Extended snare help!!!

[Hewitt2]

Hi everyone I have an early 80s pearl blx 14 x 6.5 birch snare that I have brought back to life.

My only problem is that I have zero experience with these old school snare mechanisms (extended free floating snare) and for the life of me I can’t get the snares to remain flush on the head.

I try to tension one side and then the other to get the snares against the head and then slowly tension from there but then inevitably whatever side I start with the snares start to bow outwards as opposed to towards the head.

This is driving me nuts but I am willing to endure ridicule at this point for not knowing how to tension a snare drum as I am wasting too much time and must be missing some critical step(s). Thank you all for your help l

 

[johnwesley]

You appear to be using the wrong size wires. Both plates the wires are soldered to should be off the edges and extend into the strainer and butt mechanisms. You also are missing the bar in the butt plate shown in photo 2. Same type bar as in photo one of the strainer. There are 2 solution.
1) longer wires
2) remove the extending pieces from the strainer and butt and use 14" wires as you would on a standard snare drum.

 

[MrInsanePolack]

I had one of these. The ears that extend off the bottom hoop have holes. There should be a bar that floats in those holes and pulls the snares out, not up. Get 2 tension rods and 2 swivel nuts and put one on either side in the holes. Route the plastic strip for the snares outside the tension rods. When you engage the snare you will see how the thing is supposed to work.

Once you get it set right they work fantastic.

EDIT: Yours has the bar on the throwoff side already. The strap goes to the outside of it. Still put a rod and nut on the other side, and the strap outside it also.

 

[Hewitt2]

Thanks gang! Will try out those solutions

 

[Hewitt2]

I had one of these. The ears that extend off the bottom hoop have holes. There should be a bar that floats in those holes and pulls the snares out, not up. Get 2 tension rods and 2 swivel nuts and put one on either side in the holes. Route the plastic strip for the snares outside the tension rods. When you engage the snare you will see how the thing is supposed to work.

Once you get it set right they work fantastic.

EDIT: Yours has the bar on the throwoff side already. The strap goes to the outside of it. Still put a rod and nut on the other side, and the strap outside it also.

Hey IP - if I’m missing the bar on the other side, how would I be able to route the plastic strip outside the tension rods? Seems I have what I need on the throw off side but not the other?

 

[OSDrums]

It should look like this on both sides:

 

[Hewitt2]

It should look like this on both sides:

Awesome - my problem is that I am missing one of the bars though....

 

[OSDrums]

Hey IP - if I’m missing the bar on the other side, how would I be able to route the plastic strip outside the tension rods? Seems I have what I need on the throw off side but not the other?

Yes. parts are missing on your snare. You need the round aluminium bars with the threads in them and the screws and the spring to adjust the height of your snarewires that they run exactly parallel to your reso head. You also need a extended snare wire (SN 025). If you cant get hold of the missing parts (my guess would be that every metal workshop can build them easily for a tip in the coffee checkout) you can remove the remaining bar and use normal snare wires, but be aware that these snares with the pseudo parallel snare action seldom have snare beds to handle normal wires. It will be a compromise at least.

 

[Hewitt2]

Yes. parts are missing on your snare. You need the round aluminium bars with the threads in them and the screws and the spring to adjust the height of your snarewires that they run exactly parallel to your reso head. You also need a extended snare wire (SN 025). If you cant get hold of the missing parts (my guess would be that every metal workshop can build them easily for a tip in the coffee checkout) you can remove the remaining bar and use normal snare wires, but be aware that these snares with the pseudo parallel snare action seldom have snare beds to handle normal wires. It will be a compromise at least.

Gotcha. I have the extended snare wire but will need to find the remaining stuff. Will check back in once I’m good to go!

 

[OSDrums]

As said before - these are 8 or 10 mm diameter round aluminum bars with two M4 threads in them. This is very easy to build for a good metal worker. You can get the M4 screws and the springs in every good assorted hardware shop. It's worth the effort as once the pseudo parallal snare action is correctly adjusted the snaredrums sound killer! I'd never give away my 1st gen Free Floater!

 

[TJK]

Yes. parts are missing on your snare. You need the round aluminium bars with the threads in them and the screws and the spring to adjust the height of your snarewires that they run exactly parallel to your reso head. You also need a extended snare wire (SN 025). If you cant get hold of the missing parts (my guess would be that every metal workshop can build them easily for a tip in the coffee checkout) you can remove the remaining bar and use normal snare wires, but be aware that these snares with the pseudo parallel snare action seldom have snare beds to handle normal wires. It will be a compromise at least.

Yeah or you can easily find the material and hardware at any of the megalowmart home improvement stores. Bring the current rod and hardware and match. Drilling the rod is another thing if you don’t have a drill press or a vise to secure the rod. If you have no luck I will make you one and mail it to you, I could have it out to you tomorrow if you like. I work in a shop that has all kinds rods laying around. Get me the dimensions and I will have it made.

 

[Hewitt2]

Yeah or you can easily find the material and hardware at any of the megalowmart home improvement stores. Bring the current rod and hardware and match. Drilling the rod is another thing if you don’t have a drill press or a vise to secure the rod. If you have no luck I will make you one and mail it to you, I could have it out to you tomorrow if you like. I work in a shop that has all kinds rods laying around. Get me the dimensions and I will have it made.

Wow i may just do that!

 

[MrInsanePolack]

Awesome - my problem is that I am missing one of the bars though....

Like I said earlier, use a tension rod and swivel nut. It will fit.

 

[Hewitt2]

Oh yeah - I see what you mean now - thanks!!!

 

[Hewitt2]

Used my old broken internal muffler and it worked like a charm. Snares are perfectly set. Thanks Drummerworld crew and big shout out to Mr IP - you’re the best!