Looking for a product that I'm not sure was ever made

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.
 
If I'm not mistaken the sound you are hearing on the You Tube example is a bass drum and a snare being played with brushes, I can hear the sweeping motion underneath of the other taps. If that is the sound you are after, then buy some brushes and rock on. The bass drum it tuned high but there are no snares on the bass drum.
 
If I'm not mistaken the sound you are hearing on the You Tube example is a bass drum and a snare being played with brushes, I can hear the sweeping motion underneath of the other taps. If that is the sound you are after, then buy some brushes and rock on. The bass drum it tuned high but there are no snares on the bass drum.
<sighs but tries to not get annoyed:>

Knowing I'd get that response otherwise, I took care to write: "inspired by, but of course not the same as . . .", and "kind of a melding of".

For some reason, even when one anticipates certain responses and tries to nip them in the bud, it does no good. I hate to unload that on you, but it's happened to me countless times online. It's like people just do not read very closely.
 
Oh brother... everybody take cover! This could get ugly quick.
 
<sighs but tries to not get annoyed:>

Knowing I'd get that response otherwise, I took care to write: "inspired by, but of course not the same as . . .", and "kind of a melding of".

For some reason, even when one anticipates certain responses and tries to nip them in the bud, it does no good. I hate to unload that on you, but it's happened to me countless times online. It's like people just do not read very closely.

I apologize for my uncloseness of reading. I hope you didn't lose too much of your time reading my worthless post. But try this. I don't think you are going to get that sound putting snares on a large floor tom. There is a much different sound, I'm sure you know this, from brushes to snare vibrations. Good luck in your hunt. And if you get annoyed that easily, I would up the Ritalin dosage. We try to be helpful here and every answer may not be golden.
 
I probably would have said the same thing that Grunt said after hearing the example on you tube.

Simply further explaining yourself after Grunt posted would have been adequate.
The whole world can't read your mind.
When you start a thread you should wait for numerous answers and pick the ones that you feel are best.
Don't fault people because their answer wasn't the answer that you were looking for.

I played large traditional rope drum snare drums in drum corps.
A large loosely tuned drum with loose snares may give you the sound that I think that you are describing.
I would say that a 12x14 drum would work.
 
I apologize for my uncloseness of reading. I hope you didn't lose too much of your time reading my worthless post. But try this. I don't think you are going to get that sound putting snares on a large floor tom. There is a much different sound, I'm sure you know this, from brushes to snare vibrations. Good luck in your hunt. And if you get annoyed that easily, I would up the Ritalin dosage. We try to be helpful here and every answer may not be golden.
The sound is in my head. You can't hear it. I just thought it would be interesting to refer to what inspired it. I also said that what I have in mind might not come close to the sound I have in my head, but it doesn't matter. Obviously, it was a mistake even referring to the inspiration, as folks are having a difficult time focusing on other things.

All I'm looking for are answers to the questions I asked. Do you know of larger marching snares? What sizes? Who made them? Do you know if any manufacturers have experimented with snares on other drums? Do you know of snare strands longer than 16"?
 
I probably would have said the same thing that Grunt said after hearing the example on you tube.

Simply further explaining yourself after Grunt posted would have been adequate.
The whole world can't read your mind.
Right. But hopefully they can read what I wrote. I don't know why "not the same as" would be difficult to understand. I even numbered the actual questions I had and made them as explicit as I could.
 
The last time that I played a rope drum was back in the 70s.
Some of the drums that I played were over 150 years old. Some were newer replicas.
They also used calfskin heads and thick cat gut snares.
They made a thick rattling sound if the ropes and the snares were to loose.
 
The last time that I played a rope drum was back in the 70s.
Some of the drums that I played were over 150 years old. Some were newer replicas.
They also used calfskin heads and thick cat gut snares.
They made a thick rattling sound if the ropes and the snares were to loose.
Right thanks . . . I wonder what the diameter was on those. I don't know who would have manufactured the replicas. For the originals, "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". I suspect they'd be relatively fragile, too, so difficult to take on the road . . . I was hoping to find something that would have been maybe mass-produced, even if not popular, not too long ago, so that it wouldn't be a ridiculous price--I could probably go a cheaper route in that case by taking my 18" surdo to someone who could do the machining work I'd need done, or just settling for a modern 15" marching snare, especially if the rope drums were only 16" or so.
 
I sugested a 12x14 drum because that is a drum that you will have a hoop for that has cut outs for snares in it. You could experiment with a 14 inch floor tom.
Here is a link to the drum corps that I once played in.
http://mattatuck.org/
They are still using some of the original drums today!
They are not fragile.
 
Someone posted a big sizes kit they'd made themselves, probably a yearish ago. It had snares on every drum. I can't remember the thread title, but if you search in the "your gear" section enough, you might find it.
 
Actually I think a member of the forum did something along these lines.

Unfortunately I can't remember his username but he a big yellow custom kit.

If I remember I'll post a link to his thread on his kit.

-Jonathan
 
dw makes a ballad snare that is 16".

My first snare drum was a frame drum that I taped 5 or 6 strands of hobby wire to the backside with scotch tape and it was pretty playable and actually sounded like a snare.
 
Someone posted a big sizes kit they'd made themselves, probably a yearish ago. It had snares on every drum. I can't remember the thread title, but if you search in the "your gear" section enough, you might find it.

Yeah, that kit was pretty amazing. Too bad that person never become a regular. I'd like to know more about what he does with that kit!
 
Thanks for the suggestions on the DW 16" . . . I didn't look at the price of it, yet, lol--it might be out of my budget at the moment, especially for a custom size. I'd not be surprised if they'd do a custom 18 x 16, too, but I'm sure that would be pricey.

I'll search for the other thread, too.
 
You can turn any floor tom into a snare. You only need to drill holes in the hoops to allow for snare cord. You need to bolt on a throw off of some sort and get some wires. Ideally you would cut a snare bed in the bearing edge, but you might be able to get away without it.

I've seen snares in every size, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 but not 18 yet. I think all drum sounds are good, but some are more worthwhile than others.
 
Back
Top