Piccolo Snares, I'm not digging them

I don't know how long this has been on. I'm new to this site, but feel like commenting on this. I fell in love with the piccolo in my earlier years of drumming, b4 it became popular. Probably becuz it was different than standard 5x14 etc...and had a funky "pop". I wanted to use it all the time playing funk and jazz, etc... However, my high school jazz instructor didn't like that I used it so much, he thought it didn't blend. I thought he was "wacked " back then (30years ago), but now, know what he was saying. It's about the music ... if you are really a musician, you will realize that drumming is your craft and the drums and accessories are your tools. All these things are at your disposal to assist in creating music. Listen to the music and decide what compliments it, whether it calls for a pic or standard or deep depth. That's why a good working drummer carries many tools in his arsenal. I see and hear to many guys now who have that "American Idol" mentality(all about me) and are forcing licks and gear that they think make them sound good without considering what makes the music sound good. Of course this mentality is fed by the instrument industry itself. Back in the eighties many folks chose electronics over traditional instruments. So it seemed like the industry started pushing solo monsters as idols to astonish kids into wanting to buy the latest and greatest cookie cutter instrument. My interest came from watching how drummers were laying it down in band situations.

Sorry for being long winded, but needed to get that out. Always wanted a forum like this.

Peace!
 
I think the piccilo has its place as if your playing a song thats just snare drum but if I'm jamming out full set, I like to have my deeper snare. However I think it would be fun to have a piccilo or a smaller snare as a second snare or side snare. Although I may be biasd cus my band instructer has 3 piccilo snares and those are pretty high quality.
 
I really think the perfect tone for an auxiliary snare is a Pearl Popcorn snare (but I still like my 14x5 snare as my main and would LOVE a deeper one) I'm not sure the exact depth of the popcorn is but it's a 10 in. diameter and just gives such an awesome pop and depth.
 
I really think the perfect tone for an auxiliary snare is a Pearl Popcorn snare (but I still like my 14x5 snare as my main and would LOVE a deeper one) I'm not sure the exact depth of the popcorn is but it's a 10 in. diameter and just gives such an awesome pop and depth.

You mean firecrackers? They also come in 12". Ten inch is too thin for me, no body at all, but twelve is sweet indeed.

Does a 1" difference in depth (5 vs 6") make a considerable difference at all?
 
I think a piccolo with its snares off makes a good sound. There are definitely a lot fewer applications for a piccolo than say a deep 10" for an aux snare in terms of my own personal taste.

I played a brass Pearl piccolo as a primary for a couple years when I was younger and didn't realize what I was missing until I got some depth back.

I just ordered a 13X9 mahogany snare, and am anxious to see what that sounds like cranked up.

Overall though, I agree. I think I may never own another piccolo.

I can't wait to see and hear this snare Garv.
 
Piccolos are weird things. I think there's a disconnect between what we expect out of them and what they actually are. At least that was my case at first.

I used to have a 3.5x13 (EDIT: OOPS! 13, not 15!) maple piccolo that I used as my main snare for some time. I bought it because it was cheaper than the other snares at the shop and it was a different sounds. I grew not to like it though. The lugs were always shaking loose. Total pain in the butt. And it wasn't as thick as sound as I wanted. (well.... duh!)

I probably should have gone with more depth and smaller heads like a 7x13 instead of going for smaller on both.

My current piccolo is a 4x14 Payne Percussion snare that is just killer. Very nice tone, more than I would have expected from it.

More importantly, I know what to expect from it and what NOT to expect from it and I'm much happier than with the other one.
 
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