Standard Bass Muffling System - for Marching Bass Drums

The Standard Bass Muffling System (sold in pairs) gives you that Top 12 Drum Corps sound that you desire. This is for the seasoned pro that knows what they want and how to do it. No adhesive is included, you must use your own spray adhesive (3M90 is recommended) and follow the directions below.

Note: Bass Muffling is a Special Order product and not available for returns/refunds 

These strips of foam remove the high overtones from your marching bass drum while focusing the fundamental tone and enhancing clarity out on the field or indoors. The Standard Bass Muffling System uses the same High Resilient foam as the Advanced Bass Muffling System... just with no addded adhesive. 

The foam is cut to cover the entire inner circumference of your drum. It is recommended to attach using a professional-grade adhesive (sold separately through your local hardware supply store).

We brainstormed with the biggest names in marching percussion to make sure the thickness of the foam corresponds to the size of the drum to give you exactly the right amount of muffling. A specially-designed angle on the side that touches the head ensures the foam remains completely in contact with the head when you add tension, unlike squared/flat foam that can leave gaps (potential tuning issues & uneven overtones).

This product includes two strips to fully dampen both sides of any marching bass drum. ***The exact inner diameter of the drum can vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer. We give you enough to cover any brand's drum, so there may be a little too much foam. The excess can be easily trimmed off.


Foam thickness:

Using foam for muffling marching bass drums has been the go-to method for drumline's around the world for quite some time now. With over 50 years of experience in playing, tuning and muffling bass drums, our experts have all agreed that this is the formula that works. This system has the right density of foam, the optimal amount of contact with both the head (to reduce overtones) and the shell (to keep shell tone quality) and, best of all, the easiest and most accurate installation. The angle cut of the foam is a proprietary design that is incredibly effective and you cannot get with any other drum muffling. 


"There is simply nothing else like this on the market." - Dan Wahl, RCC Indoor

"It's a game-changer!" - Tom Aungst, Dartmouth HS



Installation Guide:

1) Pre-fit the foam in the drum.
2) Trim the foam to fit, leave approximately .5"-1” of excess foam on the strip to create a tight connection point where the two ends meet.
3) Make sure the arrow marked on the foam is pointing in the direction of the drum head (not to the inside of the drum).
4) Prep the shell and foam strip with the spray adhesive of your choice. Spray both the shell and the foam for the best adhesion between the two. Be careful to not get any adhesive on the bearing edge.
5) Line up the foam (the side that makes contact with the drum) with the apex of the bearing edge (where the edge makes contact with the head) or up to 1/8” beyond the edge. Note: going beyond 1/8” of the bearing edge can reduce adhesion to the shell and deform the foam as it makes contact with the head (there is a slight angle on the foam so you do not need to go any further than 1/8”).
6) Once the strip is installed, check the bearing edge distance to make sure the foam is set as evenly as possible around the drum. Press down firmly on the foam to make sure the adhesive cures fully.
7) Repeat all steps on the other side of the drum.
8) Allow the spray adhesive to set and dry for 4-8 hours (typically overnight) before reinstalling drum heads. Once the adhesive is dry and the muffling is permanently attached to the shell you can put the heads back on but do not tighten the heads just yet...
9) Adjust the heads (rotate the head with the tension rods loose) with the drum “on” the player (using their drum carrier not a stand). Pro Tip: have the player march forward and backward and rotate (to see evenness of both sides) to make sure logos and/or graphics are optimally placed for movement (some players do not stand and carrier the drum the same way that they do when they move).
10) Tighten the tension rods, tune the drum as desired, and get back to making music with a great sounding drum.

Need help with installation or just questions in general? Give us a call at 626-386-5882 or shoot us an email at thedrumshop@cadrums.com.