Most drummers will find a good assortment of cool drumset accessories simply by browsing online or watching drum videos, but some drumset accessories fly under the radar! This is a list of some of the best drumset accessories drummers can buy which is made up of some clever solutions to interesting problems, and can also help you become more creative in your playing! Let’s trim the fat and get right down to business!
1. Quick-set Cymbal Nut: Quick Release Nut for Cymbals
These quick-release cymbal nuts will help you load-in and load-out faster at gigs and shows. These clips slide over the cymbal rod threads and lock your cymbal to the stand with the release of the button. Then, to remove, simply press the button and pull the nut off! These work with all types of cymbals with the exception of hi-hats, so put a few packs on your birthday list or buy some as stocking stuffers. Parents, if you want to get these as a surprise just simply look at the drumset and count the cymbals, you’ll need one for each cymbal, it’s that easy! These are nearly universally compatible and you can’t go wrong with them. No more screwing and unscrewing every single cymbal at live shows, you won’t be the last one ready to go on the stage anymore! Currently, on Amazon these are only $2.60ea (sold as a pack of five), so get some extras and you’ll be able to expand your kit in the future! Check out the quick-release cymbal nut drumset accessories on my studio kit below:
Mine have allen wrench locks that keep them in place, I use these because I don’t bring my studio kits to gigs. It’s a nice feature, but they aren’t easy to find anymore, hopefully they bring these back into production! However, the feature isn’t necessary and the inexpensive ones above are perfect for what most people need!
2. Quick Release Hi-Hat Drop Clutch
This hihat drop clutch should be a requirement on all drum sets and is on of the most common dumset accessories, also the most simple! This simple and cheap device turns your standard hihat into a drummy-hat and standard-hat combo! Especially if you’ve upgraded to a double bass drum pedal, then you just simply need this drop clutch on your hihats. The drop clutch allows you to take your foot off of the hihat pedal and still be able to play on closed hihat cymbals. This frees up both feet to use your double bass drum pedals. The drop clutch works by replacing your standard hihat clutch which screws onto your top hihat cymbal. The drop lever bolts onto your hihat stand’s rod and when you press the lever gravity drops the top cymbal down onto the bottom cymbal. To undo this simply press the hihat pedal down and the lever decends and grabs the cymbal clutch to lift it back up with the rod. This is a very clever device and will help elevate your playing! If you want to take this to the next level consider using this drop clutch with the next accessory on our list, the remote cable hihat stand! Check out the drop clutch on my studio kit below:
Drop clutch devices all work on the same mechanics, the one pictured here is on my remote hihat cymbal mounted way up high on my kit (as a secondary hat). It’s nice to be able to drop it down while playing my main hat or vice-versa! I have drop clutches on ALL of my hihats!
3. Remote Hi Hat Stand with Foot Pedal
Remote Cable Hi-Hat Stand
This remote hat pedal, or sometimes called a cable hat pedal, is useful for both your main hihat cymbals or as an auxiliary or secondary hihat cymbal set. The cable on this device allows you to mount the hihats wherever you want on the drumset, they no longer have to be put directly over the pedal itself like on standard hihat stands. Better yet, you can even put the hihat cymbals on the completely opposite side of the drumset if you choose! Another nice feature is that you can now angle your hihat cymbals which was not a possibility with a standard hihat stand. The cable hat pedal also allows you to adjust tension on the cable (which works the same as a bicycle break line) and you can fine tune the tension to your specific preferences. The pedal itself can now also be placed wherever you choose and does not have to be put in the typical spot on the floor. Since this pedal is slim you even have the option of placing this hihat pedal inside the double bass pedal as opposed to outside. Enjoy your hihat freedom with this great accessory!
Note: You’ll also need an arm mount to attach the top of this cymbal to your drumset mounting frame or cymbal stand. Make sure you have enough room for the cymbal radius when choosing a mounting arm. Check out the remote hat pedal on my studio kit below:
You can put your hihat anywhere with this remote pedal! I like keeping my hihat pedals all on the left foot, but my auxiliary hihats always mount on the right side of my kit so I can play them open-handed! I also like to put them where they’re nice and obvious so the footwork on the hihat can easily be seen! You gotta show it off a little!
4. Bass Drum Platform Riser
This bass drum riser has two possible functions making it one of the most versatile drumset accessories on this list, one is an intended function and one is a bit more clever. If you have a smaller bass drum, let’s say about 20 inches, you’ll probably see that your bass drum beaders tend to be a little too tall to hit the drum in the center of the batter head. This riser attaches to the bottom of the bass drum’s batter rim and lets you raise the drum with two wingnuts to a height that puts the beaders in the center of the drum. The bass drum pedal now clips into the base of this metal riser for a secure connection. This is a nice accessory for smaller drum kits, but let’s be honest, most people have a 22 inch bass drum and don’t have any issue with their bass drum beaders. So lets discuss the clever use for this accessory, and it’s a bit in-depth.
Most drum set bass drums have mounts for the rack toms that hover over top of the bass drum. The tom mount holes also tend to be on the far side of the bass drum shell, rather than the side toward the drummer. These two toms tend to usually be 10 inches and 12 inches, meaning they are usually pretty tall as well. If you’ve ever seen a newer drummer set up their kit you’ll tend to see the two rack toms angled very steep since they have to be up high enough to not hit the bass drum. Angling the rack toms prevents the drummer from hitting the batter heads with a perpendicular stroke, and rather using a glancing blow which diminishes the sound quality. Here’s a solution that utilizes this bass drum riser and might make this easier! Start by swapping the two bass drum heads, you’ll want the batter head to be the one that’s on the side with the tom mounting holes. This means that the rack toms, when mounted, can be hanging over the batter rim of the bass drum which means they can be lower and flatter! However, this also means the the bass drum spurs are on the opposite side. That’s where this bass drum riser accessory comes in to play. Don’t put it on the batter rim this time, instead, put it on the bottom of the bass drum’s resonant head rim. All of the bass drums weight will be resting on this riser now. The spurs can still be utilized normally, so position them as needed (making sure to attach your bass drum pedal so that the drum is lifted to its final height off the rug. This has the secondary benefit of giving the spurs a more extreme angle which will do a better job of preventing the drum from sliding forward when played! Check out this solution on my studio kit below!
My bass drum riser holding the fort on my small studio kit! You might be able to see the bass drum spur at the back left of this image holding up the drum from the batter side so that the drum isn’t balancing on the front riser. This smaller bass drum and strategic mounting lets me put my rack toms nice and low and flat! Optimum striking angles!
5. Bass Drum Riser Stand With Adjustable Lifter Arms
This handy bass drum riser and stand is super useful for smaller bass drums! If you’ve ever converted a floor tom into a bass drum this might also be a great solution for you! This stand is so incredibly customizable that you can fit almost any drum on it for use with a bass drum pedal. The pedal clips into the black mounting bracket and every arm on this device can move to accommodate your drum or accessory. If you have a small bass drum, as stated above, this will also help you place the drum beader in the center of the head, but unlike the solution above, this accessory can accommodate even the smallest of drums! The rubber stoppers on the floor also have metal spikes hidden within, so you can use this stand on carpet or hardwood floors without fear of the drum sliding away from you. I’ve found that putting a weight inside the shell of the drum also prevents it from sliding around on top of the mount, no matter how hard you play! This super stand is totally worth every penny, and once it’s set up initially you can move it in and out of the show site quickly! Check out the bass drum riser under the small bass drum on my custom travel kit in this gallery!
Here’s the travel kit I use, this kit has it all the drumset accessories on this list! Cymbal quick-releases? Check. Drop clutches on both hihats? Check. Remote hat pedal for an auxiliary hat? Check! Bass drum risers? Nothing but the best! You’ll notice this kit doesn’t use mounted rack toms on the bass drums, this means that I don’t need to change any mounting systems on the big drums. You should also notice how low my toms are though, nearly flat with the tops of the bass drums! The toms aren’t actually super low, the bass drums are both just very tall. The auxiliary bass drum is 24″ and the primary bass drum is only 18″, but it’s mounted on this incredibly useful floor mount! This gets my beaders in the center of the badder head, but also holds everything in place nicely on hardwood or carpet! Coolest beans!
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