Lockerz™ work with most standard tension rods and standard die cast or stamped counter hoops, so there is no need to replace any hardware.

(Sorry, but at this time Lockerz™ are not designed to be used with wood hoops . . . but we are working on a modified version!)

GPI Lockerz™ will be available packaged 4 to a bag .

Question: Will RIMS® Mounts improve the sound of my drums?

Answer: It depends. The RIMS® System was originally designed to make good drums sound great by removing resonance restricting hardware from the drum's shell. They are not, nor ever will be a remedy or panacea for poorly constructed, warped, 'out of round' ,or inferior sounding drums no matter how new they are, what exotic woods they are made from, how good they look or what company produced them.

Question: How then can I tell if my drum is a good drum or a bad drum? What is the standard, what should I be listening for?

Answer: Since the potential resonance of any drum is determined by many factors we always suggest you try this test before deciding if RIMS® mounts will improve the sound of your set.

Try this: Remove any one of your mounted toms from its stand, rack or holder. Tune the drum's top and bottom head to its preferred tuning range or where you normally like to hear it. Pick the drum up by its counter hoop with one hand using just your fingers. Now, strike the drum several times listening to the tonal quality and how long the drum resonates.

What to listen for: The more resonant the drum the longer the sustain. On a good drum that can be tuned properly, the sound produced will be a clear pitch with out conflicting frequencies, a low sustained tone that does not change as the sound naturally decays without 'choking out' prematurely. The lower frequencies of the drum will be predominant till the resonance gradually stops. The larger the drum, the lower the pitch and longer the sustain. A good drum tuned to a low pitch should resonate for several seconds without high pitched overtones displacing the lower frequencies.

Now: After hearing this sound, place the drum back on its stand and strike the drum again. Is there a change in sound, tonal quality and length of resonance? How much of a change? If so, using RIMS should recapture the lost or 'choked out' resonance that you had first heard when using your fingers to suspend the drum. If there is little or no change in sound, RIMS® may be of little or no benefit. As a general 'Rule of Thumb', I have found that the more the drum resonates off the stand, the more it will 'choke' when placed back on its shell mounted hardware.

Question: Will RIMS® fit my drums and mounting hardware?

Answer: RIMS® will fit just about any drum, old or new. The new Alloy System allows perfect alignment to any lug configuration. The Universal sideplate supplied with RIMS® Mounts are designed to fit a variety of hardware that is currently being sold. There are also optional sideplates available that offer a more custom look.

Question: Can RIMS mounts damage my drum, the drum's tension rods or
counter hoop?

Answer: No, actually, the RIMS® Mounting System prevents damage to the drum by removing the extreme pressure to the shell caused by the drum's mounting hardware. To concentrate the entire weight of any drum at a small section of its surface area and at a position far off its center of gravity creates the very strong possibility of bending or warping of the wood, especially large, thinner shell drums under humid conditions.

Example: Try holding a drum with your hand in an upright playing position by its hardware while it is mounted to the shell of the drum. It is virtually impossible to do, especially if someone attempts to play the instrument. Now, using both hands, hold the drum under its counter hoop by placing your hands at opposite sides(180 apart) of the drum. Your are now dividing the weight of the drum in half at its center of gravity thus reliving any stress on the shell and holding the drum in the most natural way possible. The pressure that existed on the shell is now transferred from the RIMS® Mount to the steel sideplate where the drum's mounting hardware is attached. The added pressure underneath the drum's counter hoop is minimal with the drum's balanced weight creating downward force as opposed to the twisting or bending pressure caused by hardware mounted on the shell.

Question: What's the largest size drum that RIMS® mounts can be used on?

Answer: We have made RIMS® for all sizes including bass drums. The most common special order size is an 18" 'rack mount' that uses two sideplates for stability.

Question: Is there a RIMS® Mount available for bass drums?

Answer: We plan to have a custom designed RIMS® type mount for bass drums available before the end of the summer. It is currently being tested 'on the road' by a major rock group that is on tour this summer.

Question: What is the reason for the half-plate and triangular plate shown on your web site? Do they make any difference in sound?

We introduced the Half-plate and the Triangular plate since drummers wanted more of their drum's shell to be seen. They also like the fact that it has fewer holes, is lighter and more streamlined in appearance. We haven't done any testing to see if there is a difference in sound using the Half-plate or Tri-plate. The main isolation of our new Alloy System occurs at the tension rod attachment points.