Do drum thrones swivel? What are the advantages of using a drum throne that swivels? What are the disadvantages of a swiveling drum throne? How can a drum throne with a swivel design work? There are two types of drum thrones when it comes to height adjustment: swivel and fixed. If you are unfamiliar with these two types of drum thrones, then you are now at the right to have a deeper understanding of them.
So, why should a drummer use a drum throne rather than just sit in a chair while playing the drums? A drum throne is designed to serve as a chair for a drummer, but it is no ordinary chair. Drum thrones give more comfort and better support to the drummer’s body, which is advantageous for those who play for longer periods.
So, what is a fixed drum throne? A fixed drum throne is where the throne is fixed and cannot be spun. Its height adjustment system either uses a nut and bolt lock, which you can usually do on cheap drum thrones, and the others would use pneumatic adjustment mechanisms.
What is a swivel drum throne? A swivel drum throne or also known by others as a spindle drum throne. For a drum throne that uses a spindle mechanism, you can spin the padded seat clockwise or counterclockwise to raise or lower the height of the drum throne. Nowadays, more and more drum thrones now have a swivel feature.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Using Swivel Drum Thrones
One reason why more and more drummers are using drum thrones that can swivel is that you can rotate your body easily as the seat would also rotate with you. If you frequently make some unnecessary movements with your hip and body, having a swivel drum throne would make you more comfortable doing it as there is much less stress in your body.
Another reason is that it gives better movement, especially if you are playing in an expanded drum kit where some toms or cymbals are harder to reach. When a floor tom is far away from your normal posture, and you would need to turn just to hit, having a drum throne that can swivel will do wonders for you. It will give you faster time to position yourself from hitting the drum kit compared to a fixed drum throne.
Having a spindle mechanism also gives more options for height adjustment. Drum thrones with swivel features are also known to be more durable and stable compared to other types of drum thrones.
One disadvantage is that when you frequently turn with your seat, you can also get imbalanced as your body also goes with the movement of your seat. Another reason is that they are more expensive compared to other drum thrones, and that can be a problem if you are only using a 5-piece drum kit, where you are not forced to turn your body just to be able to hit a floor tom or a cymbal.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Using Fixed Drum Thrones
Many drummers still prefer the traditional fixed drum throne as most of them do not see the advantage of being able to turn your body to the movement of the drum throne. Twisting your waist in a swivel drum throne would also force you to remove your feet off the pedals, which in a fixed drum throne, you are not forced to do that.
Fixed drum thrones are perfect if you only have a regular-sized drum kit where you do not have to swivel just to reach the floor tom, rack tom, or cymbal. If you have only a small kit, there is no need to use a drum throne with a swivel feature, as you can easily play and hit the drums without making any necessary movements.
Another advantage of using fixed drum thrones, especially hydraulic ones, is that it has a great height adjustment system. They are also durable and stable, and their height can be easily adjusted.
One disadvantage of fixed drum thrones, especially those that have a hydraulic adjustment system, is that they are the most expensive drum thrones. It is also difficult to use them in large drum kits where some floor toms or rack toms are placed further and are more difficult to hit.
Example of A Swivel Drum Throne
Pearl D-3500BR Roadster Drum Throne
One of the most expensive drum thrones on the market, the Pearl D-3500BR Roadster drum throne has a swivel seat design. It has a Reversible StopLock Technology that allows the throne to spin freely while being secure of not going out of its place.
Example of A Fixed Drum Throne
DW Drums 9100AL Airlift Drum Throne
Another expensive drum throne on the market is the DW Drums 9100AL Airlift Drum Throne. This drum throne has a pneumatic height adjustment for quick adjustment and better stability. This drum throne also does not swivel.
So, do drum thrones swivel? Not all drum thrones swivel, but there are now many drum thrones that have a swivel feature on them. Many drummers prefer the drum thrones that swivel because of added mobility, but there are also some disadvantages of using one, like it’sC expensive price tag.
