Snare Drum Travel - What do you do?

Zickos

Gold Member
This is another dumb question but I just wondered what you all do. When you case up your snare drum and travel to a gig, do you go snares on or off? Why? I'm thinking particularly with soft cases. What do you do?
 
I always leave the snares on, as it seems there will be less chance for them to get bend or snagged on something. My soft case has a pocket for a spare head, and I always keep a spare or two in there, so I place the snare side of the drum on the side with the pocket for protection of the thinner, more delicate reso head.
 
All my snares only ever travel in hard cases. I know you're looking at bags for the most part, but fwiw, snares on.

I really don't know why.....it's not something I've ever thought about before now. I've never suffered any detrimental effects by leaving them on so I guess it's just force of habit.
 
I think regardless of what kind of case, the snares stay on. They should be under tension because having them loose encourages any slight movement stretching the snare wires or the connecting strings. At least that's what I think.
 
They usually travel in a hard case, I leave the throw on but loosen the tension screw (habbit). I'm gonna have to tension to suit the acoustics of where I'm playing anyway.
 
I usually leave mine on, but it depends on the design of the throw-off. If it's a side-level type then I usually disengage, but the main snare I've been playing on recently has a lever that travels back from the shell and down vertically - which leaves it exposed underneath the shell. I don't want to disengage that because it has a high potential for breakage given that I use soft cases.
 
I use hardcases for my snares and usually keep them on, with no particular reason.

One thing I was wondering: I have softcases to store and transport my gig kit and usually stack them on top of each waiting for the next gig. I was wondering if they would detune faster this way (haven't noticed it yet). Any thoughts?
 
I leave them on. It's only recently occurred to me that I'm probably damaging the snare wires in my soft case when I'm carrying the case with the strap over my shoulder or when I pack it against something else in my car, so I've started being more careful and trying to make sure the snare wire side is never against anything.

I recently replaced my snare wires because they had gone a bit funny, and this is perhaps why.

I've just had an idea! I might put an old snare head in the bottom of the case for the drum to sit on to help protect the wires.
 
Hard cases all the way. My snare has been in and out of pubs, bars and clubs over the past 25+ years its been alive, always in a hard case. It was once dropped down a flight of stairs in the case and came out completely unscathed :). Lucky I know.

Oh and snares off always. More just a habit rather than anything else I guess
 
Sadly i do not have cases yet, so i wrap my Supra in a large blanket and turn the snares off, mainly because i have my snare riding shotgun and blare my tunes, so if i dont turn off the snares, the speakers of the car make the snares rattle like mad. If i had a hard shell case for it tho, i would leave the snares on and put it in the back seat.
 
I was told by a pro jazz drummer very early on to leave the snares on. I obey Master!
People used to tell me it strains the snare wires, you should turn off when not in use.
But I trusted the man.
One guy said, what's the diff? when they're on, they're on, when they're off, they're off.
As I thought about that, tho, there's also when they're being stretched, and when they're being released. That's the moment of greatest stress.
So I still leave them on, only take them off when I need the snare-off sound.
I've only owned three snares, still got two, one is an Olympic from early 70s.
The other is a Ludwig super sensitive from late 70's/early 80's.
I've always left the snares on, never had a problem, they both still sound good.
(Luddy is better, of course!!)
The point about them being less likely to get snagged is a good one too. And I always have something between the snare head and the side of the case.

Terry
 
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