A hi hat clutch, hardly the most exciting of things.
But, if you’re a gigging drummer you’ll know and appreciate the importance of having solid, reliable and practical gear to make life that little bit easier when you’re playing.
As I said, a hi hat clutch is hardly the most exciting piece of equipment on a drum kit but it is all the same quite an important item that you need to be able to rely on.
Gibraltar probably isn’t the only company with this sort of design. That’s not really the point of mentioning this particular item as such. What is more relevant is the two important features [for me, anyway] that this design offers in relation to their practical applications –
The first is that the clutch attaches via a hooped ‘clamp’ around the centre rod, rather than having a screw which pushes against it and is prone to slipping if you push down too hard on the pedal. This offers greater potential for keeping the clutch secure and in place due to having much more contact with the centre rod.
The second aspect is that the clutch has a quick release for the cymbal.
Now, the quick release is nice and it does speed things up a little bit, but that’s not what I like about it. What is really nice about the quick release design is that it has no thread to it. No thread means no loosening off during a gig, and therefore no messing around between songs readjusting the tension, or worse, putting the whole thing back together. Sound familiar at all?
Ever since I started gigging I’ve used the standard clutch end plus an extra inner bolt/screw (after 30 years I’ve still no idea what it’s called) to keep my top cymbal in place.
Most gigs I’ve done over the years I’ve still had to at least retighten the bottom of the clutch because it’s come loose despite my little addition. I’ve now spent about five hours playing with this quick release clutch and didn’t touch it once during my playing time.
The Gibraltar Quick Release hi hat clutch is available in standard and drop clutch designs, and is pretty cheap too. I’m happily sold on it.
More info at –
http://www.gibraltarhardware.com/?fa=detail&mid=2838&sid=361&cid=27
and
http://www.gibraltarhardware.com/?fa=detail&mid=2916&sid=361&cid=27
David Bateman
January 2018
