Bearing edges are everything to your drum’s sound and playability. Simply put, if your bearing edges are not perfect then the drum shell will never produce its optimal potential. Brownie Drums specializes in cutting bearing edges, and through my experience, I have cataloged the many bearing edge designs and investigated the differences between such subtleties in wood, dimensions and sound dynamics.
Brownie Drum Co. can provide any bearing edge you desire. From vintage round-over edges to sharp and angled modern designs. All bearing edge designs are discussed during a consultation to satisfy individual needs. Click here for Pricing.
Types of Bearing Edges
Here we can visualize a cross-sectional view of a bearing edge, and highlight the key features that make edges so important to your drum’s sound. I numbered the wood ply, in this case 5-ply, to show how each could be involved in the formation of the completed edge.
The apex is the northern most peak and is the location where the drum head primarily rests. The orientation and shape of the apex will ultimately determine how the drum head will behave once it is struck. While drum heads also rest on the outer edge, the apex is the most critical component of the bearing edge and impacts the sound the greatest.
The outer edge is next in importance. This contact point between the bearing edge and the drum head plays a big role in how sensitive, or how much vibration the drum head will have after it has been struck.
The inner edge does not make contact with the drum head, and its’ slope (generally 45-degrees) directs sound waves down and towards the center of the drum shell. This downward moving collection or ‘column’ of sound waves will then excite the bottom head.
