It’s that time again: a new review and an opportunity to win some slick new toys. Please take a moment to watch the video, read the review and then head to the bottom of the page to learn how you can win a set of these intriguing add-ons.

Booty Shakers by T&R Products

I was first introduced to the T&R Team at the 2012 Nashville Drum Show. Their sparely appointed booth was (appropriately) among the other accessory vendors, and my plan was to hit all the big stuff first and then take a quick peek in that section before the show ended.

Throughout the show, however, I kept seeing small crowds assembled in front of the T&R booth. Every time I’d look that way, I’d see a cluster of attendees smiling and nodding their heads. Finally, I couldn’t wait anymore, so I abandoned my plan and went to check it out.

The incredibly friendly team gave me a quick demo of their principal product, Booty Shakers, and like everyone else I’d seen, I was left smiling (somewhat incredulously) and nodding.

Using two high-end floor toms as examples (Booty Shakers fit over any floor tom foot), T&R co-founder, Rich, showed me how simply slipping one of their small foam cylinders over each tom foot increased sustain and fattened up the middle and low-end portions of the note on both drums. The difference was absolutely noticeable even in an airplane hangar filled with drums. I have no problem admitting that I was very skeptical at first, but the evidence sh ut those feelings down right away. Pretty remarkable.

So, I snagged a few sets for review, and brought them home to see how they affected my own drums. After spending a very long time (sorry Rich!) with Booty Shakers, I’m still pretty impressed with how much these little foam feet can punch up the sound of a floor tom.

Before I get into what I’ve seen from Booty Shakers, I wanted to first point you to the About section of T&R’s website. There you’ll find a very comprehensive breakdown of what Booty Shakers are exactly, and how they work. There’s some legit science over there for you nerds who’d like to know more. Tape up your glasses and check it out.

So, here’s my very simple assessment of what Booty Shakers do: they make your floor toms sound bigger.

Now, I don’t mean they make a small drum sound like a larger one. Instead, they simply bring out some of the mids and lows lost to the physics of resting a resonating body on three legs that are in direct contact with solid ground. They almost make conventional floor toms sound like hanging toms. I found that very helpful, as it improved the balance between my suspended rack toms and regular floor toms.

The difference isn’t going to make your head explode, but it’s definitely there. In a live setting, the effects of Booty Shakers would likely be lost to the room. In the studio, however, they can be incredibly helpful.

Case in point, I have an old 17×13” (yes 17”) field drum that I’ve converted into a floor tom. The shell is from the ‘30s, and has some real city miles on it. Lots of wear and tear. As a result, the drum has a very sharp punch up top with a super fast and thin decay (see video). I love its attack, but I’m always left wanting a little more from the bottom end.

Enter Booty Shakers. I used the 17” drum on a recording earlier this year, and threw the foam feet on for the session. Simply put, they were a tremendous help. They filled out the bottom of each note, making it sit much more comfortably with the rest of my kit.

I think that’s really the best endorsement I can offer this product. When I needed help with a pesky drum, they solved the problem with ease.

Before I wrap this up, I want to add two more quick notes about Booty Shakers.

First, they’re affordable, and that rules. Most accessories designed specifically for drum set use are horrendously overpriced. Not the case here. Hats off to T&R for that.

Second, they look a little silly. I don’t like saying that, but it’s true. Let me say, though, that I think RIMS Mounts look silly, and they’ve become an industry standard. Don’t ignore something because it looks a little weird. Books and covers and all of that.

Wrap Up

Booty Shakers have an awesome name (who doesn’t like booty) and they produce real results. They may look a little strange, but that shouldn’t’ dissuade you from giving them a shot. If you’d like to get more low-end presence out of your floor toms, Booty Shakers offer an affordable solution that has some real merit. Grab a set and show ‘em what you’re working with.

Giveaway

Want to win a set of Booty Shakers? Simply email Dgrblog@gmail.com with the subject line “I Want to Shake Booties” before 11:59PM EST on September 10, 2013. I’ll select two winners at random, and send them a set of Booty Shakers pronto.

Contest valid for US residents only. One entry per person.