Roc n Soc Nitro Drum Throne Review

Over the years, I’ve owned a half-dozen drum thrones from different manufacturers, ranging from less expensive budget models on up to some that were considered top-of-the-line when I purchased them. But they’ve all suffered from the same problems: the joint on the bottom of the seat that attaches to the base did not allow me to adjust it to a point where it was comfortable, the seat wasn’t comfortable, the height was difficult to adjust, and when the height was set, it wouldn’t stay set for very long.

First, I like the seat on my drum throne to swivel freely from left to right (so I can easily reach my second floor tom and farthest crash cymbal), but at the same time I don’t want the seat to feel too loose or wobbly. With every throne I’ve owned, I would have to loosen the wing nut enough to let it swivel, but then the wing nut would continue to loosen until the seat became wobbly or the nut would fall completely off the end of the bolt. So, to keep the seat from feeling too wobbly (or to keep the nut from falling off), I would have to tighten it so much that the seat would no longer swivel like I wanted.

Second, on some of the thrones, the seat was downright uncomfortable. Most of the cheaper models were too hard, and didn’t include enough padding for my backside. Some of the more expensive models had pretty good seats, but suffered from the other problems outlined in this article. And although I’ve never owned a throne where I thought the seat was too soft, I have sat on some a local music stores that were.

Third, on some of the thrones, the height was difficult to adjust. On cheaper models, you would have to remove a bolt that went all the way through the upper tube of the base, move the base up or down inside the lower section, line up the pre-drilled holes, and re-insert the bolt. This was inconvenient and didn’t allow for precise positioning (after all, there are only so many pre-drilled holes), but at least when the height was set it would stay that way.

Fourth, with the more expensive models, they typically included either a threaded upper shaft that you could screw up or down for finer height adjusments and/or a memory lock that was supposed to hold it’s postion and prevent the height from slipping once it was set. Some of these worked better than others, but pretty much all of them allowed for some slipping over time. Since it was gradual, I wouldn’t notice it too much, until suddenly one day I would realize I seemed to be sitting much lower than I used to, and the drums were more difficult for me to hit comfortably. So then I would have to adjust the height and spend some time getting comfortable with it again.

After putting up with this frustration for almost 30 years, I finally solved this problem. I purchase a Roc-n-Soc Nitro throne. The base of the Nitro throne is equipped with a Nitrogen gas shock absorber for painfully easy height adjustments that work just like a common office chair. You simply pull up on a lever underneath the seat and let the seat sink or rise until its comfortable. Then you release the lever. No bolts to remove, no wing nuts to tighten–done.

Next, the Nitro is equipped with a large, comfortably padded seat. I’m a fairly big guy, about 6′ tall and 190 lbs, so for me the seat is a good fit. It’s not too large, but large enough that I don’t feel like I’m about to fall off it. It’s also got plenty of padding, but not so much that it feels too soft or cushy. It’s also got a velour top instead of the typical vinyl or leather, which should help with “ventilation” to help keep your backside from sweating excessively (I know, talking about butt sweat is kind of gross, but I’m just stating the facts!).

With the Nitro, there’s no need for a threaded tube or memory lock. The gas shock absorber holds its position and doesn’t slip. As a bonus, the shock absorber absorbs some shock! It allows for just a little bit of up-and-down “bounce”, which I like. It doesn’t feel like I’m sitting on a rock anymore.

Finally, the Nitro seat swivels freely from left to right. The seat attaches firmly to the top of the upper tube, but the use of the gas shock absorber allows the upper post to rotate freely inside of the lower portion of the base, which is exactly what I wanted.

In summary, the Roc-n-Soc Nitro has turned out to be the drum throne I’ve been searching for my whole 30 years of drumming. I should have purchased it a long time ago. It costs a little more than some of the other thrones on the market, but if you’re serious about playing, it’s worth the investment as it eliminates the common problems with almost every other drum throne on the market. Give it a try at your local music store–you won’t be disappointed.

If you found the information in this article helpful, you can support this site by shopping for the Roc-n-Soc Nitro at Zzounds.com.