Help with my snare really needed!

L

Lodi781

Member
I have a gretsch Brooklyn standard snare that I bought 2 1/2 years ago. I had changed all the heads when I got it but apparently missed that there was a section of burrs on the bearing badge itself about an inch long. Skip ahead to ten minutes ago I go to change the heads and wires, and discover this rough spot. Should I leave it or try to lightly sand it out??? I'm out of warranty on the drum and don't know what to do.1000002231.jpg
 
In the picture, that almost looks like ply separation. I had no idea Gretsch only has a 1 year warranty.

Disappointing, I'm sure. Since it is out of warranty, though, your only choices are repair it or leave it. I'd sand and/or glue it, depending on what's actually happening there.
 
I'd leave it alone

the angle of your picture it's not the bearing edge but the outer cosmetic mostly ply

take a picture looking level at the wall of the snare
not down on top like that one

I think it's just cosmetic; if could fill and glue with some fine fine sawdust; nothing that would put a bump in that area

Or discuss it with Precision in New York
 
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Ya it weird. The drum was getting massive overtones so I figured it was my tuning/lack of maintenance. I just changed both heads and wires and I'm still getting these massive overtones.

It sounds like a looney tunes spring bouncing off it's did awful.
 
Lodi781 said:
Ya it weird. The drum was getting massive overtones so I figured it was my tuning/lack of maintenance. I just changed both heads and wires and I'm still getting these massive overtones.

It sounds like a looney tunes spring bouncing off it's did awful.
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To be fair, I'm not sure a small bearing edge issue like that would cause looney toons sounds. I've had some old drums with wonky edges, and they weren't easy to tune by any means, but I could always get at least a usable sound out of them.

You might have things going on besides that bearing edge, it seems.
 
Stroman said:
Any chance you could do a quick video of your tuning process?
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I finger tightened the lugs, evenly got them down initially with a star pattern, leaned on the head slightly just to stretch it out then tuned each lug to match and when I put the snares on, the whole drum just has a weird ring. Maybe the bottom head is too tight.
 
Lodi781 said:
Ya it weird. The drum was getting massive overtones so I figured it was my tuning/lack of maintenance. I just changed both heads and wires and I'm still getting these massive overtones.

It sounds like a looney tunes spring bouncing off it's did awful.
Click to expand...
That happened to me recently. With a 1965 (!) wood shell 5" 8L Gretsch. It was fine (I thought) for the 20 years I owned it and played and yes gigged it. Then I started using my (same era) Brass Gretsch 4160. Finally ...after 30 years I began to acclimate to it.

When I went Back to the wood shell Gretsch... wfh?....Hi pitched ring in it. Not a sour ring.......a too sweet Ring! wtheck?? Now I can't get it out no matter the head(s) snares or the bottom head.

Never had that happen.

I can't tell if something "in me" changed? Or some molecular structure (the zinc hoops?) in the drum changed.

Very mystifying
it's got a long sweet high long upper ring to it and I can't fathom why..
..because I never heard it before.. and doesn't matter how I tension it

the only thing I did was switch to a brass snare for a year (that might be it? ? ? ? my ear changed? huh? Nah?

your edge doesn't look fatal/serious
 
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I haven’t really played it in about 9 months, when I picked up my Gretsch Bronze. I had it nicely tuned to have this sweet pop. Now this thing sounds like absolute ass and I can’t fix it for my life. Like, even moon tells and duct tape aren’t working.

For a reference, I have a remo black x and a hazy snare side on it with pure sound 30 string wires.
 
Lodi781 said:
I haven’t really played it in about 9 months, when I picked up my Gretsch Bronze. I had it nicely tuned to have this sweet pop. Now this thing sounds like absolute ass and I can’t fix it for my life. Like, even moon tells and duct tape aren’t working.

For a reference, I have a remo black x and a hazy snare side on it with pure sound 30 string wires.
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This sounds exactly what I 'm saying "I got comfortable with the Brass (you were comfortable with the Bronze)

When we both went back to the wood shell----the darn things Ring more than metal shell!!

I just went into the garage where both the Brass and the Wood are set up and yea...
The wood "has that ring" a little longer than the brass. Both near set up the same; me- same- etc-stick- same.

Wood pierces a teeny longer ring. MUSTA ALWAYS been there ! 😁
 
If I was in your position, I would lightly sand the burrs until they were gone. As far as the separation goes, I’d leave it alone and check it every few months. Heck, if it opens up more, it’ll be easier to repair.

A ply separation would have made me sick several years ago, but after messing around with vintage drums for a few years now, I don’t see it as any big deal. I’ve glued and clamped re-rings on every vintage kit I’ve bought. Usually, something needs work.

Wood is a funny thing. It’s takes a while for wood to stop being a tree and start being an instrument. In the meantime, it can do weird stuff, and that’s ok. It can be unpredictable and do weird stuff as it dries and settles.

In terms of tuning, there is a ton of great info out there. My thing is if I have a snare that I can’t get to sound good with good quality heads (usually single-ply coated or a coated reverse dot + a good snare side), cheap snare wires, and a snareweight m80, I get rid of it. I don’t have time to fiddle around with a finicky snare drum.
 
You are not alone in the world... I don't know about the edge you show, I would need much better pictures. I also own a Brooklyn standard snare... I too had a RING I could not tune away.

I tried different heads, even a Hydraulic. That one took the ring away but I didn't care for it otherwise. I finally settled on a Control Sound reverse dot. I think that is what it is called. I think it's like a Ambassador with a Black dot underneath. Anyway that did the trick. I don't use gels or tape, but I do use the built in muffler just a bit.

Don't misunderstand, it's still a very lively drum with more ring than some others I have, but now it's usable and I actually have come to like it.

I think much of my trouble was lack of tuning skills. Those skills still suck but I'm getting better.
 
Wow that looks like a few of the bearing edges on my Gretsch Cat kit. I'd be really upset if that were the bearing edges on kit that cost 3x$ as much.
 
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