snare with naturally low pitch

[gwailoh]

I'm looking for a snare with a naturally low pitch, one which'll tune lower than other snares without sounding mushy. Can any snare experts out there make a suggestion? Many thanks.

[cosmos]

in what price range ? sonor artist series can suite your needs, but expensive ...
its 27 ply maple. like this one :

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-SONOR-ARTIST...QQcmdZViewItem

[gwailoh]

$1000, preferably less.

I've always understood that adding plies to a drum raises the pitch? Do I have that wrong?

Thanks!

[toolskid]

the tamburo opera series has a MASSIVE tuning range. check out a 14x6.5 snare in natural brown. Its slightly more focused than the others in the series and can go really low while maintaining attack and responsiveness!

[cortisol]

Hi gwailoh,

the depth of the drum is far more important than how many plies. You thinking regarding plies would come from drummer using thin shells for big toms and floor toms and thicker shells for the higher mounted toms. Snare drums are better at what they do when they are more rigid.

Try a snare with a depth from 6 1/2 to 8 inches deep. That way you get a batter head than doesn't need to be unresponsive (tuned for responsiveness) and let the depth drum take care of the range of tuning.

Try a Pearl reference snare with a 6 1/2 depth or Maybe a Vinnie Paul signature snare which is 8 inches deep.

Peace,
cortisol

[chetatkinsdiet]

Right...think deep. If you can live with the terrible snakeskin finish, the new Vinnie Paul snares have that deep sound that all metal records in the 80s used. There are plenty of used snares on ebay that would fit this bill that aren't currently en vogue.....here are some suggestions:

Tama Superstar 8" deep, Artstar 8", Yamaha birch 8"....tons of Pearls too.....

m

[Devil Rider]

i too have been looking to get a deeper snare. I got outbid on a 6 ply 14 by 8 ludwig just today on ebay. I kinda backed off as it had 12 lugs and that sort of threw me. I don't know that much about drums (I am a guitarist obsessed with drum sound as oppossed to an actual drummer) but I know that its easier to tune a ten lug snare (like my 60s supraphonic) than an 8 lug snare. So what changes when you got to 12 lug? It seems like an awfull lot of metal to whack on a nice piece of maple.

I am struggling to get a deep sound without heaps of ring on the supraphonic but i have not given up. It seems to me though that 7 or 8 inches of wood would certainly make the quest for that Godrich/Mutations deep snare boof more atainable.

[chetatkinsdiet]

I'd be willing to wager that this drum will suit your "deep" needs.

http://tinyurl.com/yx7zmo


m

[chetatkinsdiet]

Originally Posted by Devil Rider

i too have been looking to get a deeper snare. I got outbid on a 6 ply 14 by 8 ludwig just today on ebay. I kinda backed off as it had 12 lugs and that sort of threw me. I don't know that much about drums (I am a guitarist obsessed with drum sound as oppossed to an actual drummer) but I know that its easier to tune a ten lug snare (like my 60s supraphonic) than an 8 lug snare. So what changes when you got to 12 lug? It seems like an awfull lot of metal to whack on a nice piece of maple.

I am struggling to get a deep sound without heaps of ring on the supraphonic but i have not given up. It seems to me though that 7 or 8 inches of wood would certainly make the quest for that Godrich/Mutations deep snare boof more atainable.

Don't be scared off by 12 lug drums. They're great. They simply allow for a little better tuning than the 10 lug drums. It's really no bid deal. Also, don't worry about the extra hardware on a snare drum as they're not really required to resonate like the other drums. They're more of an explosion of sound. If the extra lugs mute it a bit...great...that only would help.

m

[gwailoh]

If depth is the goal, what about a parade snare? Could go to 15 x 10 or something like that. Anybody ever recorded one? What do you think about this idea?

[chetatkinsdiet]

In theory not bad....some are ok, but typically, only the vintage ones will sound close to a regular snare. Modern marching snares are totally different and don't sound too hot recorded. Vintage ones have never worked for me either. They're way too tall to work on a regular snare stand for one, so they're typically too high up to play comfortably.

m

[jeff deff]

I would stay away from 12 lug snares unless you want a really tight sound. I've used 10, 8 and 6 lug snares of the 14" X 5.5" variety. I always find that the fewer lugs the deeper the tone of the drum. Also, a trick I routinely use with my 10 lug snare drum is to tune it up, then slowly detune one of the lugs. If you hit the drum while you detune it, you will hear the pitch drop.

[7 Hz]

I recorded a punk drummer once who had made an old marching snare into a deepest sounding snare I ever heard. It was an old beat up marching snare, I bet you could pick one of these up cheap and experiment. I can't remember how he had it mounted, but he played it in a normal drunkit setup... would probably require a custom stand.

The new marching snares with kevlar heads ets probably would not do... those things are like bones rattling, dry as heck, and the heads are so tight it is unreal.

[Devil Rider]

Originally Posted by chetatkinsdiet

I'd be willing to wager that this drum will suit your "deep" needs.

http://tinyurl.com/yx7zmo


m

Thats pretty much what I want... We're actually getting a very fat sound out of the supraphonic now. It took a bit more tuning (man that can just round in circles until the magic moment of tuning perfection) and then some subtle mic adjustments. We angled the floor tom mic slightly towards the snare and KAZAM the snare just came to life. I guess that goes in synch with the old Glynn Johns Olympic studio technique.

[Bang]

Get something deep. What kind of sound are we talking about, can you give an example?

[lucey]

A friend plays the Ayotte Keplinger 6 1/2 x 14" with wood hoops. Very nice.

[Jax]

Originally Posted by gwailoh

If depth is the goal, what about a parade snare? Could go to 15 x 10 or something like that. Anybody ever recorded one? What do you think about this idea?

I have an old 14x10 Ludwig marching snare with the cheesy powerlugs. It makes a cool garbage can BOP (without ringing) if tuned low and tuned high it is pretty good for funk. I don't know how Ludwig does it, but it sounds like a Ludwig - just like all their drums do.

It is an unusual sound. IMO marching snares don't really sound the same as snares made for a kit, but that's part of why it can be cool to set one up.

p.s. - Great for rudiments of course. lol

[drumzealot]

One cheap solution: replace the snares (the wires). This makes a HUGE difference and might give you the sound you seek for less than $50. A company called Puresound tops the list of snare wire manufactures. I recommend the Twisted series. But you should check out their website and hear the examples for yourself.

Puresoundpercussion.com

Also, replace the top head. I like the Remo fibraskins myself. Too many head options to discuss.

Highly recommended mass-production snares
1. 14 inch Yamaha Oak Custom (6-8 inches deep): these sound great but can be a little hard to control. Triple flanged hoops will help this some.
2. Yamaha Musashi 6.5x13 more focused than the larger oak drums.

Also recommended
Global Drum Company makes a nice 6x14 walnut snare out of solid wood (unlike the more common ply design). You can have your snare made to your specs for about $600. This is state of the art stuff for a comparable price. Tell them what you are going for and they can advise you on the specs.

BTW: I don’t work for nor am I sponsored by GDC or Yamaha. But I do buy their drums.

[C/G]

14" x 7" Noble and Cooley steam bent, solid shell snare should only set you back around $750 - $850 new, depending on colour. They sound killer and I will own one very soon. Ebay is not much less so a new one with a warranty and no sticky jam-hand prints on it, dirty oxidised brass or poor bearing edges to deal with is a good bet.

I'm partial to 14" x 8's but a 14" x 7" is a magic all rounder with some chesty oomph.

Old Tama Superstar snares are cool and usually come in 7" and 8" depth on ebay. I'm actually looking for one myself so stay away from those 8 inchers!

[Berolzheimer]

I've gotten a surprisingly deep, fat sound from a 14" piccolo snare. I think it has to do with the heads coupling to each other acoustically since they're so close together. Just depends how you tune & hit it. I've also gotten great fat sounds by tuning my black beauty really low.

[bloodsuga]

I've used a Ludwig marching snare before and it was definatly the deepest sound i've ever gotten. If you really want a deep sound that may be the way to go. I love my 6.5 x 14 Ludwig Supraphonic, it's got a classic sound and if u tune it right it can go real deep. I agree, the snare wires make a huge difference also. I've found that if I use a standard drum head ( coated remo emperor) i get a deeper sound then if I use a head specififcally made for a snare drum. Dunno why, could be my crazyness.

[drumzealot]

tried to post a pic of my drum but it is too big and I cannot edit right now. It is the same model/size color as this

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tama-Superstar-S...QQcmdZViewItem

or Ebay item: 150091325033

[gwailoh]

This is an old thread, but as the OP I thought I'd follow up with the results of my research.

I did check out the Pearl Vinnie Paul which a couple of posters recommended. My GF actually loves the silly snakeskin finish, LOL. I found it to be pretty boxy-sounding. Can tune it low, but, its recorded tone lacks excitement. At least when it's me recording it. YMMV.

Also tried a vintage Ludwig wood marching snare. Tunes mighty low, but has an intense ring which I was never able to remove. Not suitable for recording.

On the high end, tried an original Keplinger steel snare. Sounds fantastic, tunes low, records easily. Kept this one because it's such a fabulous sound, although not for the low tuning thing. It always has a very prominent crack which seems to raise the perceived pitch, even though the shell resonance is low. To emphasize: kept it, it's wonderful. But not for the specific sound I was looking for.

In the end the winner is the Pork Pie black beauty clone. Big tuning range. Records beautifully. Tuned real low, gets the deep sound. This is a very fine recording drum, and isn't very expensive.

Many thanks to everyone who pitched in with suggestions. Really appreciated your help!