Lug Locks or Rimshot-Locs

BruceW

Senior Member
I've been struggling with getting my snare right. Replaced the heads and the snare wire. Messed with the tuning a lot. (Yes, I'm not great at it, even after many years. Learning!)

This past weekend, I felt really good about the sound. Later in the gig, after a couple sets, the sound wasn't as good again.

After accidentally coming across this subject on a Facebook post, the light came on in my befuddled brain, and I'm thinking that the lugs are loosening up after hard play. (It's an old snare, this seems to be a reasonable assumption.)

What are folks experiences with these types of products? I'm attracted to the Rimshot-Locs after plenty of time surfing similar products, tho I thought asking about this type of gear in general here would be useful, as it always seems to be :)
 
I use the plastic rectangular lug locks. Easy to put on. Easy to remove. I typically only need one as the only lug that really loosens is the one closest to where my rimshots land.

I imagine if I played more backbeats with my right hand that I'd need to put on a second one, but they come in 10-packs, so it's not really a problem.
 
Use Hendrix Washers on all my snares & toms & never have any problems with de tuning. :)
 
This raises an interesting question that I've had for a while: don't the heads themselves 'de-tune' as they stretch and loosen?

In that case, keeping the lug in one position would, by my reckoning, only hinder the sound.

This is part of the reason I never use lug locks - if the head itself is loosening, then the lugs MUST be tightened periodically. Me, I just keep a key handy and check the lugs between tunes when I'm playing live. It may not be a perfect system, and probably not very scientific, but it seems to work for me - and I don't have to spend time prying off/pressing on the lug locks.
 
This raises an interesting question that I've had for a while: don't the heads themselves 'de-tune' as they stretch and loosen?

In that case, keeping the lug in one position would, by my reckoning, only hinder the sound.


The plastic square lug-locks allow for normal tuning. They simply add a layer of static friction that prevents the lug from turning on a rimshot. You can even use the tuning key while the squares are installed, so that the drum operates normally.

It's one of the reasons that I use plastic squares instead of some of the locking lugs available on the market. I change snare tunings frequently and am too lazy to do anything other than turning a key.
 
Heads may stretch a wee bit but nothing like the old calf from years ago.
 
I use Pearl Spin Tight Tension Rods on all my snares. You can use them in strategic places where there would have the most effectiveness. Snare & toms alike. They are not phased by any rimshots. Hard playing , no prob.

I cannot afford for anything to fail whilst gigging, period.
 
This raises an interesting question that I've had for a while: don't the heads themselves 'de-tune' as they stretch and loosen?

In that case, keeping the lug in one position would, by my reckoning, only hinder the sound.

This is part of the reason I never use lug locks - if the head itself is loosening, then the lugs MUST be tightened periodically. Me, I just keep a key handy and check the lugs between tunes when I'm playing live. It may not be a perfect system, and probably not very scientific, but it seems to work for me - and I don't have to spend time prying off/pressing on the lug locks.

I really want to try and avoid any extra noise between songs...it'd be kinda disingenuous of me to complain about the guitar players tuning out loud or too much chatter between songs if i'm in the back whacking away at my snare to keep it tuned... :)
 
The plastic square lug-locks allow for normal tuning. They simply add a layer of static friction that prevents the lug from turning on a rimshot. You can even use the tuning key while the squares are installed, so that the drum operates normally.

Son of a gun...I never knew that. I may just have to try them...

I really want to try and avoid any extra noise between songs...it'd be kinda disingenuous of me to complain about the guitar players tuning out loud or too much chatter between songs if i'm in the back whacking away at my snare to keep it tuned... :)

Usually I'm just checking tension - I'm always surprised at how close I can come to ideal tuning just through 'feel'. But if I think it needs 'ear-tuning' I've found it doesn't require more than a light tap to discern the differences between lugs - barely requires more volume than the crowd-murmur of an average music club. I, too, value silence between songs.
 
Son of a gun...I never knew that. I may just have to try them...



Usually I'm just checking tension - I'm always surprised at how close I can come to ideal tuning just through 'feel'. But if I think it needs 'ear-tuning' I've found it doesn't require more than a light tap to discern the differences between lugs - barely requires more volume than the crowd-murmur of an average music club. I, too, value silence between songs.

I guess I'm too deaf, and too inexperienced to do it by feel...I struggle to get it close to something I like as it is. That's what prompted this thread, the last couple of gigs I've gotten it to sounding pretty good during setup and sound check, then by the second or third set, its not sounding as good any longer. May very well be ear fatigue in combination with something loosening up.

Just looking for ideas, this place is always great for this stuff.
 
I guess I'm too deaf, and too inexperienced to do it by feel...I struggle to get it close to something I like as it is. That's what prompted this thread, the last couple of gigs I've gotten it to sounding pretty good during setup and sound check, then by the second or third set, its not sounding as good any longer. May very well be ear fatigue in combination with something loosening up.

Just looking for ideas, this place is always great for this stuff.

There's the very real possibility that you are more discerning about your snare sound than I am...I don't usually exercise a whole lot of finesse in the bands I play with. 'Close enough' on the snare is more than passable.

I could see if you're really honing in on a specific tone how my methods might come up short. But then again, the real question is: does the audience notice?...
 
There's the very real possibility that you are more discerning about your snare sound than I am...I don't usually exercise a whole lot of finesse in the bands I play with. 'Close enough' on the snare is more than passable.

I could see if you're really honing in on a specific tone how my methods might come up short. But then again, the real question is: does the audience notice?...

I'm quite certain that I'm not all that discerning, at least compared to many of the opinions I read here and online :)

I'm just looking for a good sound, and wanting it to stay that way for the course of the gig. That's what spurred this whole thought process...my snare was noticeably different by the end of the night. Just a search for learning. I'm far from real techy on this stuff, I am embarrassed by how little I know about this stuff, after all these years.
 
I'm quite certain that I'm not all that discerning, at least compared to many of the opinions I read here and online :)

Indeed.

I'm discerning for about twenty minutes. I have a four minute song, I record about five takes. I often take the best bits from each take and piecemeal together a final product. I need the snare tuning on the last take to be the same as the first take, else the result sounds uncanny.
 
Back
Top