string or straps for snare wires?

A P-86 will support straps, right? I am ordering one for my acro, and was going to order the Puresound Custom Pro wires that come with the straps....I hadn't thought about the possibility of not being able to use the strap with my throwoff!
 
NUTHA JASON said:
... i decided i wanted to re-use the strings but they actually held the puresounds slightly off the head ...

which do you prefer? straps or strings and why?
j
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I didn't see a response to this so I thought I'd chime in ... in case you didn't already know, it actually matters which way you thread the cord through the holes in the clips. You don't want the cord getting between the ends of the clips and the head, which will cause the wires to ride high and buzz, so you need to thread the cord through the holes such that the cord runs from hole to hole *under* the clip where you can't see it. Most clips (including Puresounds) will have a bend to them to accommodate the string running under it. Basically, the cord's going to get between the head and the clip either way, so the game is just one of minimizing how much it pushes the clip away from the head. Better to have it running under the clip allowing the clip ends to sit against the head. I've seen some wire manufacturers make clips formed with channels for the cord to run thru that eliminate pressure points between the clip and head.

I used generic mylar straps for years (which work great on P-86s btw) without issue. Then I got a new snare drum with cords, so I played it with them for a while, then switched to the fabric straps as an experiment after a couple weeks. But as soon as I did, I noticed a surprising amount of dampening in the overall sound of the drum, so I backed off to my usual mylar straps, and it was better, but the muting was still there. So I went back to the cord and it was right back where I started - sounding great without unnecessary muting.

So yeah, cords all the way for me.
 
Maybe I'm tempting fate but I have been using nylon ribbon, seem to be very strong and so far 2 years and no problems. Easy to replace and I like changing up the colors; orange looks great on my walnut snare.
 
NUTHA JASON said:
no 14'' i think but with a big mechanism and the hexagonal lugs.
this exact one (except the shell is steel):
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That is a first generation Pearl Free Floating snare which was designed to use extended snare wires so that there is full snare wire contact with the head over the entire length (super sensitive style). They are Pearl model S-025 snare wires.

Standard 14" snare wires will work but don't provide the full benefit of the design.
 
barryabko said:
That is a first generation Pearl Free Floating snare which was designed to use extended snare wires so that there is full snare wire contact with the head over the entire length (super sensitive style). They are Pearl model S-025 snare wires.

Standard 14" snare wires will work but don't provide the full benefit of the design.
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Absolutely correct, & I still wonder why Pearl dropped the 16" wire principal on the next generation of FF drums. It's a good design, if not a little bulky.


audiotech said:
I usually first go for the cord. This is because there is a greater distance between the holes on either side of the slot than the area of the slot itself. This gives me a bit more accuracy holding the snares more squarely on the snare head with greater support near the ends of the plates.

Dennis
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mandrew said:
The hole in snare ends are usually on the outside of the slot for the strap. I find this advantageous for strings. The holes being closer to the outside edge make it easier to adjust the tensions on outside wires to keep more even tension across the wires. The straps pull evenly, but from the center only.That makes it easier for uneven tension from outside to outside edge.
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We're currently developing a snare strainer that eradicates uneven tension completely :)
 
keep it simple said:
Absolutely correct, & I still wonder why Pearl dropped the 16" wire principal on the next generation of FF drums.
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Just a small correction - both the first and second generation Pearl Free Floaters used extended snare wires. The third (current) generation uses standard 14" length snare wires.
 
MikeM said:
I used generic mylar straps for years (which work great on P-86s btw) without issue.
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Thanks! I read on this thread that people couldn't use them with their Luddies, so I wasn't sure...aw yeah, now I'm ready, lol.
 
I prefer mylar straps/strips. They don't seem to break down so quickly, they don't stretch, they don't bump the snares off the head surface, they don't come untied, they look neater. I have strips on three of my four snares right now. My Ludwig snare has a P-85/P-32 setup and I'm using some blue fiber cord on it now. If it breaks, I'll probably go to an old standby -- tennis shoelace. I'm not one of those who can't live with a stock P-85, but if I ever have problems with it, I have an old Pearl Export snare assembly that can take strips, and that will be that.
 
StickIt said:
Thanks! I read on this thread that people couldn't use them with their Luddies, so I wasn't sure...aw yeah, now I'm ready, lol.
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They actually have a really cool way of threading through on the strainer side that locks them in tight and keeps the straps pointing straight down and out of the way. Not super intuitive but if you see a pic of one or see a new one set up in a music store, you'll get the idea.
 
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