The Yamaha SD-016 snare drum

[Bo Eder]

So this is the Yamaha SD-016 Snare from 1985. Its built great and matches my Recording Custom kit. But it’s got the dumbest snare strainer and wires ever. This drum can’t be sensitive because it’s more like a marching snare. It sounds great when you crank it up and really tighten the 8 wires. But it doesn’t come close to sounding like a regular snare. Many people have seen this drum and tell me it’s an awesome snare and I keep wondering “what drum are you hearing?”

I like the drum, but it’s got to be made playable. So today I dropped it off at Pro Drum and we agreed: let’s install a snare bed and put a Ludwig P85 and a butt on it. Sorry purists - I cant have a snare that’s just unplayable. We’ll see how great this drum will be in a few weeks.

 

[lefty2]

You're a brave man Bo. This will surely ruffle some feathers. lol That's quite a drum, I don't think I've seen one before. I was up on all the Yamaha drums in the 80s. I wore out their catalogue and finally bought a power tour custom kit in 88. Good luck with you snare.

 

[Bo Eder]

You're a brave man Bo. This will surely ruffle some feathers. lol That's quite a drum, I don't think I've seen one before. I was up on all the Yamaha drums in the 80s. I wore out their catalogue and finally bought a power tour custom kit in 88. Good luck with you snare.

On the one hand, I get the museum quality people seek out, but on the other hand - you can’t use this drum the way it is. If we could find a way to attach DynaSonic snares to the bottom without removing the existing strainer, we would’ve done that. But Yamaha didn’t give you that option. I think the snare will be so useable no one will question the modification. In fact, none of my audience cares what I play. So if I was a Benny Greb, playing for drummers in a clinic, I get it. But I play for dancing females out for a good time - so I work accordingly

 

[DutchDrummersDreams]

Blasphemia!

But if it works for you. That’s what counts.

It is the first time I hear that the system doesn’t work though.

 

[Bo Eder]

Blasphemia!

But if it works for you. That’s what counts.

It is the first time I hear that the system doesn’t work though.

I think there's a reason you no longer see these snare mechanisms using aircraft cable anymore.

 

[Terry Branam]

Those cable snare mechanisms are cool, but I'd put a Trick strainer on there. Personal preference... Hope it turns out well!

 

[DutchDrummersDreams]

That system is still being used on the marching snares from Yamaha, and it has been a staple on most of their 80’s drums.

 

[Trigger]

So this is the Yamaha SD-016 Snare from 1985. Its built great and matches my Recording Custom kit. But it’s got the dumbest snare strainer and wires ever. This drum can’t be sensitive because it’s more like a marching snare. It sounds great when you crank it up and really tighten the 8 wires. But it doesn’t come close to sounding like a regular snare. Many people have seen this drum and tell me it’s an awesome snare and I keep wondering “what drum are you hearing?”

I like the drum, but it’s got to be made playable. So today I dropped it off at Pro Drum and we agreed: let’s install a snare bed and put a Ludwig P85 and a butt on it. Sorry purists - I cant have a snare that’s just unplayable. We’ll see how great this drum will be in a few weeks.

I've never heard anyone talk about this snare drum ever so I don't think there will be mobs coming for you.

 

[Yamaha Rider]

Can't you just put it back in its box so you can sell a museum quality kit for top dollar?
Have a sniff around the house - you might have another snare you can play instead.

 

[Bo Eder]

Can't you just put it back in its box so you can sell a museum quality kit for top dollar?
Have a sniff around the house - you might have another snare you can play instead.

I’m saving another person from having to deal with an unplayable snare. If anybody gets it next they’ll thank me

 

[notvinnie]

If you didn't like the way it sounded, you should have sold it to someone and then gotten a snare that you liked. There's nothing special about that shell other than the fact that the finish matches the rest of the set. And a Ludwig P-85? You gotta be kidding me. That would be the LAST strainer I would put on any snare drum, even a Ludwig.

 

[C.M. Jones]

I think @notvinnie makes a valid point above. I wouldn't contend with the headache of reinventing a drum whose features I disliked from the outset. With so many options on the market, there's no reason to settle for a shell that doesn't meet your qualifications right out of the box. On the other hand, if you enjoy portraying Dr. Frankenstein, I bestow my total support upon your deranged objectives. Different strokes for different drummers. The world would be a bore if everything made sense.

 

[Bo Eder]

If you didn't like the way it sounded, you should have sold it to someone and then gotten a snare that you liked. There's nothing special about that shell other than the fact that the finish matches the rest of the set. And a Ludwig P-85? You gotta be kidding me. That would be the LAST strainer I would put on any snare drum, even a Ludwig.

Wow. Relax man. You’re reacting exactly how I predicted some would. It’s a friggin drum. Ya play ‘em!

 

[Bo Eder]

I think @notvinnie makes a valid point above. I wouldn't contend with the headache of reinventing a drum whose features I disliked from the outset. With so many options on the market, there's no reason to settle for a shell that doesn't meet your qualifications right out of the box. On the other hand, if you enjoy portraying Dr. Frankenstein, I bestow my total support upon your deranged objectives. Different strokes for different drummers. The world would be a bore if everything made sense.

Can you imagine if this was a Drum Workshop group and I talked about doing this to one of their snares? All those collectors heads would explode

 

[DutchDrummersDreams]

Can you imagine if this was a Drum Workshop group and I talked about doing this to one of their snares? All those collectors heads would explode

If you would have put this in the Yamaha groups, the heads will explode too.

 

[Bo Eder]

If you would have put this in the Yamaha groups, the heads will explode too.

Hmm. I figure since this kit was from 1986 or so, nobody would care since it's approaching (or is) basically vintage at this point?

 

[DutchDrummersDreams]

Hmm. I figure since this kit was from 1986 or so, nobody would care since it's approaching (or is) basically vintage at this point?

Good, you took the bate too

And you countered back properly by calling me (unintentionally) vintage as I was born in 1985.

For collector's, it could be the worse thing to do (yes these are getting collectable too, the older they get.) but I'm all for making it playable before collectable.

 

[notvinnie]

It’s a friggin drum. Ya play ‘em!

Exactly. Play it. Instead, you've taken a file and drill to it.

 

[Bozozoid]

Now if that snare was sonor the review in Modern Drummer would have been....the snaredrum although sounds good it suffers from a case of over engineering.

 

[Tnhpdc]

Just came across this thread, and this has got to be the dumbest thread I’ve read in a while. I don’t see the point in wrecking a perfectly good vintage snare drum because someone doesn’t like the sound. Yammy collectors would pay top dollar for that drum. I’ve been looking for a while myself.

The drum was built to sound a certain way using the original Parts. Some folks want that specific sound for a reason.

I think a good anology for this thread is: I went to the store today,walked past all the blue shorts, over to the long pant section. Once there, I bought a pair of $450 dollar red pants, I got them home and didn’t like them so I decided to cut the legs off and dyed the pants blue. lol.