'The Funk of 40 thousand Years' Snare

wsabol

Gold Member
I have a 13" poplar tom that I don't use and I'm going to turn it into a snare. I'm keeping the poplar because I like the vintage feel of it, but to get more high end and volume, I'm doubling the thickness with a single 1/4" inner ply of Birch. And I'm definitely keeping it deep,, probably 7". I'm putting in 8 air holes - one between each lug. I just don't know about bearing edges or rims...

I want this 13" snare to have a loud, fat, nasty, thunderous crack, with a open and controlled voice. I first settled on a rounded 45 edge with die cast hoops, but now I'm worried that will be too dry and round. So maybe single 45 and flanged hoops to open it up... or some combination.... then there's wood hoops to consider. I just don't know anymore.

Comments, critiques.. any advice is appreciated!!
 
dunno what size the tom is to begin with but 13x7 is a pretty common size. I have a 13x9 birch pearl snare, and it's killer! Way more full and powerful sounding than any 13x7's I've played. Besides you can always cut it down, but I'd recommend trying an 8 or even 9" depth. I find tuned tight with the pearl flanged hoops it's awesome, Has the fullness of a 14x8 but more precieved cut due to the 13 diameter.
 
Sounds like you have a winning idea there. I would put it all together and play it before adding the vent holes. I feel lots of vents and large vents in particular are detrimental to feel and tone.
 
Thanks for the advice.

I prefer tight snare sounds, so I want to go as thin a drum as possible without loosing epic fullness. I may try a 13x8 but we'll see. I'll have to do some listening

Any opinions about the ideal bearing edge for this drum? the large flanged hoops sound like a good idea, but wood hoops are still an option, I still just don't know what direction to go.
 
dunno what size the tom is to begin with but 13x7 is a pretty common size. I have a 13x9 birch pearl snare, and it's killer! Way more full and powerful sounding than any 13x7's I've played. Besides you can always cut it down, but I'd recommend trying an 8 or even 9" depth. I find tuned tight with the pearl flanged hoops it's awesome, Has the fullness of a 14x8 but more precieved cut due to the 13 diameter.

How many massive snares do you have, Evil? :)
 
Yeah, on such a special custom snare I'm thinking you should go with an 8" depth and only one or two small vent holes.

The 13x7 is a very popular size thus taking a bit of the "special" out of the equation.

Large or many vent holes will make it a monster (loud) but I think it will make it very dry and one dimensional.

JMO though, sounds like a killer how ever you slice it.
 
How many massive snares do you have, Evil? :)

hah I'm up to 4, 12" deep snares now. It's a terrible addiction.

Wsabol -I find drums around 8-9" depth have the magic sound for me (for 'epic fullness' I rock a 15x12), anyway I feel the 1 inch difference from 7 to 8 or 8 to 9 makes a big difference. I can make a deeper drum sound tighter and crisper with tuning and muffleing, but I can't get a shallow depth to sound like a deeper one. If your putting this much work into it, and it's a special project, I'm with Homeularis shoot for atleast an 8.
 

AGREED. You are all that is man with that kind of snare.

I think I'm going with wood hoops. Can't decide on 13x7 or 13x8. I like the 13x7 snares I've heard on youtube, and i do not like the 13x9s, but I can't find any 13x8 videos out there.. so I think I'll stick with the 13x7 cause I know it'll work.

As for air holes, definitely going fewer, 1 maybe 2 small ones.

Thanks for all the help guys. I'll post pictures when I done.
 
AGREED. You are all that is man with that kind of snare.

I think I'm going with wood hoops. Can't decide on 13x7 or 13x8. I like the 13x7 snares I've heard on youtube, and i do not like the 13x9s, but I can't find any 13x8 videos out there.. so I think I'll stick with the 13x7 cause I know it'll work.

As for air holes, definitely going fewer, 1 maybe 2 small ones.

Thanks for all the help guys. I'll post pictures when I done.

I wouldn't sacrifice sound for uniqueness. If you like the sound of a 13x7 more than a 13x8, go for the 7. Wood hoops will give it a good crack and mellow out rimshots. Good luck, man!
 
I wouldn't sacrifice sound for uniqueness. If you like the sound of a 13x7 more than a 13x8, go for the 7. Wood hoops will give it a good crack and mellow out rimshots. Good luck, man!

Doesn't it make sense just to buy a good 13x7 snare instead of cannibal the tom and the work+money into changeing it then? If it's going to be a standard size 13 why kill the tom? With the cost of wood hoops, new heads, strainer, snares, inner plys, recutting edges, vents etc. I think for the cost of all that you could buy a good 13x7 and still keep your tom if you ever need to sell the kit etc or want to use it again. Also I wouldn't judge ANY drum off a youtube video. Hearing a real recording and in person vs a crappy camera mic make the world of difference.
 
Doesn't it make sense just to buy a good 13x7 snare instead of cannibal the tom and the work+money into changeing it then? If it's going to be a standard size 13 why kill the tom? With the cost of wood hoops, new heads, strainer, snares, inner plys, recutting edges, vents etc. I think for the cost of all that you could buy a good 13x7 and still keep your tom if you ever need to sell the kit etc or want to use it again. Also I wouldn't judge ANY drum off a youtube video. Hearing a real recording and in person vs a crappy camera mic make the world of difference.

First of all its a crappy tom that goes to a crappy drum set. I don't use the tom, never have. I don't want to spend $500 dollars on someone else's snare when I can get rid of this crappy tom and have fun making a snare of my own for half the cost.

I think there is a reason 13x7 is so popular and its because it sounds so good, so why challenge that?
 
First of all its a crappy tom that goes to a crappy drum set. I don't use the tom, never have. I don't want to spend $500 dollars on someone else's snare when I can get rid of this crappy tom and have fun making a snare of my own for half the cost.

I think there is a reason 13x7 is so popular and its because it sounds so good, so why challenge that?

You could easily find a 13x7 snare for 200$ for a used pro quality one. I sold my 13x7 ludwig black magic for 180$, thats a GOOD quality brass drum with die-cast hoops. I've seen some USA keller maple etc 13x7's around that price, check CL and ebay . Thats not 500+$. You can't deny the parts for modifying it won't be around that cost if not more. I'm not argueing it's not a good size (when you said deep in your first post I assume deep drums start around 8" to me), it just seems odd if it's a "crappy shell" to begin with why bother putting so much money into it. Look I've modifiyed toms into snares, and the cost of hoops/heads/throw off/strainer re-cutting edges cutting snare beds was right around 180-220 bucks both times I did it. That was using a cheaper pearl throw off and gibralter wires not trick and pure sounds. Bottom line it's your drum and your call, but to think you need to spend 500$ for a good snare is insane.
 
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