Dry heads for ludwig blackrolite acrolite snare?

Orbit

Junior Member
Hi. I am thinking about getting a 14x5 Ludwig Black Galaxy Acrolite aka The Blackrolite. I normally go for the vented evans dry heads and I had this on a Tama Starphonic steel and it got rid of overtones and ring....which is what I like. I don't want all that fuzz n buzz going on! I've read a lot of forums and everyone says go with a coated ambassador for acrolites....!!!! Sounds like this is the opposite to what sound I want to achieve! ANY HELP APPRECIATED. I'm choosing the Blackrolite cos it supposed to be a dry drum! So I don't wanna try and make it "wet" with an ambassador.....??! CONFUSION BOILS MY HEAD....and....I even have a set of die cast hoops to try on it.....dry out even more??!
 
Sorry if this seems to come from left field, but I always imagined that the entire point to a Ludwig Supra 'is' the overtone. A Supra devoid of any overtone might as well be a $50 CB700.

Are you certain that this is the particular drum you're looking for, and not the drier Festival/Pioneer Ludwig offerings? Can you supply an example of what you would like the end result to sound like?

Alternatively, is it possible to convince you to go with the stock Ludwig USA heads (LW3314 / C1114) and simply use a dampening ring you can throw on when it suits the occasion?
 
My blackrolite still has the original Ludwig Weather master head on it and it sounds great. ( I think its a weather master, its not in front of me right now.) I crank the tension on mine and there isn't any unwanted ringing, also I use the internal muffler slightly .
 
Hi KamaK and others....
Ok, well I am looking for a very very dry drum. My understanding is that aluminium shells are dry....hence considering acrolite. Any suggestions as to other makes is welcome. Or alternatively, turning the original question on its head....what is the best drum for a Evans dry vented snare head!! HAHA.
 
My understanding is that aluminium shells are dry....hence considering acrolite.

Here is an example I made a while ago to try to get a clear demonstration of the Acrolite's overtones. The drum really wants to sing, and I imagine that you would have to throw a lot of dampening at it, or tune it way up (as suggested above) to the point where it sounds like Ludwig's 4" Maple Piccolo offering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDL0vWFy-2I

If you're looking for the same Retro-budget-student-vibe as an Acrolite, and want to stay with Ludwig, look for a used Pioneer.

I'm certain that others will likely have much better suggestions for other manufacturers, as I'm pretty much a Ludwig-or-bust snare guy.
 
Blacros are drier than older Acros or the Classic Reissues. You aren't going to find a drier metal drum.
 
Ok. I am now thinking that even though acrolites are dry, the ring they do give is a valued aspect of the drum, so me getting one and damping it up to the neck would be a waste of time and money and would be a kind of disservice to the drum. So....what snare shall I get then? Any make any model....you name it. Maybe it's best to get something super cheap......
 
What happened to the Tama snare?

Anyways - if you start with something bright and ringy, there are a whole ton of ways to tone it down to your liking.

Difficult to do the opposite though.
 
The difference in Blacro and Acro is paint, not much drier versus wetter between the two. I do think the Blacro looks better personally.
Nice snare. If you really want it so dry and no ring, put your wallet on the top, upper left.
 
What happened to the Tama snare?

Good question. If you've already got a metal shell snare and like a really dry sound, why not consider a wood shelled second snare?

To me it seems to defeat the purpose of getting a metal shell snare if you're going to mute and muffle all of the qualities a metal shell has.
 
I have had both a 70's Acro and a 2000s Blacro. The Blacro is considerably drier. The Acros have more high overtones.....or at least,in my experience.
 
Why aren't you just getting a wood drum then? Put a fiberskin on a 7x14 maple and tune it down....you'll get dry alright.
 
This is the head you want. Dry, and it will look amazing on that black drum:
http://www.remo.com/portal/products/3/8/711/714/bs_powerstroke3.html
big.jpg
 
Good stuff folks......the quest goes on. Shouldn't have sold the steel tama but I had to....I won't bore you with the details.
God, this is hard work!
 
Actually, acro is anodized and blackro is powder coated. Neither of them is paint.

Yes sorry I generalized to avoid typing, but it's a thin coat. I too have had both snares, and no diff....to my ears. We obviously have some incredible ears on DW. I'd love to see how people do on blind tests of these things.
 
I think I'd get just about any snare and experiment alot with different heads. Some heads can make ANY snare sound SUPER dry to my ears.

PS - Also, I don't get the "aluminum is dry" comment I always read. I hear tons of nice ring in this material.
 
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