The Neary Drum Torque

One of the most frustrating endeavors for drummers (especially beginners) is tuning. In order to achieve a nice, round, smooth tone, the tension of the head must be as uniform as possible at every tuning lug, and then the bottom head must be not only uniformly tensioned, but also in tune with the batter head.

Of the many drum tuning tools on the market, the Neary Drum Torque is probably the oldest and most popular. Right out of the box, it is obvious from the weight of the tool that this ain't no toy! The Neary Drum Torque is made of high-impact black plastic and contains a heavy-duty spring, precision calibrated for quite accurate adjustments.

Unlike tuning devices that measure the linear tension applied across the drum head, the Drum Torque, as its name implies, works like a torque wrench, measuring the twisting force applied to each tuning lug.

This quality is, unfortunately, its biggest limitation. Even if all the lugs have the exact same amount of torque applied to them, the surface tension of the head at each point may be different, and that is the real physical characteristic that determines the pitch at each tuning point.

However, the Neary Drum torque is still very useful for setting the foundation for the actual tuning of the drum. Once the lugs are all torqued equally, the drummer must rely on his/her own ears to tweak each lug until they all agree sonically. Using the Neary Drum Torque is still very simple: If you can use a standard mechanic's torque wrench, you can use this device, as it operates in exactly the same fashion.

The Neary Drum Torque's meter starts at 2 pound-feet and maxes out at 25. The tee-shaped tool fits over the tuning lugs and comes with a two-pronged adapter to fit over a drum key for tight lug-hoop clearances. It is operated by gripping the outer edge of the dial and placing the chuck over the lug and turning the device clockwise.

When tuning a drum with the Neary Drum Torque, it is advisable to completely slack the head by loosening the lugs until they no longer contact the hoop, and then finger tighten them evenly just until they make contact once again. then, using the star pattern, tighten each lug to a starting point of 5 pound-feet. Then, reseat the head by pushing down HARD in the center of it using your palm heel.

Repeat the process several times, increasing the tension by a half a lb-ft, until the drum head approaches the desired pitch. This is where a very sharp, acute sense of pitch comes in, because you will need it to fine tune the head once its within range. This is the ultimate drawback to this otherwise fine tool.

The reason being is that, although torque is fine for holding wheels safely to your car, it is inadequate for proper tuning of membranophones. The tuners that measure the surface tension of the head are more expensive, but are much more accurate than the Drum Torque, and generally tune easier and quicker than this otherwise fine piece of equipment.

The Neary Drum Torque retails for around $60.00, but can be obtained through Musician's Friend for just under $30.00. It is a pretty good tool for the money, but those drummers with a bit of a tin ear might want to save a few more dollars and buy a surface-tension type tuner, such as the Drumdial Drum Tuner. Otherwise, the Neary Drum Torque is an affordable, useful tuning device for those who don't mind tinkering with their set to get it sounding to their liking.