Snares with 2 snare tension adjustments

I'll try it this way. Take a spring scale. Hook it to the ceiling. Now put a 10lb weight on it. It reads 10lb. Now hook a second spring scale to the first and again put a 10lb weight on it. Each spring scale will read 5lb. One cannot concede any force to the other in either direction, they distribute the force evenly. The two strainers are doing the same thing. That's what I'm trying to say.
If the 2 scales are in parallel, i.e. both connected to the weight and ceiling, yes, you would be reading 5 lbs each. If you connect them in series, the bottom one will read 10 the top one 10 plus the weight of the bottom scale.

You probably think the mass is just shared between the 2 sides (so you are thinking the scales are "in parallel"), but you are neglecting the fact that the mass is negligible when compared to the tension created, so the system is more "in series"!
 
If the 2 scales are in parallel, i.e. both connected to the weight and ceiling, yes, you would be reading 5 lbs each. If you connect them in series, the bottom one will read 10 the top one 10 plus the weight of the bottom scale.

You probably think the mass is just shared between the 2 sides (so you are thinking the scales are "in parallel"), but you are neglecting the fact that the mass is negligible when compared to the tension created, so the system is more "in series"!
Crap that's right, they would have to be next to each other. If I stacked bathroom scales and stood on them it's different than one foot on each. Well now I feel silly. Oh well, it happens.

Hey Uncle Larry, disregard everything I was trying to say.
 
Welcome to the club Mr InsanePolack! It will happen more with age.
 
Holy smoke, my Prem 2000 has a parallel snare action with 2 tension adjustments...I’ve owned it for 32 years and have never given it a second thought until now!! ?
 
Holy smoke, my Prem 2000 has a parallel snare action with 2 tension adjustments...I’ve owned it for 32 years and have never given it a second thought until now!! ?
Yessr if your snares extend an inch or two outside the rims you are correct.

Is it aluminum, steel, or chrome over brass?
 
Yes killer! - the middle shaft is the dead giveaway as well.
That has to be a great sounding snare no?
It’s unbelievable mate, I can get a proper Copeland style crack out of this baby...I’ll never sell it. My drum teacher “found” it with a second hand Pearl Export kit back in 1988, it was my first snare drum and first kit. Looking back I don’t believe for one second that this snare belonged to my first kit. (y) :)
 
It’s unbelievable mate, I can get a proper Copeland style crack out of this baby...I’ll never sell it. My drum teacher “found” it with a second hand Pearl Export kit back in 1988, it was my first snare drum and first kit. Looking back I don’t believe for one second that this snare belonged to my first kit. (y) :)
Yessr - Nothing wrong with happening upon a gem especially if you treasure it!
Aren’t most of the Ace snares in your neck of the woods as they were made in England at their heyday?!

I look from time to time but note shipping and then I see location of being in Ire or somewhere on the Isle.
 
Yessr - Nothing wrong with happening upon a gem especially if you treasure it!
Aren’t most of the Ace snares in your neck of the woods as they were made in England at their heyday?!

I look from time to time but note shipping and then I see location of being in Ire or somewhere on the Isle.
Most of the decent Prem stuff crops up over here from time to time (including the odd Royal Ace!). Most of the drums that came out of the Blaby Road factory in Wigston UK were quality. My school bus used to drive past the factory on the way to swimming lessons...I used to drool at the huge double bass kit on display in the showroom window!! (y):)
 
Yup, they do. It’s COA with the’flo-beam’ snare mech (I think it’s late 70’s/early 80’s based on the badge). I just naturally adjust them without thinking about it... ?

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Looks pristine!
Mine has a slight deformation within the mechanism, so it can't be used with the stock wires. I tied generic length wires to the mechanism and while they work (and sound scary crisp), I still envy you.
 
Looks pristine!
Mine has a slight deformation within the mechanism, so it can't be used with the stock wires. I tied generic length wires to the mechanism and while they work (and sound scary crisp), I still envy you.
I had to fully strip and rebuild mine because part of the aluminium mech sheared off (see photo with temporarily sad and unemployable tension adjustment screw!?). Also lost the heads on a couple of the height adjustment screws that keep the snares level so had to replace them. If I was down the road I’d come and have a look at it for you! Sure it’s fixable. (y) :)

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I used to have an old Pearl snare with an adjustment screw on the butt plate. It was really handy for centering the snare wires without having to fiddle with strings and screws. Someone else mentioned this earlier, and I agree with them.

As for two strainers - I’ve only seen this on orchestral snares with triple strainers - one each for cables, wires and gut.
 
I used to have an old Pearl snare with an adjustment screw on the butt plate. It was really handy for centering the snare wires without having to fiddle with strings and screws. Someone else mentioned this earlier, and I agree with them.

As for two strainers - I’ve only seen this on orchestral snares with triple strainers - one each for cables, wires and gut.

I have one snare equipped with an adjustment screw on the butt plate, a Tama SLP Maple. Like Morrisman says, it's just handy when you change your snare or your head.
Nothing scientific about it, it just helps to center the snare. The other quality would be to change very quickly from loose to tight (or the contrary) by using both knobs at the same time.
Nothing I can't live without though. On the old Premier Signia snares, there was another system: a quick release bottom plate, which is handy if you want to change the reso head without messing with the snare tension. Quite bulky but practical.
 
As to the idea of adjusting tension from both sides:

1. I think some of you guys are assuming way, way more tension than is needed to bring the wires into correct contact with the head. (Unless you normally opt to choke the drum.) When the snares are engaged, there will be the same amount of tension at each end no matter what adjustments are available; if you tie a rope to a tree and pull on it, you and the tree will be holding the same amount of tension, and even when you change how hard you're pulling at your end the same thing will still be true. (Note: this doesn't take into account whether the butt and throw are positioned to produce the same angle of pull on the snare wire end plates, which is a different but somewhat related issue.)

2. There is certainly validity to the issue of keeping the wires centered on the head, but if the wires are installed correctly in the first place that shouldn't be a problem.
 
I don't know that anyone could hear the difference if my wires are off center by a 1/4".

If that's the most compelling reason for 2 strainers, I'm not compelled enough.

Still looking for more compelling reasons
 
Still looking for more compelling reasons
Allows for open handed adjustments?

Perhaps it's a no snare bed, even tension across the reso, minimal buzzing thing.

It looks cool?

Gives you more street cred?

All I know is when I had one it was fantastic.
 
I had to fully strip and rebuild mine because part of the aluminium mech sheared off (see photo with temporarily sad and unemployable tension adjustment screw!?). Also lost the heads on a couple of the height adjustment screws that keep the snares level so had to replace them. If I was down the road I’d come and have a look at it for you! Sure it’s fixable. (y) :)

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Wow, I earned faith. Mine just has a bit of deformation at where yours cracks.
 
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