Stave snare head recommendations?

M

Mikedrums78

Senior Member
I picked up a Brady jarrah 12x7 here in Japan recently and was contemplating my sound options for a batter head. Right now I have a coated ambassador on it, which is great! Slightly more open and ringy than the stock Brady dot head.

Has anyone tried a two ply on a stave shell? What did it sound like?

Also, to any other Brady or stave snare peeps, what is your go-to head? Why? Thanks!
 
Those are fairly thick, yeah?

Anyways, on my 13x5 half inch thick Padauk snare responds to single ply heads much better than two ply heads- partially because it's thick enough (and it has half-rounded edges) to provide all the focus I need with single ply heads. Two plies just generally sound dead on it (works amazingly with G14s/Ambassador X14s though), and I generally control the ring with different hoops anyways.

It's definitely the drum, though, as my COB snare has no such qualms with non-single-ply heads.

Anyways, to answer your question: try a G14/X14 or perhaps a clear Power Center Reverse Dot/Controlled Sound, they sound great as well.
 
I use Evans Power Center reverse dots on my staves....I had a Brady but also have 2 Unix staves that the Dots work wonders for.

F
 
Yeah, the PCRD and the G14s/G12s and stuff are kind of two sides of the same coin to me. I liked the clear a little better with the dot, and the coated a little better without the dot. The Remo Vintage A head was also pretty similar to the X14 I tried after it but the X14 was just, well, a better version of the sound. I'm sure it sounds different on different drums.
 
Maybe try out a coated Powerstroke 3. Single ply but with the built in control ring. Fewer overtones than an Ambassador but not as dead as an Emperor can be on some drums. I love an Emperor on certain snares (brass, metal, oak) but too much on others.
Also, as already mentioned, I second trying out a Vintage Ambassador (thicker single ply)
Report back with your findings!

Neal
 
G1 over Hazy 300 should produce excellent full range results on any well designed snare. If you need to move from that, you're either after a very specific tonal/dynamic response, or you're correcting a deficiency in the drum. Stave drums don't require different treatment to any other drum type. The character of the drum should manifest itself without recourse to specific heads.
 
All the stave/segmented snares I've had are very ringy. Usually I put a coated Ambassador on the batter of my snares, but that doesn't often work with my staves - the ring is often uncontrollable. I prefer to use an Evans Power Center Reverse Dot / Remo CS or an Evans Genera Dry. Usually these are overkill for my other snares and tend to choke them, but they work great on my thicker-shelled snares.
 
MatrixClaw said:
All the stave/segmented snares I've had are very ringy. Usually I put a coated Ambassador on the batter of my snares, but that doesn't often work with my staves - the ring is often uncontrollable. I prefer to use an Evans Power Center Reverse Dot / Remo CS or an Evans Genera Dry. Usually these are overkill for my other snares and tend to choke them, but they work great on my thicker-shelled snares.
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Excessive high overtones can be a feature of many thicker shell stave & segmented snares, but certainly not thinner shell & otherwise tonally balanced examples.
 
keep it simple said:
Excessive high overtones can be a feature of many thicker shell stave & segmented snares, but certainly not thinner shell & otherwise tonally balanced examples.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I wouldn't call my half-inch thick ringy at all, though that's also bearing edge & head choice & other stuff I suppose. Now, one of those Gretsch 1" thick ones... those will likely get some nasty high overtones.
 
I like the idea of a slightly thicker single ply..maybe i'll go for an ambassador x next! Do you guys think the amb x is somewhere in the middle between a regular amb and a coated dot in terms of muffling? I have never tried an amb x before..
 
keep it simple said:
I couldn't possibly express an opinion.
Click to expand...

LMAO

Mikedrums78 said:
I like the idea of a slightly thicker single ply..maybe i'll go for an ambassador x next! Do you guys think the amb x is somewhere in the middle between a regular amb and a coated dot in terms of muffling? I have never tried an amb x before..
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I think so, at least. In my experience, there's not a HUGE difference, but the dot heads generally have more focus in the center. Plus (to me) they accentuate the higher overtones when played outside the dot. The thicker single ply heads have a more consistent sound, but the effect is pretty subtle.
 
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I've been using the coated Ambassador as well on my thick (1") stave cherry drum. I may try a Vintage Ambassador next as I've had good luck with that model on my brass snare. It may improve the sound or may not, we'll see.
 
I have a Jarah stave drum a 14 x 7 Brady not sure if the smaller diameter drum you have is constructed differently but for rock/ alternative styles I like power centre batter / hazzy 300. For general purpose I would go with a G1 coated / hazzy 300 and then add a bit of gaffa tape at 2 O clock, both very normal combinations.

I always thought Brady stave snares have a fairly short note (loads of upfront woody crunch), where as the ply drums of the same wood have a somewhat longer note and are pretty ringy (in a good way).

On balance I would fit a smaller diameter drum with a single ply and just dampen with a little tape.

A pretty accurate recording of my big Brady cranked up with the G1 batter can be heard here.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_LLjPtWPug
 
I've got a Brady 7x12 York Gum block snare that I bought just under a year ago. I replaced the stock head too. At first I put a coated Ambassador on it. Sounded good - but a bit 'ringy' sounding. I swapped it with a coated Emperor head. That seemed to do the trick. It still has overtones, but not has much, and it's a bit more focused, punchy, and cracks like crazy.
 
Ok, so here`s an update: I tried a few different batter heads for my brady block, including a coated pcrd, ambassador, and a texture coated aquarian. The evans pcrd made the snare sound somewhat boxy, especially in the lower to medium tunings. It sounded ok tuned up high, but I didn`t dig how the stick felt off this head. I also had a hard time getting it tuned up..contrary to all the hype with the 360 campaign..
The ambassador was great! No muffling, nice ring with a slight wash of overtones. Great crack when rimshotting. Although it had less attack to the hit when compared to the remo stock control sound.
My favorite out of all so far is the aquarian texture coated. I slapped it on and tuned it up, not really paying attention to specifics, gave it a crack and man, that was the sound I was looking for with this snare. Perfect amount of ring and overtones, but still balanced and warm sounding. The rimshot sound was perfect, with the right amount of crack and body.
 
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