Snare drum keeps loosening

laxation

Member
I have a Ludwig Black Beauty snare, and since I got it about 6 months ago, after playing a couple songs at least one of the lugs (by my left leg) comes loose. As a result, the middle of the snare becomes very loose and dents.

I have tried to keep on top of it by retuning the drum after every song or two to stop it coming loose (if I leave it, it becomes so loose it falls out) but this just means it's coming out of tune and not sounding as good as it can.

Does anyone know why this happens or anyway to fix it?

Also, since it came in the mail, it's had little rubber washers on each lug, not sure what they're there for, but I left them on. They wouldn't be causing it would they?
 
I'm sure Hydes/Allans and Drumtek all stock them.....or at the very least can get them for you if you ordered them.

I'm guessing it's a bottom rod that keeps falling out. Have you tried switching the rods around to determine if it's the rod or the lug?
 
Nope havn't done anything.
Is it worth trying that before the luglocks? I assume theyre cheap as anyway and work effective?
 
Nope havn't done anything.
Is it worth trying that before the luglocks? I assume theyre cheap as anyway and look effective?

I ask purely becuase I'd be curious to know if it was a rod or lug issue....could be both of course, but by swapping different rods to different lugs you can at least note what is happening. All in all, it probably doesn't matter, but I'm a curious bugger and would want to know where the problem lay. :)
 
I have the same thing on my Black Beauty; these things simply detune very, very easily.

Lug Locks didn't help me; they were too small to grab on to the rim (I'm guessing the Ludwig rim might have slightly more room between the lug and the edge of the rim). At the moment I'm using these things: http://www.gaugerpercussion.com/lockerzX.html
They work great for keeping the drum in tune, but they do have the downside of only allowing me to tune in quarter turns, and they also make tuning very fiddly. I have them on every lug, but you might get away with just putting them on a few of them, leaving the others free for fine tuning.
 
Hmm thats no good about the lug locks not working for this drum...
Is it something I can try in the shop to see if they work or will I only find out after playing on them? They're only a dollar each but still don't wanna waste any money!

(BTW they have them at Billy Hyde Blackburn, but not drumpower)
 
Hmm thats no good about the lug locks not working for this drum...
Is it something I can try in the shop to see if they work or will I only find out after playing on them? They're only a dollar each but still don't wanna waste any money!

(BTW they have them at Billy Hyde Blackburn, but not drumpower)

You'll have to ask the store, but I always had good experiences with Manny's in Fitzroy when it comes to trying before buying. It's been four years since I moved from Melbourne though, so that may have changed. Last I was there, the old drummer from The Living End (Travis) was running the drum department. Great guy! DrumPower is also a great store; we used to rehearse in the rooms in the back.

As for the lug locks, they seemed fine when I first put them on, but they quickly started rotating along with the lug. You'll have to try them for a while before seeing whether or not they'll work.
 
You'll have to ask the store, but I always had good experiences with Manny's in Fitzroy when it comes to trying before buying. It's been four years since I moved from Melbourne though, so that may have changed. Last I was there, the old drummer from The Living End (Travis) was running the drum department. Great guy! DrumPower is also a great store; we used to rehearse in the rooms in the back.

As for the lug locks, they seemed fine when I first put them on, but they quickly started rotating along with the lug. You'll have to try them for a while before seeing whether or not they'll work.
We're still rehearsing out the back of drumpower!
I'll make sure to test these out then before I buy a whole bunch...
 
Happens a fair bit with my DW snare as well. Lug locks will do the trick. perhaps stretch the skin if you don't already as well.
 
I have these but i put the tension rod through them and screw it down until it's just above the lug
Didn't realise you were supposed to put them over the top- either way it seems to work fine for me, and i'm not exactly a light hitter/ do rimshots on every backbeat
 
I like these the best. No change to the appearance of the drum, & the technology's tried & tested in numerous engineering applications other than drums: http://tightscrew.com/

That nylon insert doesn't make threading in the tightscrews next to impossible? I know that it would make the fit tighter, as to keep the tuning better by preventing it from coming loose... But it seems as though it wouldn't fit in the drum at all. I suppose I'm wrong if they sell these, though!

I've never really had this issue (and I use rimshots for my backbeats most of the time too) but if I ever get a nice new snare drum I might have to do this... my only other concern with these would be whether or not it would make higher tunings, or eventually needing to tension up the heads from their own wear regardless of whether the lugs have moved or not, extremely difficult because of the higher torque required to tune up.
 
That nylon insert doesn't make threading in the tightscrews next to impossible? I know that it would make the fit tighter, as to keep the tuning better by preventing it from coming loose... But it seems as though it wouldn't fit in the drum at all. I suppose I'm wrong if they sell these, though!

I've never really had this issue (and I use rimshots for my backbeats most of the time too) but if I ever get a nice new snare drum I might have to do this... my only other concern with these would be whether or not it would make higher tunings, or eventually needing to tension up the heads from their own wear regardless of whether the lugs have moved or not, extremely difficult because of the higher torque required to tune up.
I've used these quite extensively, & not encountered any of your concerns. They take a bit of getting used to at first, as the torque is pretty much linear, irrespective of head tension. They don't limit the tension you can place on the head. That remains unchanged from standard tension screws. Nor do they take on a setting, such that re-tuning is any different from standard. The insert does wear out though over time, just as any nylok nut will loose it's effectiveness.

I rate them. They work for me.
 
I'd also recommend Tightscrews.

At first, they can be harder to put in, but they do stay in place and don't back out at all.
I've had some in the 5 lugs that are facing me on all my gigging snares for at least 3 years, and they still hold fine.
It took a couple times to get used to tuning the drum with these because of the holding power these have.

I could just put them at the rim shot area, but I got a few packs and could do half of a few snares. Makes no difference that only half the drum has the TS either.

Ludwig has been using a black gasket under the rod head and the washer for about a year now. That black washer seems to hold tension a lot better because my newest snare hasn't needed the Tightscrews. I have Imperial Lugs on that snare.

The little rubber thingys on the rods have been used by a bunch of companies for years now.
They keep the rods from coming out of the hoop when you change heads.
 
Canopus BoltTite is what I use on all of my snares. Never had an issue.

F
 
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