Rattlin' Bones
Gold Member
I see a lot of 6.5" deep snares for sale. I've only used 5" and 5.5" deep snares. What does a 6.5 do that a 5 or 5.5 can't?
I think it could be psychological. Coming up I played a 5” Supra, then about ten years I went to a 6.5 and am convinced I get a throatier Sound and a nicer Eagles-like “thud”. But in reality, I recall being able to get a nice deep sound from the 5” drum too. I think a thicker snare just looks coolerI see a lot of 6.5" deep snares for sale. I've only used 5" and 5.5" deep snares. What does a 6.5 do that a 5 or 5.5 can't?
Oh, that BonzoMaybe just presence or volume. I think I'm with you, I love the way my standard depth snares respond and I own snares from 4" depth up to 7". I just got a 14x6.5 supra but that was only because that's what Bonham used.
I have been tuning my 5" and 5.5" snares down (looser heads and less tension on snare wires) so I get a slushier sound. More New Orleans kinda old school Preservation Hall sound. Crushed rolls are more crushed. Less stick. Does a 6.5" do this more easily?All things being equal a bigger drum makes a fuller acoustic sound. My comments are based on owning a 5.5 and 6.5 Pearl ultracasts that are fitted out and tuned identically. So if I want more body I select the 6.5 if I want more emphasis on the initial stick impact I go for the 5.5 depth. There is overlap between the two although I would always select a 6.5 if I didn’t know what was coming up.
I don’t know much about this specific drum sound and now you have added this additional information /requirement/aim …it sound more like this could be achieved with a calf head or calf simulation and a low tuning and loose snare wre tension, rather than changing the depth of the drum shell itself. Having said that deeper drums are a tad slower and so it’s easier to get for want of a better term a sloshier sound. Calf heads are drier and have less initial impact more mid low tone. They are not for heavy hitters.I have been tuning my 5" and 5.5" snares down (looser heads and less tension on snare wires) so I get a slushier sound. More New Orleans kinda old school Preservation Hall sound. Crushed rolls are more crushed. Less stick. Does a 6.5" do this more easily?
I prefer thinner snares for low tunings and deeper snares for higher tunings. To try to answer your question, they both do what you outlined, but IMO I like the way a 5 does the things you mentioned better than a 6.5.I have been tuning my 5" and 5.5" snares down (looser heads and less tension on snare wires) so I get a slushier sound. More New Orleans kinda old school Preservation Hall sound. Crushed rolls are more crushed. Less stick. Does a 6.5" do this more easily?
Thanks. I think I will not be buying a 6.5" snare. Stick with 5' and 5.5".Deeper snares have a richer overtone profile, which I think is what translates into the perception they have more body. I think of it as more "voice."
I've found, at lower tunings, that additional voice can interfere a bit if I just want a sloshy sound. Even though it's counterintuitive, I'm in agreement with Larry - a shallower drum works better at lower tunings for me. At least, it's easier to get what I want because there are less overtones to wrangle.
So, I think they are just different, not really better or worse.