BrewBillfold
Silver Member
First, let me just state my idea: in the function of a floor tom, more or less, I was hoping to use something fairly big and deep (like an 18" (diameter) x 16" (depth) drum or maybe even a bit bigger) . . . and that has snares on it. I'm not even sure it will work the way I want it to, but I'd have to experiment with it to know. I have a sound in my head that's inspired by, but of course not the same as, Collin Walcott's groove on Oregon's "Impending Bloom" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIuLXZ7mN4M)--kind of a melding of that bass and snare sound (Oregon is one of my favorite bands, by the way) . . . even if it doesn't match the sound I have in my head, it would probably be able to produce interesting sounds.
So my questions basically are these: (1) Is it possible to find a marching snare drum larger than 15" diameter? I'm fairly certain that at least some 16s were made in the past, but after searching online a bit over the last couple days, it seems like I'd have to hunt for them as rare drums and probably have to pay more than I'd like to pay for one . . . and I'd really rather have something a bit bigger than a 16 anyway. (2) Does anyone know of a company who experimented with putting snares on floor toms, smaller bass drums, or anything similar? (3) Do you know if anyone makes snare strands longer than 16" (the biggest size I've found so far)?
One possibility is that I could just tie a snare strand to a floor tom bottom head, but I'd prefer having an actual strainer so I could adjust the tension easily, keep it the same tension easily, and even turn it on or off. If I had any "shop" skills, I suppose I could drill a floor tom (and a counterhoop) to accept a snare mechanism, and just use a 16" strand, even if there is an inch or so of bare head on either side, but I have no shop skills (or drills, or anything like that), so I'd have to have someone do it for me.
The other possibility is to just get a 15" marching snare and tune it low, although I usually don't care for heads tuned very slackly. I don't tend to like the sound or the action of the head as much.
So my questions basically are these: (1) Is it possible to find a marching snare drum larger than 15" diameter? I'm fairly certain that at least some 16s were made in the past, but after searching online a bit over the last couple days, it seems like I'd have to hunt for them as rare drums and probably have to pay more than I'd like to pay for one . . . and I'd really rather have something a bit bigger than a 16 anyway. (2) Does anyone know of a company who experimented with putting snares on floor toms, smaller bass drums, or anything similar? (3) Do you know if anyone makes snare strands longer than 16" (the biggest size I've found so far)?
One possibility is that I could just tie a snare strand to a floor tom bottom head, but I'd prefer having an actual strainer so I could adjust the tension easily, keep it the same tension easily, and even turn it on or off. If I had any "shop" skills, I suppose I could drill a floor tom (and a counterhoop) to accept a snare mechanism, and just use a 16" strand, even if there is an inch or so of bare head on either side, but I have no shop skills (or drills, or anything like that), so I'd have to have someone do it for me.
The other possibility is to just get a 15" marching snare and tune it low, although I usually don't care for heads tuned very slackly. I don't tend to like the sound or the action of the head as much.