Wood Hoops

tom711

Junior Member
I'm wondering if anyone has tried out wood hoops of a metal snare, and about the sound of wood hoops in general?
 
Wood hoops are more common on bass drums, but they sound great on snare drum and toms, too. I recently installed a wood batter hoop on my 14x5.5 Ludwig Acrolite, and I really like the sound. Even though the drum shell is made of aluminum alloy, the hoop imparts a slightly warmer, woodier sound than the 1.6 mm metal hoop I used to have on the drum. The side-stick sound is much more "round" than a standard metal hoop; it sounds almost like hitting a wood block. However, the tonal "sweet spot" seems to be smaller; you have to position the stick just right to get that woodblock sound. Rim shots are very easy to play, and the amount of vibration that's transferred through the drumstick is slightly less than with a standard metal hoop.
Be aware that if you decide to use a wood hoop on the bottom as well, the drum might not fit in your snare stand basket. My father actually had to buy a new stand for his wood-hoop drum because of this problem. Also, wood hoops are more expensive than metal ones, but I think they're worth it.
 
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