My Alesis tom sounds like I'm hitting plywood !

[boneill]

I have a tom that sounds like I'm hitting plywood when it's not amplified. 

If the rig is turned on it sounds like a mix of plywood whacking (in front of me) and the proper tone (out of the amp). The mesh is pretty darn tight, so I'm guessing it's bottoming out regardless ?

[Hellfire]

I have a tom that sounds like I'm hitting plywood when it's not amplified.

If the rig is turned on it sounds like a mix of plywood whacking (in front of me) and the proper tone (out of the amp). The mesh is pretty darn tight, so I'm guessing it's bottoming out regardless ?

Yep, that sounds as if it's bottoming out to me as well. What kind of pads are these? They sound like old style DM10 pads with the thin foam (about 1/8" inch think) with steel plate. Just putting mesh heads on those type of pads do nothing. 

[boneill]

Yeah, it's one of the toms that came with my DM10 MKII Pro Kit. It's the Alesis factory mesh that came on it.

Any suggestions for a fix ?

[Hellfire]

Yeah, it's one of the toms that came with my DM10 MKII Pro Kit. It's the Alesis factory mesh that came on it.

Any suggestions for a fix ?

That shouldn't be an old style pad if it is from a MKII Pro Kit. 

I really can't suggest anything without seeing some pictures of the pad. If I'm guessing (based on my understanding of the pad I think it is) I'm going to say your mesh head is stretched out and the head doesn't even feel tight anymore? If that is the case, then you will need a new head.

[boneill]

The mesh head is feeling tight enough. It takes some effort to push it down. I'm afraid I'll tear it if I go any tighter....but that may be required if I'm bottoming out.

[Hellfire]

The mesh head is feeling tight enough. It takes some effort to push it down. I'm afraid I'll tear it if I go any tighter....but that may be required if I'm bottoming out.

Nobody is telling you to make it tighter. Again, without pictures I can't see what's going on. I can look up pictures of DM10 MKII Pro pads, but to me it doesn't sound as if you are describing (with your issue) those pads. Your issue sounds like the MKI pads, but again without pictures I don't know.

[boneill]

I attached some pics.

After taking it apart I noticed the central cluster wasn't flush with the bottom of the shell. If I tapped on the clear plastic piece there was a gap that made a tap sound when it hit the shells bottom cross arms. The screws were all the way in but there was still a gap.

I took the solenoid cluster off the shells bottom and the installed some gauze between the the bottom of the toms case and where the solenoid cluster would meet it once put back in place. The cluster wen back down over the gauze and screwed back in. There's no tap sound anymore as the gap has been filled with "soft stuff", and I'll testing it out tomorrow.

Barry