Disappointed - Ayotte Keplinger

zambizzi

Platinum Member
I must be the aberrant drummer, I'm completely disappointed with my Keplinger snare. It's a 14x5.5 with 2.3mm triple-flange hoops.

I've tried tuning it every way imaginable, using 40-strand snares, 24-strand, and a couple different types of heads. I just don't like the sound that comes out of it. It's louder than a freight train but there's just no real character to it...it sounds dead and I dislike the tone.

I may pawn it off on eBay and replace it with another Black Beauty. I was forced to sell my BB back in June to make the downpayment on my Unix kit...it was the last drum I ever wanted to sell...it's still my favorite.

Anyone care to comment on Ayotte Keplinger vs. Ludwig Black Beauty? Anyone interested in a Keplinger!? :D
 
I liked your Keplinger fine when I played it. I think you just can't stand to have a drumset for more than a few weeks. Let me know when you're going to sell the Unix - I'd give you a fair price for it!

And to answer your next question: No. I will never part with my Spirits. But it would be cool to trade sets for a few weeks.
 
I liked your Keplinger fine when I played it. I think you just can't stand to have a drumset for more than a few weeks. Let me know when you're going to sell the Unix - I'd give you a fair price for it!

And to answer your next question: No. I will never part with my Spirits. But it would be cool to trade sets for a few weeks.

Oh HERE we go! :)

The Unix will never go *anywhere*...you just don't find drums that sound this good floating around everywhere. It's been a month and I love 'em more everyday...so you know this is long-term! ;)

The Keplinger is a "good" snare...I just don't like the tone. I played my Pork Pie Brass Patina tonight and like it much better (and it costs exactly half). I think brass just sounds better to my ears.

I'm just gonna get rid of the Kep and play the Porker. It's very close to a Black Beauty in sound, with its own characteristics that set it apart.
 
I would like to haul my set, mixer and mics to your studio sometime soon and we could have a "drum off" of the two most exotic sets on the forum, duets, comparisons, etc. It would be fun and I'm certain no one has ever done anything like that ever. Whatchya say?
 
I would like to haul my set, mixer and mics to your studio sometime soon and we could have a "drum off" of the two most exotic sets on the forum, duets, comparisons, etc. It would be fun and I'm certain no one has ever done anything like that ever. Whatchya say?

Yeah we should definitely do that! It'd be cool to get a bassist to participate, too...someone to anchor a groove so we could trade and play around it. When we played last, it sounded good but it was fairly discordant.
 
I have two real Keplingers (made by Gregg by hand) and have played a Ayotte (they have a slightly thinner shell). Gregg sets his snares up with 14 strand cheapie wires and coated Emperors. I know many people who have deviated from this combo... more strands or fewer strands, thicker or muffled heads or thinner heads, wood hoops or die-cast hoops, but they all go back to the triple flanged, coated Emp, cheap 14 strand wires combo.

If you haven't, try this combo before letting it go. My Keps really speak and are very versatile drums. You may regret selling it.
 
I have 2 Ayotte Keplingers a 5.5x14 with 2.3 hoops, and I just bought a 6x13 that I put die cast hoops on.
They are my favorite snares in the world. Mine sound great tuned low and fat, or cranked high and "overtoney."
Matt Cameron used the Kep snare on the Superunknown album, which is widely considered as some of the best recorded drum tracks in a long time.
I use evans coated g2 head on top, and a hazy 300 on the bottom.

I assume you know how to properly tune a snare drum, so perhaps your snare is out of round?
 
I would like to haul my set, mixer and mics to your studio sometime soon and we could have a "drum off" of the two most exotic sets on the forum, duets, comparisons, etc. It would be fun and I'm certain no one has ever done anything like that ever. Whatchya say?

The rest of us would like to see that too. Please post video's as well as sound.
 
To be honest, I think youve been a slittle spolit by the original sound from your Black Beauty - They are a very hard snare to beat, sound wise.
 
To be honest, I think youve been a slittle spolit by the original sound from your Black Beauty - They are a very hard snare to beat, sound wise.

You know, I think that's it. I got the Kep w/ the expectations of it being the snare to beat them all - but I don't like it as much as the BB I had. In comparison it sounds very flat and lifeless to me. It's the loudest snare I've ever heard but volume isn't the only thing I'm interested in.

I think I'm tuning it well, it's my ear that's the problem. I've tried Evans G1 over a hazy and a coated ambassador over amb. snare. I tried 20, 24, and 40 strand wires (which it came with). It also came with 2.3mm hoops. I've tried cranking the batter and going for a loose, fat sound. It's "OK" but I think it's just not what I'm after...which is maybe a little more warmth.
 
I still have yet to play a BB, I own an Acrolyte which I absolutely love, so the BB's must be mind blowing.

Sorry about the disappointment with your Kep. But Christmas is a week away, and I know a certain DW member who'd give it a good home.... ;) lol

Good luck with getting another bb and maybe trading out the kep.
 
The BB's are a beautiful drum, but the throwoffs should be replaced with GS007's, just to be sure :)
 
Sorry about the disappointment with your Kep. But Christmas is a week away, and I know a certain DW member who'd give it a good home.... ;) lol

Ha! Well, you can't see me but I don't wear a big red stocking cap and I'm not particularly jolly...so it won't be cheap. ;)
 
The BB's are a beautiful drum, but the throwoffs should be replaced with GS007's, just to be sure :)

Yeah, the stock throwoff is junk...so are the snares. I'm actually going to order a throwoff to replace it when I get my new BB. I'll probably need one of those retro-plates...I dunno, I'll have to figure it out.
 
Ya know - I'm going to have to eat some crow here after all.

I think I may have had a bad coated ambassador or something because I slapped a new one on there the other day and combined with a new set of Puresound 24-strand wires...this thing now sounds great! I had loosen the snares almost to the point of no-contact to get that nice snap I was looking for...but maybe that's due to the shallow 5.5" depth. I'm more used to 6.5". I'm listening to the recording of my practice last night and I think I've tuned it in a way that it now sounds amazing w/ the rest of my kit. It sounds much different than any snare I've ever played...I think it's a keeper.

I gotta admit that I was wrong. Mmmm...that's some good crow!

I need to replace the strainer though. The end of the handle snapped off and it's not very easy to turn the snares on and off. Anyone have a good idea of an easy replacement? Trick? Nickelworks? I don't want to use a retro-plate or try to drill through 3mm of stainless steel.

Thanks guys!
 
Ya know - I'm going to have to eat some crow here after all.

I think I may have had a bad coated ambassador or something because I slapped a new one on there the other day and combined with a new set of Puresound 24-strand wires...this thing now sounds great! I had loosen the snares almost to the point of no-contact to get that nice snap I was looking for...but maybe that's due to the shallow 5.5" depth. I'm more used to 6.5". I'm listening to the recording of my practice last night and I think I've tuned it in a way that it now sounds amazing w/ the rest of my kit. It sounds much different than any snare I've ever played...I think it's a keeper.

I gotta admit that I was wrong. Mmmm...that's some good crow!

I need to replace the strainer though. The end of the handle snapped off and it's not very easy to turn the snares on and off. Anyone have a good idea of an easy replacement? Trick? Nickelworks? I don't want to use a retro-plate or try to drill through 3mm of stainless steel.

Thanks guys!

AHA! Excellent!

I believe a Nickelworks strainer would work as a suitable replacement.
 
I know about the very best snare I have ever played was a hand hammered bronze BB. After that nothing else seemed right until I played a buddies 20 ply Pearl Reference snare. Sure it was not a BB but it is a darn good and very close 2nd. I have also heard very good things from Neil Pert and John Good about the DW VLT snare. Neil says it is the very first snare ever that he has ever used for all applications like Small Concert, Large Concert, Clinics and Studio. I am working on a DW X Coustom kit and I want all 3 snares if I like the VLT too. Hammered Bronze BB, Pearl Referance, DW VLT. I am not sure the order yet and which two will be side and which will be between my legs as my main. I already really have placement issues with Double bass and two up and two down on my toms and double hats 10 cymbals on stands. My Ludwig kit is even worse, three up and three down with double bass. Sometimes its hard being a drummer lol.
 
Go with a Dunnett R-Class. I have a few friends with Nickelworks throws and they have snapped. The plastic just cracks with no warning!
 
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