Drums
& Equipment - Floor Tom
A floor tom is a double-headed tom-tom drum usually
equipped with legs (usually three) mounted along the side, though they
are quite often attached to a cymbal stand by using a drum clamp.
Not all drum kits include floor toms, but when used they are almost
always the largest and lowest tuned tom-toms in the kit. By far the most
common size for a floor tom is 16x16; that is, 16" in depth and 16" in
diameter. In almost all student kits that feature a floor tom, this is
the size. Other common sizes are 14x14 for some jazz kits, and 16x18
(16" deep and 18" in diameter) which is the most common size for a
second floor tom, tuned below the 16x16.
Floor toms can be of one of two designs. Quite simply, floor toms with
legs and 'floating' floor toms; usually attached to either a drum rack
or a cymbal stand by means of a clamp. It is uncommon to see a floor tom
at 16x16 using the 'floating' system, however, and is more commonly seen
on 'fusion' or jazz setups whereby the floor tom is of a 14 inch
diameter. Using a 'floating' system can be a convenience or an
inconvenience depending on the individual setup and therefore neither
system is considered objectively 'better'.
The floor tom was popularised by Gene Krupa in the 1950s, using a 16x16.
At first he placed it between his two bass drums, on the far side of his
snare drum, but quickly moved it to its now traditional position to the
right of his right leg. A second 16x18 floor tom, to the right of the
16x16, appeared in the late 1960s and was popularised as part of the
extended kits used by progressive rock bands in the 1970s.
The floor tom is also used as a small bass drum by some (mostly jazz)
drummers. In that case it is mounted horizontally on a specially
designed rack system.
From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floor_tom
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