bass Drums:
16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, and 28 inch.

We can provide any available shell diameter in any depth you want. However, each Bass drum diameter has a maximum “one piece construction” depth of 24”. If that depth is exceeded, the shell will be constructed from more than one shell segment, using a notch and glue method. With this construction, seams are strong and durable, but we cannot guarantee that seams will be smooth in all areas. The notch and glue method can only be done using Maple shells of 8 or 10 ply thickness.

For shell types other than Maple, see our Keller Shell section for detail on size offerings.

Shell thickness ( ply # ):

Maple shells are available in 5, 6, 8, and 10 ply

Maple Shell thickness chart Ply # Average Thickness 5 0.13” ( 3.3 mm ) 6 0.16” ( 4.0 mm ) 8 0.21” ( 5.4 mm ) 10 0.26” ( 6.7 mm )

Some Bass drum shell sizes are not available in 5 and 6 ply. See shell size charts for details.

Thin shells have a “warm” sound and a slightly softer beater response. Thick shells have “brighter” attack, a little more volume, a slightly “harder” beater response.

Reinforcing rings are recommended in 5 ply and 6 ply Bass drum shells.

For shells other than Maple, see our Keller Shell section for detail on shell thickness offerings.

Reinforcing Rings:

Reinforcing rings are optional in all Maple shells.
Traditionally used in steam bent shells to hold the shell “in round”, Reinforcing rings are not necessary in Keller Maple shells for that reason. We recommend their use in 5 ply and  6 ply Bass drum shells for the reason of shell stability and strength.
Reinforcing Rings effect on sound is somewhat mysterious, controversial, and often misunderstood. Some believe they dampen resonance, “focus” the sound, and raise the shell's pitch. Although all may be true when studied in a physics class, it is important to keep in mind that the human ear may not detect some of the subtle effects on sound.
When used on thin maple shells for stability reasons, their effect on sound can hardly to viewed as negative. They provide the added strength that the thin shells need, while allowing the warmth of the thin shell sound.

Bearing edge type:

Around 95% of the drums we build have “double 45” bearing edges, which give maximum resonance, clarity, and tuneability. A round edge is sometimes requested when a more “vintage” sound is desired from a modern Maple shell. Single 45 and 30 degree edges are rarely asked for, but we are happy to accommodate.

Mounting Bracket location:

If you decide to mount a Tom or Toms on the Bass drum, please provide us with location information. Otherwise, we will center the mount on the top of the bass drum shell.

Breather Hole locations:

Breather holes between 3/8” to 1/2” in diameter are placed on the bottom of all Bass drums, unless otherwise requested.

Heads:

We will provide any drum head model from the following manufacturers:
Aquarian
Attack
Evans
Remo