Switching Hoops

Midnite Zephyr

Platinum Member
Today I decided that I will switch out the hoops on my Element Birch snare drum. Right now I'm using the stock 1.6mm steel flanged hoops. The drum sounds really good as is, but I want to hear what it would sound like with die-cast hoops on it. Luckily, the hoops on my old Gretsch are die-cast and 8 lug like the Element. This way, before I go buying die-cast hoops, I can see if it's really worth it.

I'll do an A-B test on the drum, post a couple videos later on and see what you guys think about it.
 
All my snares have die cast hoops on top. IMO a die cast hoop makes a snare drum sound more ballsier.
 
Here's video A: judge for yourselves.
 

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Here's video B: I do like it better. It has better tone, more of a controlled tone. I think today's style die-cast will sound even better. I think it will be worth investing in some die-cast hoops. What do you think?
 

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Very nice. Digging the die cast sound more as well. I also really like S-Hoops. To my ear the S-Hoops seem to have a little more focus and control.
 
I've got to agree when it comes to S-Hoops. I've compared them to triple flanged, double flanged and die cast and the S-Hoops seemed the most stable. The sound was open like triple flanged hoops but it had a lot of the focus and control of the die cast and heavy non-flanged hoops. All in all the S-Hoops have become my favourite. I see now why Guru and Ahead use them.
 
I have a differing opinion on the S hoops.

I bought a whole set of them for my drums, both top and bottom.
I bought them because the designs of the new drum heads like Evans 360 and even the new Remos have a new, slightly tighter fit on the seamless Sonor rims.

It's exactly the problem that is fixed with the new heads fitting to the shell which causes the new heads to have a similar problem with the old rims. They rock a little bit and don't sit perfectly flat in the rim. I'm sure it's only an issue with the old Sonor rims, and I really can't notice a difference in sound when the heads are seated, but I wanted to see if new rims might make the larger drums more articulate because they're extremely open sounding, which sort of translates to being more tympanic and less hard. Modern heads plop right in and lay flat in the S hoop.

I thought maybe the S hoops might give me a little of that Gretsch hardness on the lighter hits, but it didn't.

They allow a more obvious tuning, but so what? It didn't sound better for my drums and the tuning made for a smaller noticeable tuning window at each lug where it wants to sound best.

They seem to have an advantage in squelching some of the high midrange, but on my drums they brought out that short high pitch attack ping that I often notice on maple drums.

I don't know why Guru drums sound so good with them. Maybe it's because they use roundover edges and no, or very minimal venting.

They didn't sound good on my drums, but I'll keep them and maybe use them to make a keller set of vintage style toms.
 
I like S-Hoops on snares, but I haven't tried them on tom toms and I probably won't. Clip-on mic holders don't seem to want to grip them and that means they're no good on the set I use for gigging, which is the one set I'd want to use them on. I know there are some work-arounds for the problem, but I'm not that motivated.
 
Do you guys use S hoops top and bottom, or just top? After what I've heard about them so far, they seems worth trying. For now, baby steps.
 
Do you guys use S hoops top and bottom, or just top? After what I've heard about them so far, they seems worth trying. For now, baby steps.

I have a Taye Tour Pro jazz kit that I put S Hoops on the toms. I call it my "Poor Mans Gretsch" kit. They do give the drums a Gretsch-like sound.
 
I have a Taye Tour Pro jazz kit that I put S Hoops on the toms. I call it my "Poor Mans Gretsch" kit. They do give the drums a Gretsch-like sound.

I'm not that familiar with the great Gretsch sound. I have played a Cat once and liked it. Almost bought a '57 Renown a few years ago. But I can imagine that the rims shots would be easier on the sticks.
 
I like it better with the die cast hoops. It sounds more focused and a bit punchier.
 
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