My Xymox tenor pad that I've been playing on for about 6 months now has just recently started to form air-pocket bubbles underneath the laminates and it's really annoying me. I believe this may be because I've recently switched to nylon-tipped sticks (Vic Firth MTS1s, I used Tenor Hardimons before these). Is this really the reason?

Also, I've heard the pad is better without the laminates on at all. Is this true? I don't want to take them off until I know because once I do, I know they won't go back on.

I don't think it's because you switched to nylon. The adhesive Xymox used to adhere the laminant is starting to break apart. Unless it starts coming completely off I wouldn't worry about it as you'll have to use another adhesive to reattach the laminant. Taking the laminant off is a very subjective matter, but I can tell you that plain gum rubber (what the pad is made of) has a whole lot of friction and is going to cause drag when you play scrapes.

It doesn't have anything to do with the tip material, but it might have something to do with the tip's shape. MTS1's don't have a big, round bead to spread out the force of the stick's impact. Instead, they have sort of a ridge on their bead, which might be a bit more likely to dent/deform a Mylar laminate and cause it to separate from the adhesive.

As for being better without laminates... It's a matter of opinion for snare players, but in my opinion, laminates are a must for a tenor pad. Without laminates, a gum rubber surface really grips your sticks and puts on the brakes when you try to scrape. Can you scrape on gum rubber? Sure, but it's a very different feel from real heads.

So I should switch back to the hardimons and just deal with playing on the bubbles?

I haven't seen this issue on my Pro-Mark (Xymox) tenor pad. But, I did have this issue on my old Vic Firth Heavy Hitter tenor pad. I would just remove the laminates, clean the adhesive side as best you can and reapply them. I used headliner adhesive. It can be found in any automotive store. It's the same spray they use to glue the soft stuff to the ceiling of your car. It's also relatively cheap. I did this with a Pro-Mark/ Xymox snare pad and haven't had any issues in months.

I would definitely suggest reapplying the laminate. I think you'll notice that the spot with the bubble doesn't provide the same rebound as the rest of the bad. To me, that kinda defeats the purpose.

Best of luck!

I'll try reapplying adhesive soon, and I'll still be able to use MTS1's as long as I keep reapplying adhesive? Thanks for the help everyone!

I don't think the MTS1 is really the problem. I'm going to guess it was just a flaw in the laminate. I use Pro-Mark Vegas (Same as MTS1) personally and for my drumlines. I've never seen them cause problems. I think you should be safe once you've re applied the laminate.

tsdbaker,

Your pad should not be developing bubbles, unless you played on them with tenor mallets. These laminates are not meant to be played with mallets, since they don't have tension on them like a drum head does. In any case, we do sell replacement laminates, you should not remove your laminates and reapply them, as they will feel deader and you may not be able to move them to replace them if you wish to in the future.

For this round, we'll send you some free replacement laminates, because that should not be happening after 6 months. Send me an email at Jensnugglebunnyª^townsXymoxPercussion.com with your order number and I'll get you taken care of. Thanks,

Jen @ Xymox