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Surdo Stand

I hate legs.  When you play a surdo with legs, it bounces!  It also doesn't "feel" right.  It's hard and un-giving.  It can hurt!  No matter what the leg design is, and how well it is implemented, it just doesn't work for me.  It hurts.  It does not feel correct.  To play a Surdo properly, it should be hung, preferably over the shoulder, or even from the waist if needed.  (OK, the Bainhos are going to hand them around the waist no matter what, but remember, they are using two mallets, they have a reason.)  I even know of some legs that come with coasters or rubber feet that help secure the thing to the floor.  It just doesn't work for me.

But, I understand that in the U.S. many Baterias will need to have a Surdo player play more than one Surdo, and that will require a stand. I also understand that in some cases, such as a person that has difficulty standing, a stand may be needed even for one Surdo.  See the last three images for a good solution for a "single-Surdo" stand.

So I recommend, endorse, and support any system in which the Surdos are "hanging".

Ordering Information:

If you would like to order a stand similar to the one illustrated on this page contact:

Bola at Bola Percussion
408-806-0990
cajon2000@hotmail.com

He can make you one for $120.  (For ordering information on a single Surdo stand, go scroll down this page.)

Here is my implementation of the needed "Surdo Stand":

Empty Stand:

Here is the stand without any Surdos on it.  Please see notes under image.

1 - Any good drum hardware will do.  I have chosen a rather old-school Ludwig stand because it has a rather large footprint (extension of legs) and it is very light-weight.

2.  Note:  I have used a small towel wrapped around the main shaft to provide a cushion for the drum against the "trunk".  It is secured by two Velcro straps.

3.  You might also notice two Tiny Bungee cords tied around the cloth/Velcro padding.  They are easily removed and RE-secured to insure the drums do not vibrate/slide off the supports.  See the last image for a better understanding. 

The Welding Effort:

Here is the actual welded part.  Please see notes under image.

1. In my case, I had the welder attach the support rods directly to an O-Ring with a hexagonal Allen Wrench tension screw in the O-Ring.  This design allows me to move the "Surdo Stand" to another piece of hardware if my old Ludwig stand ever gives out.  It has NOT so far (eight yeas at time of writing).  However, there is NO reason that you can not have your welder secure the supports directly to the trunk or main shaft of your drum stand that you are modifying into a Surdo Stand.

2.  I used Flat Rod or Flat Stock.  I have also seen an equally effective design using a cylindrical "rod".  In either case, they need to be bent to conform with the circumference.  I chose the Flat Rod because it can be bent by hand to be effective for a wide variety of Surdo circumferences.

3.  The length of the support rods can vary.  Mine are 9 1/2 inches long.  This makes them to short for my 24" Contemporanea Surdo and for my 22" Baihian Surdo because the tension rods are too far about.  So you could go 10-12 inches for the support rods, however at some point they may be too long for the smaller 16" Surdo.  (See image below on how to tilt the drum for mounting).

4.  The amount that the support rods are bent to match the curve of the drum can also vary.  Getting the right balance to accommodate a variety of Surdo sizes can take some effort.  Again, I chose flat rod or flat stock because I can adjust the amount of curve by hand.

5.  I found some suitable plastic tubing which fit quite nicely over the support rods to provide some protection for the drum.

Surdos mounted on the stand:

Here is the stand with two Surdos mounted.  Please see notes under image.

1.  Here is an image of two Surdos mounted on the stand.  This image shows 16" and 18" Surdos.  My stand works for all my Surdos up to and including my 22" Surdo.  The reason the 24" (or greater) does now work is that the support rods are not long enough (they do not REACH the distance between the tension rods).  See #2.

2.  Mine are 10" long.  I have seen stands with the same design with support rods as long as 12-14 inches.  You must choose your own length, recognizing the trade offs.  However, the more "flexible" the rods, the more Surdo sizes you will be able to accommodate.

Tilt To Mount:

This image shows the easiest way to mount the drum.  Please see notes under image.

1.  One quick tip, no matter how long your  tension rod/flesh hoop rods are, there is one quick tip to mounting your Surdos on such a stand.  The key is to TILT the Surdo when mounting the first side and then pivot/rotate the drum downward to "hook" the other tension rod onto the  support rod.

You can try to "mount" one side and then push the rod to one extreme to mount the other side, but trust me, the easier method it to tilt the drum as shown in this photo.

Securing the Drum:

This close up show one way to secure the drum to the stand.  Please see notes under image.

1.  Whether you use a stand or hang it properly from shoulder, Surdos move!  So while a hanging stand beats most legs, the drum might still vibrate off the stand.  In my case, two little Bungee cords solve this problem.  I  have even secured them while playing for a DANCE class!

Single Surdo Stand

Here is a nice design for a single Surdo.  While I still prefer hanging to any kind of legs, this three leg design provides some "give" due to the natural spring action of the "three-legged-stool" design.

If you would like to purchase one of these three legged stands, contact:
Kyle Traska
kyle.traska@gmail.com
920.540.0203
Kyle Says, "I do make them and would love some business. I usually charge $45 for a stand or 3 for $120."

Here is the stand without the drum.

Here is the stand in it's folded or collapsed state.  Quite a clever design.  Folds down and sets up quite quickly, and it's lite and easy to carry when collapsed.