string or straps for snare wires?

NUTHA JASON

NUTHA JASON

Senior Administrator
i've just sat replacing my snare wires on my pearl free floating snaredrum - changing a pearl flat 42 strand for a puresound 25 strand. the pearl was fixed on with strings (had nice little grooves for them). i decided i wanted to re-use the strings but they actually held the puresounds slightly off the head so i tried using the straps that came with the puresound - only to find them a little too short for my vintage pearl. so i cut a set of my own straps from an old skin. seems to work fine - will road test it tomorrow at the gig.

which do you prefer? straps or strings and why?
j
 
I prefer nylon straps. My experience with strings is they tend to work themselves loose.
 
I have both strap and string, strap seems to do a better job of keeping things aligned.

I might not have thought of using an old skin to make snare straps though, that bit of info will be useful when I'm in a pinch.
 
Straps...more solid.
 
straps here, on account of strings having let me down- more than once. good string, too. kevlar core kite string the last time. and i DON"T run my snares very tight at all.
 
I use Ludwig's gold-ish colored cord. It's very durable, and holds it's tension great.

I've tried several different things over the eon's, and the plastic strips are probably the most "never think about it" solution, but string just sounds way better to me.

Doing shows, I always carry a back up snare in case anything happens I'm covered, but I always check the cord out before I leave.
I haven't had to change any since I changed all my snares over to this cord though. Can't remember how long it's been now.

I carry extra cord as well in my gig-box-o-stuff.
 
I like string on my vintage snares, and straps on all the others

for no specific reason other than romantic vanity and an authentic visual
 
NUTHA JASON said:
i've just sat replacing my snare wires on my pearl free floating snaredrum - changing a pearl flat 42 strand for a puresound 25 strand. the pearl was fixed on with strings (had nice little grooves for them). i decided i wanted to re-use the strings but they actually held the puresounds slightly off the head so i tried using the straps that came with the puresound - only to find them a little too short for my vintage pearl. so i cut a set of my own straps from an old skin. seems to work fine - will road test it tomorrow at the gig.

j
Click to expand...
Is your FF the original with 16" wires?
 
Ludwig gold colored cord on all of my snares. It eliminates the risk of cutting into the thin snare side head or even into the snare bed itself as wire can do. To my ears, it opens the sound up a little more. Not a loose snare sound, just more 'open.'
 
I might prefer string, but I've never found the right kind that won't stretch and loosen itself. I've using ribbed ribbed nylon straps. Its fantastic. Love the stuff.
 
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Only snare with strings is my old Acrolite where I don't have any choice. Most of them have been switched to nylon strap instead of the plastic straps they came with. Once the nylon has stretched in over a couple of days, I find it keeps the tension even. Much more flexible than the plastic straps. Which are really hard to get exactly square. Especially with wider/higher count snares. While the string would seem to equalize out, it actually develops kinks at the bends and doesn't slip. So it also has to be set up really carefully to keep each end of the snare square and even.
 
Is your FF the original with 16" wires?
Click to expand...

no 14'' i think but with a big mechanism and the hexagonal lugs.
this exact one (except the shell is steel):
attachment.php
 
Aeolian said:
While the string would seem to equalize out, it actually develops kinks at the bends and doesn't slip. So it also has to be set up really carefully to keep each end of the snare square and even.
Click to expand...

So, what else do you have going on in your life to do that's so dang important???

;-)
 
I use snare cord on everything. Why? Good question.....no reason that is valid enough to even try and make a convincing argument from, I'd wager.

I've always had to use it on my 400 due to the old P-83 strainer. As that was my first snare drum I think the idea to use cord just carried over from that. I've used nylon straps, plastic straps and ribbon before. In fact, I reckon I've used just about everything at one point or another, but keep coming back to the cord.

I guess I just like it and find it does the job I require it to do. Outside of that, I don't think too much about it......I could send myself barmy wondering why I do half the things I do, if I'm honest.
 
KarlCrafton said:
So, what else do you have going on in your life to do that's so dang important???

;-)
Click to expand...

The drummer world forum, of course.

And shopping for more snare drums...

Actually, I read about the nylon strap thing on this forum. And while I like things that work well and sound good, I'm not particularly fastidious at detail work. I've refinished drums and re-cut edges. But I really have to concentrate so I don't mess up the final precision steps. I just finished putting together a speaker cabinet. The design and basic construction is great and it sounds awesome. But anal types would look at the covering on the corners and find fault with the workmanship. Too much ADD. So for folks like me, things that don't take super precision attention to detail are a godsend.
 
I use both depending on the snare drum. 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. It's similar to someone bench pressing. They don't hold the bar near the center, they hold the bar closer to each end to better balance the weight.

Dennis
 
cord for me as well, on all of my snares. It tensions evenly, and Ive yet to have an issue as a result of using it in nearly 40 years of playing.

F
 
I like strings for practical reasons. 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.
 
mandrew said:
I like strings for practical reasons. 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.
Click to expand...

I found this to be true when I used the inexpensive wires. I liked them for quite a while, because I could get a "dirtier" sound. I guess, a less "perfect" snare wire sound is what I mean. The wire sound was still semi-short, not rattles all over, but it had more personality and changed sound more depending on where I hit the head.

With the Puesound Customs, the ends, and where the wire soldering seem more substantial. With that strap/clip thing they seemed to pull real evenly.

I just like the sound I get with the cord better.
It just sounds like there is no restriction between the head and wires at all.
All snares are different, so it may not matter on other brand drums, but I could hear a difference.
 
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