The matching snare

larryace said:
I almost don't understand why matching snares are even included in a lot of sets. I'd be willing to guess that probably 90% of drummers use mismatched snares. If I were a drum company exec looking to streamline costs, I'd suggest not including a matching snare. Make that something you have to order. I just got a Sonor Players kit for 450 US that came with a matching snare. Of course I'm not going to use it. Why even include it? I also just got a Yamaha Gigmaker set (not recommended) that came with a matching snare. Anybody want them?
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err Larry you have the Rolls Royce of drums that comes with their own Swami (ie Guru ) and then you bought Yammies begginer set (Gigmaker) and wonder why you dont like it !!

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I started with Gigmakers, reheaded them and they sounded fine, but if I did it round the other way ....well I think folks would be a thinkin I was pulling their Larry-at....

Heres a picture I found of you trying to "rope" a diffrent snare to first ( or perhaps most recent) drum purchase

Checking+out+the+roping+dummy+550.jpg
 
I have the matching snare for my main kit. It took over a year of searching to find it but I got there in the end. Bought it for a song from someone who had absolutely NO idea what it was he was selling - I love those guys!

Why did I spend so much time and effort tracking it down?

Well, the rest of the kit continues to blow me away so a small part of me was curious as to how it sounds. But the primary reason was I know that if I ever wind up selling the kit (pretty damn unlikely, but you never know...) then by having the matching snare I've just added real value to the package.

Cynical, but there you go!

The kit is a Yamaha Beech Custom Absolute Nouveau. I've heard precious little out there that can out-sonic it. The Guru stuff clearly overpowers it but then those kits steamroller everything out there so we can disregard them.....!
 
I have the matching snare to both my kits, but don't use them, but as many others here have brought up, it's about selling it with the kit later. Its a different thing when you have a bunch of snares to choose from, but I'd say most of the drummers out there don't have a collection of snares, and just use whatever comes with the set. Lots of people don't like to buy shell packs, they want the whole kit - hardware and stands as well.
 
Two kits, two matching snares, use them both with the kits they came with, why not? Do manufacturers make good kits and send them out with rubbish snare drums? Each to there own but I think there is a lot of snobbery about snare drums. With my choice of heads and wires both snares sound good to me.
 
wombat said:
err Larry you have the Rolls Royce of drums that comes with their own Swami (ie Guru ) and then you bought Yammies begginer set (Gigmaker) and wonder why you dont like it !!

hqdefault.jpg


I started with Gigmakers, reheaded them and they sounded fine, but if I did it round the other way ....well I think folks would be a thinkin I was pulling their Larry-at....

Heres a picture I found of you trying to "rope" a diffrent snare to first ( or perhaps most recent) drum purchase

Checking+out+the+roping+dummy+550.jpg
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I like the sound of drums that don't break the bank just as much. I really like the tone of my cheapo Sonor Players kit. I'm just really picky, about everything really.
 
larryace said:
I like the sound of drums that don't break the bank just as much. I really like the tone of my cheapo Sonor Players kit. I'm just really picky, about everything really.
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Alas my reply taking the piss fell flat and here was me all a self proud of you and your drum with the different 'snare' you'd made.. ..your a tuff crowd larry
 
wombat said:
Alas my reply taking the piss fell flat and here was me all a self proud of you and your drum with the different 'snare' you'd made.. ..your a tuff crowd larry
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Sorry, it's my bad. I'm kind of slow on the uptake sometimes. I didn't get anything. I'm roping a snare, but there's no snare, there's a cow. Sorry, I'm not at 100% today lol.
 
I prefer to have a matching snare for my high-end kits for potential resale value if nothing else, so three of my kits have them. In fact my Tama Star 6x13 sounds so incredible that I was going to order an 8x14 version for contrast, until I ran across an 8x14 Tama G-maple Hawaiian Thunder 40th anniversary reissue. I find that snares are the weak link generally for intermediate kits so I don't have one for my birch/bubinga gigging kit. Too many better choices at my disposal. Nonetheless, I'm not averse to playing a matching snare and am just as happy to play one that doesn't match. All depends on my mood and musical situation. My only condition is tha a mismatched snare doesn't clash aesthetically with the kit.
 
Cymbalise said:
The kit is a Yamaha Beech Custom Absolute Nouveau. I've heard precious little out there that can out-sonic it. The Guru stuff clearly overpowers it but then those kits steamroller everything out there so we can disregard them.....!
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Huge props for that! :)

You heard them in the most levelling of environments - a sports hall :( Even so, there was no mistaking when the Guru's kicked off :) From what heard, the Ufips sounded pretty damn fine too!
 
I don't actually like the look of matching snares for some reason.

If I'm watching a drummer on tv I like trying to figure out what snare they are playing, if a different colour to the kit.

I do have matching snares but I never use them, simply as I'm either using a Supra, a Black Beauty or a gold sparkle Radio King and my kits are Green, Turquoise and Red Sparkle, so way off the colour chart for all three when compared to my kits!! The snares that came with the kits are kept at home.
 
mikel said:
So.....you are suggesting drum manufacturers can produce drum shells in all configurations except snare drum sizes? Right.
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Not at all. Snares are much more complex and costly to produce than (for instance) tom shells, with more components and snare beds, etc. Shell production is easy for mass-manufacturers, the rest of designing and building a decent snare drum is tricky.
 
BacteriumFendYoke said:
Not at all. Snares are much more complex and costly to produce than (for instance) tom shells, with more components and snare beds, etc. Shell production is easy for mass-manufacturers, the rest of designing and building a decent snare drum is tricky.
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No its not. You take the relevant diameter shell, cut it to the desired depth, and cut a bearing edge the same as the others. Cut the snare recesses, add strainer and butt end and off you go, its not rocket science.

"Oh it has to be a Supra" or a Luddy or etc etc cos there so easy to record. If they were that easy why did the always have a wallet or a hankey or a flipflop on them then? Its a drum. If you like to have a certain expensive snare because Bonzo used one, or a rare instrument, fair enough, but don't try and pretend its essential. Those guys used them because they were available at the time, now? most mid range drums and upwards will give a great sound with decent heads and good tuning.
 
mikel said:
No its not. You take the relevant diameter shell, cut it to the desired depth, and cut a bearing edge the same as the others. Cut the snare recesses, add strainer and butt end and off you go, its not rocket science.
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Lugs help too :)

Seriously though, much of the skill is required before you get to "you take the relevant diameter shell".

mikel said:
most mid range drums and upwards will give a great sound with decent heads and good tuning.
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Correct, so long as they don't exhibit serious faults. Regrettably, some do. Applies to so called "high end" stuff too.
 
mikel said:
No its not. You take the relevant diameter shell, cut it to the desired depth, and cut a bearing edge the same as the others. Cut the snare recesses, add strainer and butt end and off you go, its not rocket science.

"Oh it has to be a Supra" or a Luddy or etc etc cos there so easy to record. If they were that easy why did the always have a wallet or a hankey or a flipflop on them then? Its a drum. If you like to have a certain expensive snare because Bonzo used one, or a rare instrument, fair enough, but don't try and pretend its essential. Those guys used them because they were available at the time, now? most mid range drums and upwards will give a great sound with decent heads and good tuning.
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I'm not quite sure why you're being so belligerent. Have you got shares in a company that only produce snares with kits?

There are some 'acceptable' kit snares. My old snare was one of them. It was ok. It wasn't particularly great though and had serious design flaws - hence why I replaced it. When I bought the kit, it was a 'mid-level' kit.

I've played a lot of kit snares. The only one I was ever genuinely impressed by was an old Premier Cabria snare. The rest (after tuning) by and large sounded boxy, lifeless and had a very limited tuning range. Now, this is a generalisation and I'm sure there are one or two that are good but I've only come across two that I would consider using for any longer than I had to.

Your above post pretty much sums it up for me. Particularly where you describe the bearing edges. No, no, no. Snares are a specific drum and function separately from the rest of the kit. Do snares generally sustain? Most don't. Are toms (by and large) generally sold as constructed for sustain? Yes. The two should be constructed differently, then. Bearing edges are one design consideration that should be taken seriously when designing any drum. Not just slapping the same ones on as the rest of the kit.

You might not be able to tell the difference between a watermelon and a bass drum but that's hardly my problem. One of the best snares I've owned was a Yamaha Musashi that I bought for £180. A very inexpensive drum. If I buy a kit for £1,000 though, the snare is sure as Hell going to be worth a lot less after the drum company has done their bean counting.

I'm not ruling out the possibility that more decent kit snares exist but I haven't found many of them.
 
Although it is not necessary, I like snares that match the set, or are at least complimentary. Since most hardware is chrome, chrome snares like chrome plated supras (lm400, COB, etc.) look good with about any kit.
 
ncc said:
let's add another component to this question. With higher end kits, do people buy matching snares because they match, more often than not?
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There are a number of higher end kits sold as shell packs, without snares. Which starts the journey.

I like a couple of things in a snare...

At least 8 lugs
dry sound
coated head
16 to 20 strand wire
straps or cord (it doesn't matter in my world)
a nice throw off. (there are a wide range of prices here as well)

I'm not a piccolo aficionado.

14 x 6.5 are fine. 14 x 8 or x 10 are pricey.

13's are not really a standard and when you need a head or snare wire and walk into a run of the mill store, a 13 might not be there.

All the other stuff doesn't register. If it sounds good... it is good. Take a Chromed steel shell, say an intermediate student model upgrade with new heads, snare wire, and a good tuning... it is probably going to sound and record just fine. I've done it, and so have a multitude of other percussionists.

Acrolites are just student drums with potential. Other materials perform admirably as well.

Cost is really not a driver on snares unless you're going for a certain look or vibe. The basics are easily achieved at reasonable prices. Believe it... or not.
 
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I have a matching snare right now. But as soon as possible I won't. Need my Ludwig Supra back! I prefer non-matching.
 
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