Did WFLIII drums make a boo-boo?

IBitePrettyHard said:
Bearing edges are one of the most critical aspects of a drum's sound.
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But where does it rank with shell and head choice? Or even lug mount design and snare throwoff, snare wires? Add tuning to the mix. I think you could argue an impact in sound for a round edge vs a 45 deg edge, but a 0.1 mm variation at the bearing edge due to paint speckle, I'm not so sure.
 
rhumbagirl said:
But where does it rank with shell and head choice? Or even lug mount design and snare throwoff, snare wires? Add tuning to the mix. I think you could argue an impact in sound for a round edge vs a 45 deg edge, but a 0.1 mm variation at the bearing edge due to paint speckle, I'm not so sure.
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Bearing edges rank at the very top. For instance, good heads won't sound good on a bad bearing edge.

You can have the best-sounding snare drum in the world, with perfect shell roundness, high quality wood, new heads and snare wires...and it could still sound bad because the bearing edges are messed up. Likewise, you can have a cheap drum with perfect bearing edges sound pretty good, despite the lower grade components.

Maybe @Andy can weigh in, he knows more than anyone.
 
You're "That Guy" sitting at home cruising Reverb and eBay, emailing sellers about what you think are mistakes or faults in what they're selling. Give it a rest it ain't none of your business, dude.

IBitePrettyHard said:
While we're on the subject, I just found this DW cast Aluminum snare with a "wrinkled" finish. Check out that bearing edge. It has the same problem that I am suspicious (but inconclusive) about with the WFLIII. If any of you can't see the bumpiness on that bearing edge, there's no hope for you, lol.

I'm still undecided about the WFLIII snare, but this DW is much easier to see. Bearing edges need to be baby's butt smooth, period. That bearing edge looks like a jagged mess. There is no doubt it will negatively influence the sound.

I'm sorry if some of you find this thread "harmful" or "troublemaking"...but I believe this is an incredibly valid concern. If we can't ask questions like this here, then where? As one of you suggested, I have messaged the seller about the WFLIII snare. Hopefully I'll get a reply, and I'll post any updates.

Here's the DW listing...
https://reverb.com/item/37839710-dw...m-snare-2000s-flat-black-dw-calls-it-wrinkled

D91B098.png
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IBitePrettyHard said:
Bearing edges rank at the very top. For instance, good heads won't sound good on a bad bearing edge.

You can have the best-sounding snare drum in the world, with perfect shell roundness, high quality wood, new heads and snare wires...and it could still sound bad because the bearing edges are messed up. Likewise, you can have a cheap drum with perfect bearing edges sound pretty good, despite the lower grade components.

Maybe @Andy can weigh in, he knows more than anyone.
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It would depend on what you mean by "bad" or "messed up". I agree, the bearing edge is a critical part of the drum shell manufacturing phase, but what we're talking about here is whether paint speckle in and of itself makes a difference in sound. It's fair to say that all shells manufactured today by major brands, especially wood, have level bearing edges and near perfect roundness and rigidity.
 
Rattlin' Bones said:
You're "That Guy" sitting at home cruising Reverb and eBay, emailing sellers about what you think are mistakes or faults in what they're selling. Give it a rest it ain't none of your business, dude.
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Dial it down a notch. If talking about possible flaws in drum manufacturing is somehow too much for you, you're more than welcome to sit this thread out. I'm not going around attacking or being rude to anyone. In fact, this thread has absolutely zero to do with the seller. It's about the way these drums were manufactured.
 
Maybe if you had first hand knowledge but as of right now you don't even have second hand knowledge.
 
mrmike said:
Maybe if you had first hand knowledge but as of right now you don't even have second hand knowledge.
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Not having first-hand knowledge is the reason I started this thread. With your way of thinking, half the posts on this forum are now in violation.

What is this forum for anyway? Posting about drums? Or just posting "good" things about drums? We could all do without the indignance. If you disagree, tell us why! That's what this forum is for. Just do it in a respectful and civil manner.

For what it's worth, I'm actually a big fan of WFLIII drums. They sound great. Everything I've seen about them points to top-notch quality.
 
It would make sense to not paint/powdercoat the bearing edge for seating reasons. I'm curious as to why it's done. They arent going to convince me they have to, as wooden drums dont have a finish on their bearing edges. Maybe they dont think it affects anything? Maybe they think it looks ugly otherwise?

I like how this is becoming a "that guy" thread. I'm gonna be "that guy" and point out that calling someone "that guy" makes you "that guy" as well. Carry on.
 
Guessing quality control issues from pictures from drum listings on reverb?

It’s a forum first. Surely?.
 
cbphoto said:
Hmm. Deal breaker. I want my heads touching bare metal, not a powder coat that can have large variations in thickness if not done correctly.

Besides, they “laser” the snare bed. Why would they do that when they’re gonna bake paint onto it and create variances as thick or thicker than the drumhead?
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Could you just take sandpaper to the edge & bring it down to the bare metal?
 
I really like what the WFLlll is putting out, or at least what I hear on video so I hope this thread doesn't disparage and they can survive for a while since historically they have had financial challenges. Their shell is almost looks like a hybrid of a classic maple and a legacy maple; a map/pop/map with re-rings but looks pretty thin and 45-ish edge which is a really happy zone medium. Their history lineage is quite something too, they are more Ludwig than 'Ludwig' and would consider these in the future.
 
I got a response from the seller of the WFLIII snare.

"Good question, the paint is not bumpy, the whole finish is smooth as glass and same goes for bearing edges. Best, Zach "

That's good to know. I'm willing to conclude there's nothing wrong with the WFLIII snare.

The DW snare I linked with the "wrinkled" finish on the bearing edge, not so much.
 
IBitePrettyHard said:
I got a response from the seller of the WFLIII snare.

"Good question, the paint is not bumpy, the whole finish is smooth as glass and same goes for bearing edges. Best, Zach "

That's good to know. I'm willing to conclude there's nothing wrong with the WFLIII snare.

The DW snare I linked with the "wrinkled" finish on the bearing edge, not so much.
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Zach has no clue that we found the problem. ?
 
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