Snare question: 8 vs 10 lug differences?

v.zarate

Gold Member
What are the advantages of 10 over 8?
Would 8 be considered entry/intermid and 10 pro/high end?
Does it really even matter?

I have both. Just wanted to know

edited: and die-cast hoops too!
 
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I like 10 lug snares. They seem more focused. 8 lug snares sound a little too open to me, which is what I go for in toms, but not snares. It's all just a matter of preference. A Supra sounds better to me than an 8 lug Acro.

The entry level thing is not really on the mark. Some people prefer 8 lug snares.
 
There are expensive snares with 8 lugs so 8 doesn't make it entry level. 6 might
 
I like 10 lug snares. They seem more focused. 8 lug snares sound a little too open to me, which is what I go for in toms, but not snares. It's all just a matter of preference. A Supra sounds better to me than an 8 lug Acro.

The entry level thing is not really on the mark. Some people prefer 8 lug snares.

Would die-cast hoops make an 8 lug more focused and less open?
 
I'd say yes. Die cast hoops tend to wrangle all the freqs together and focus them in a tighter "pattern".
 
I'd say yes. Die cast hoops tend to wrangle all the freqs together and focus them in a tighter "pattern".

From what ive been reading, this seems true. Notice that people put one on the batter side and keep a regular hoop on the snare side to get some ring. I may try die cast on both though
 
I think the hoops will have a more noticeable effect on the sound than the lug number... It's an indicator of lower quality though. 6 lugs would be iffy on a 14" or 13" snare.

Bob Gatzen uses a 2.3mm batter hoop and die-cast reso hoop on his snares to control the snare ring. Interesting concept. Personally, I think my COB likes die-cast hoops on both sides a lot and my stave Padauk works great with both my S-Hoops and my Fat Tone hoops. (For the record, both have 8 lugs.)
 
I think the hoops will have a more noticeable effect on the sound than the lug number... It's an indicator of lower quality though. 6 lugs would be iffy on a 14" or 13" snare.

Bob Gatzen uses a 2.3mm batter hoop and die-cast reso hoop on his snares to control the snare ring. Interesting concept. Personally, I think my COB likes die-cast hoops on both sides a lot and my stave Padauk works great with both my S-Hoops and my Fat Tone hoops. (For the record, both have 8 lugs.)

Ok cool. I asked the additional die cast question because i was thinking of putting some on my tama brass snare thats 8 lug
 
I'm willing to bet your Tama is a high quality drum. I would try a die cast hoop on the batter side. 8 or 10 lugs don't make me much difference. I've had both that I like. I can't tell any difference in tuning either. but I think I tend to overlook a lot, in regards to details. It seems like others see and hear things that I just fail to see. It all boils down to whether you like the drum or not. If you like it, then all is good. A new hoop, and head might just do the trick.
 
I'm willing to bet your Tama is a high quality drum. I would try a die cast hoop on the batter side. 8 or 10 lugs don't make me much difference. I've had both that I like. I can't tell any difference in tuning either. but I think I tend to overlook a lot, in regards to details. It seems like others see and hear things that I just fail to see. It all boils down to whether you like the drum or not. If you like it, then all is good. A new hoop, and head might just do the trick.

my brass snare is of good quality but it isn't the high quality one you are thinking of. what i have noticed is the tuning is a bit faster with 8 lug. the snare is loud and full of tone. i have to put a ring on it. its 6.5"x14" , MIJ , mid 90"s i believe, this is it...

47f98d3d-0a5d-4944-8427-4e9da75feff7_zps1d3a5e26.jpg
 
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Some of the best snares made have 8 lugs, such as those made by Ron Dunnett, which are clearly world class. Part of the reason for 8 is to remove extra dampening on the shell by removing weight. this allows the shell to be more resonant. It also depends on the shell design and material, and weight of each lug, as well as footprint of the lug. In general, smaller footprint of hardware and lighter hardware allow more shell resonance. On the other hand, if you have a "ringy" shell, you may want dampen it a bit. this is handled in the design of the drum by the maker.
 
Historically 6 or 8 lug snares were found in the budget category, and the high end snares had 10.

After playing the usual 10-luggers for years, owning a Dunnett got me interested in 8 lug snares. I can tune them up much faster, and I like the extra room between the lugs for playing rim shots.

I’m with larryace, I really like focused sounding snares (10 lug Supra over 8 lug Acro). When I spec’d my Keplinger snare, I did go with 8, however. The heavy gauge shell has enough mass for more than enough focus, so I went with 8 for a smidgen more resonance and for the convenience reasons I mentioned above.
 
Low tuned snares can even be 6 lugs and then there's those rope tuned snares as well... which I have seen on a kit as a tonal add-on. But 8 is good for getting up in tone although a 10 does it so much easier. And having never really thought about as Cornelius sez... 8 lugs gives you more rim for rim work. But there are adapters for rim/stick work that I guess serves a purpose and may be a consideration if you are playing a 10 lug.
 
Potential cost savings aside, the number of lugs on any drum, just as any other element, should be considered as part of the overall concept. In isolation, the number of lugs is close to meaningless in terms of performance. Let's break this down into two distinct areas;

1/ Mass.

The lower the lug mass, the less dampening affect on the shell, & hence the whole instrument. That's fine, but not all lugs are equal. Some lugs weigh 10 - 20 times more than others, so that snare with 8 die cast lugs will carry more dampening mass than one with l10 lighter lugs, & you can take that to extremes in any direction. BTW, adding lug mass to a shell doesn't necessarily translate to adding "focus". It's more likely to reduce shell resonance, & that reduces tone shaping provided by the shell. In fact, more mass on the shell can contribute to greater high overtones, & high overtones are often perceived as "openness" (not really true, but let's go with common perception for now).

The affect of additional or reduced lug mass is proportional to the shell's overall resonant profile too. On a highly resonant or otherwise thinner shell, it can make a big difference, but on a heavy or otherwise less resonant shell, the difference can be negligible - non existent.

Tuning accuracy.

Directly proportional to the rigidity of the hoops. A drum with 8 lugs fitted with S hoops (as an example) will exhibit greater tuning accuracy than a 10 lug drum using single flange wood hoops & claws. Similar difference between say die cast hoops & 1.6mm triple flange. So again, the number of hoops should be considered within the overall design concept. BTW, Hoop mass will have a much bigger affect on dampening of higher overtones than lug mass ever will.

Ok, those are the two main areas of consideration relevant to the player, but the drum designer has to (or should) consider much more than that. For example, intended tuning range, shell stress (in relation to shell type, footprint, cross head tuning affect, etc).

I hope this little 101 breakdown helps :)
 
My ARBITER snare only having 2 lugs is the easiest drum to tune that I've experienced.

Tune the batter head to desired feel, then dial in the bottom head to the desired sound... done. Two lugs.
 
Lower-priced drums tend to have fewer lugs to keep down cost, but there's no direct correlation. And of course, what you do with the snare is far more important than what you pay for it.

One of my favorite snares is my Ludwig Standard aluminum-shell snare. 8 lugs, marketed as an entry-level snare, yet I can get a great sound out of it and have played it on many a gig, where it outperformed snares that cost me double or triple in terms of tone and staying in tune.

The venerable Acrolite, which gets many great reviews as a go-to snare here on DW, has 8 lugs and was a student drum standard for many years.

And as mentioned before, Dunnett does most of their drums with 8 lugs. On higher-end drums, it becomes part of the design decision.
 
Potential cost savings aside, the number of lugs on any drum, just as any other element, should be considered as part of the overall concept. In isolation, the number of lugs is close to meaningless in terms of performance. Let's break this down into two distinct areas;

1/ Mass.

The lower the lug mass, the less dampening affect on the shell, & hence the whole instrument. That's fine, but not all lugs are equal. Some lugs weigh 10 - 20 times more than others, so that snare with 8 die cast lugs will carry more dampening mass than one with l10 lighter lugs, & you can take that to extremes in any direction. BTW, adding lug mass to a shell doesn't necessarily translate to adding "focus". It's more likely to reduce shell resonance, & that reduces tone shaping provided by the shell. In fact, more mass on the shell can contribute to greater high overtones, & high overtones are often perceived as "openness" (not really true, but let's go with common perception for now).

The affect of additional or reduced lug mass is proportional to the shell's overall resonant profile too. On a highly resonant or otherwise thinner shell, it can make a big difference, but on a heavy or otherwise less resonant shell, the difference can be negligible - non existent.

Tuning accuracy.

Directly proportional to the rigidity of the hoops. A drum with 8 lugs fitted with S hoops (as an example) will exhibit greater tuning accuracy than a 10 lug drum using single flange wood hoops & claws. Similar difference between say die cast hoops & 1.6mm triple flange. So again, the number of hoops should be considered within the overall design concept. BTW, Hoop mass will have a much bigger affect on dampening of higher overtones than lug mass ever will.

Ok, those are the two main areas of consideration relevant to the player, but the drum designer has to (or should) consider much more than that. For example, intended tuning range, shell stress (in relation to shell type, footprint, cross head tuning affect, etc).

I hope this little 101 breakdown helps :)

Great info KIS! I understood it all

Im gonna see if the drum i posted a few post up cuts down on some of the overtones with somes die cast hoops.
 
If you like to tension your snare very tightly, you'll want more lugs. Otherwise, 8 is perfect. I had a chromed brass Slingerland with 12 lugs years ago. Great sounding drum.
 
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