I want to get a steel snare for my kit. Something better than the stock 8". I want steel so I wont have to wrap it. The steel goes with anything.
Guitarcenter has the steel firecracker for $129.99. Same price for 10" or 12". I dont have any way to test since my local guitar center doesnt stock this snare.
Any thoughts?
Steve
10" or 12" snare?
Well, I think I'm gonna go with the 10" snare. I mounted the 10x5 tom in the snare position and it just visually looks better.
Anyone with experience knows the big difference between a 10" and 12" snare. Both are 5" in depth. I guess if I ever did gig with the kit, if needed, I could always mic it right?
I'm kind of wanting to keep this kit more on the smaller size. I'm really liking the stock 10" hats. I think they are brass? They are GP. They have a nice chick sound to them that I like. And closer to the edge you get that kind of opened sound. So I will be keeping these. Still might try the wuhan 12" splashes if I can find them on sale or used cheap.
The GP crash/ride is a no. Just doesnt sound good at all to me. I will probably go with a Sabian b8 15" crash. But i will see when I go test them out. I might even go with a 14" if I think I can ride on it too.
Steve
Anyone with experience knows the big difference between a 10" and 12" snare. Both are 5" in depth. I guess if I ever did gig with the kit, if needed, I could always mic it right?
I'm kind of wanting to keep this kit more on the smaller size. I'm really liking the stock 10" hats. I think they are brass? They are GP. They have a nice chick sound to them that I like. And closer to the edge you get that kind of opened sound. So I will be keeping these. Still might try the wuhan 12" splashes if I can find them on sale or used cheap.
The GP crash/ride is a no. Just doesnt sound good at all to me. I will probably go with a Sabian b8 15" crash. But i will see when I go test them out. I might even go with a 14" if I think I can ride on it too.
Steve
snare size
I haven't found much difference in the 10 and 12 inch sizes...although I am sure folks would disagree on the attack and tone of each drum...I respond with how you tune them. To me anyway, it is not that big of a difference.Go with what you think will work best and of course,which snare you think will get the job done!If the job requires lots of volume the obvious choice is a larger snare,then again popcorn sizes crack nice too when cranked...
sorry for the circular logic! LOL!...I hope I didn't confuse you as much as I did myself!
bottom line...go with yer gut!
sorry for the circular logic! LOL!...I hope I didn't confuse you as much as I did myself!
bottom line...go with yer gut!
10" or 12" snare
I have both 10" and 12" snares I use with my kit. Both are 6" deep and work well, but I have been using the 10" more often for a smaller setup area. A 12" snare is pretty heavy to be mounting onto the main drum, so I use a tom stand when I use my 12" (more of a Micro Kit in this setup). The 10" can be mounted onto the main drum and the ride cymbal on the other side balances it out. It is easier to play with brushes on a 12", but the 10" will work. The cross-stick sound on a 12" will be much better than a 10", though. I use a Yamaha Russ Miller Groove Wedge on both my little snares for cross-sticking.
My 12" snare is a Yamaha Musashi Oak model NSD1260MBGW, and it comes with the Groove Wedge included. It is a good snare, the Oak has a brightness to it much like a metal snare. Yamaha now makes a 10" Musashi snare, but I have never seen/heard one in that size.
My 10" snare is a 6-ply Pearl Maple popcorn snare, model SM1060 (I think). It is a bit heavy for its size, and a bit pricey at about $275., but this is one of the most alive drums I have ever played. With the stock Coated Ambassador head, it has the most wonderful pop to it, and rimshots sound so good they are addictive. This little monster can bring the volume, too, if you need it. With a Vintage Ambassador (2-ply) or Controlled Sound head, it sounds much larger than it is. I highly recommend it. I added a Yamaha YESS mount and attached it right to my main drum. Wow. I really love this drum and cannot say enough about how good it sounds.
My 12" snare is a Yamaha Musashi Oak model NSD1260MBGW, and it comes with the Groove Wedge included. It is a good snare, the Oak has a brightness to it much like a metal snare. Yamaha now makes a 10" Musashi snare, but I have never seen/heard one in that size.
My 10" snare is a 6-ply Pearl Maple popcorn snare, model SM1060 (I think). It is a bit heavy for its size, and a bit pricey at about $275., but this is one of the most alive drums I have ever played. With the stock Coated Ambassador head, it has the most wonderful pop to it, and rimshots sound so good they are addictive. This little monster can bring the volume, too, if you need it. With a Vintage Ambassador (2-ply) or Controlled Sound head, it sounds much larger than it is. I highly recommend it. I added a Yamaha YESS mount and attached it right to my main drum. Wow. I really love this drum and cannot say enough about how good it sounds.
Sounds good tiki. I think I seen a video on youtube where someone said a vintage remo really made their popcorn snare come alive.
I did compare a 10" firecracker snare and a 12" pork pie snare and the 12" snare felt pretty heavy. I don't know if that's the case with all 12" snares. But I do think there could be a weight issue.
I'm just gonna go with the 10" steel firecracker since it's more in my budget. I will go ahead and pick up a vintage remo ambassador in case I want to make the swap.
Again, thanks for the tips/help y'all.
Steve
I did compare a 10" firecracker snare and a 12" pork pie snare and the 12" snare felt pretty heavy. I don't know if that's the case with all 12" snares. But I do think there could be a weight issue.
I'm just gonna go with the 10" steel firecracker since it's more in my budget. I will go ahead and pick up a vintage remo ambassador in case I want to make the swap.
Again, thanks for the tips/help y'all.
Steve
Hi
You can see this link:
http://www.cocktaildrum.com/rap/viewtop ... highlight=
Have a nice day.
Jottesen
Ps.
Tiki I got the same Pearl popcorn snaredrum, do you have a picture showing the drum with
the yess system and was it easy to put on???
You can see this link:
http://www.cocktaildrum.com/rap/viewtop ... highlight=
Have a nice day.Jottesen
Ps.
Tiki I got the same Pearl popcorn snaredrum, do you have a picture showing the drum with
the yess system and was it easy to put on???
YESS mount on snare
I don't have any pictures - yet. I plan to post pics of my entire kit, but have yet to get around to doing so.
The Yamaha YESS mount requires only two drilled holes to install. The trick is to A) not put the holes too close to the upper hoop, and B) to drill them parallel to the bearing edge so the mount isn't crooked on the drum shell. I have installed two of these mounts on different drums, and both are a tiny bit crooked. On my kit, I use the Yamaha ball and socket tom holders, so the mount being crooked is not really an issue. If an L-rod is used to hold the snare (like on the Club Jordan kit), a crooked mount means a crooked snare position. (The mount being a bit crooked could be an advantage if you like your snare tilted towards you a little.) Also, if you go to the store and special order a YESS mount, you need two parts: the normal tom mount (4 bolt pattern), and the YESS adaptor (two bolt pattern). Make sure you get both pieces, as Yamaha sells them seperately.
Here's my installation process for the YESS:
1) with the top hoop and head in place and tightened down, position the YESS assembly where you want it to be, leaving a bit of clearance between the mount and the hoop (the head may be tightened further as it wears, so you want to leave some room for the hoop to move down a bit - you don't want the hoop to ever hit the top of the bracket)
2) take a drill bit that barely fits through the mounting hole on the YESS bracket and use it to scratch a mark on the drum shell - do this for one hole only first
3) drill the first hole the proper size for the included screw. when drilling the shell, start slowly and be careful not to let the drill bit "walk" out of position
4) mount the YESS bracket using the one screw. it doesn't have to be torqued down, just snug/finger tight (you'll have to remove one of the drum heads and hoop to do this)
5)align the YESS assembly so it is straight on the shell - this means that both mounting holes are an equal distance from the batter bearing edge. once it is positioned properly, use the same drill bit as before to scratch the shell to mark the second mounting hole location
6) remove the YESS assembly and drill the second mounting hole - don't drill through the bracket !
7) assemble the YESS mount on the shell and tighten it in place
put the head and hoop back on and you're ready to go
Another tip: In some cases, the tom mount can be assembled to the YESS bracket upside-down (with the wingnut facing down instead of up) for more clearance. You can put a YESS mount underneath a Yamaha Groove Wedge if the wingnut is on the bottom of the mount instead of the top. Sometimes, it's easier to get to the wingnut from below than above. Two of my drums are assembled this way, and they work just as well either way.
I'll post pics of my kit soon. I have a few custom made pieces of hardware I am wanting to show off.
The Yamaha YESS mount requires only two drilled holes to install. The trick is to A) not put the holes too close to the upper hoop, and B) to drill them parallel to the bearing edge so the mount isn't crooked on the drum shell. I have installed two of these mounts on different drums, and both are a tiny bit crooked. On my kit, I use the Yamaha ball and socket tom holders, so the mount being crooked is not really an issue. If an L-rod is used to hold the snare (like on the Club Jordan kit), a crooked mount means a crooked snare position. (The mount being a bit crooked could be an advantage if you like your snare tilted towards you a little.) Also, if you go to the store and special order a YESS mount, you need two parts: the normal tom mount (4 bolt pattern), and the YESS adaptor (two bolt pattern). Make sure you get both pieces, as Yamaha sells them seperately.
Here's my installation process for the YESS:
1) with the top hoop and head in place and tightened down, position the YESS assembly where you want it to be, leaving a bit of clearance between the mount and the hoop (the head may be tightened further as it wears, so you want to leave some room for the hoop to move down a bit - you don't want the hoop to ever hit the top of the bracket)
2) take a drill bit that barely fits through the mounting hole on the YESS bracket and use it to scratch a mark on the drum shell - do this for one hole only first
3) drill the first hole the proper size for the included screw. when drilling the shell, start slowly and be careful not to let the drill bit "walk" out of position
4) mount the YESS bracket using the one screw. it doesn't have to be torqued down, just snug/finger tight (you'll have to remove one of the drum heads and hoop to do this)
5)align the YESS assembly so it is straight on the shell - this means that both mounting holes are an equal distance from the batter bearing edge. once it is positioned properly, use the same drill bit as before to scratch the shell to mark the second mounting hole location
6) remove the YESS assembly and drill the second mounting hole - don't drill through the bracket !
7) assemble the YESS mount on the shell and tighten it in place
put the head and hoop back on and you're ready to goAnother tip: In some cases, the tom mount can be assembled to the YESS bracket upside-down (with the wingnut facing down instead of up) for more clearance. You can put a YESS mount underneath a Yamaha Groove Wedge if the wingnut is on the bottom of the mount instead of the top. Sometimes, it's easier to get to the wingnut from below than above. Two of my drums are assembled this way, and they work just as well either way.
I'll post pics of my kit soon. I have a few custom made pieces of hardware I am wanting to show off.
Yes, my snare mounts to the main drum using a Yamaha tom holder. When I get around to getting some photos taken and loaded onto this site, you will see how I did it.
The solution involves custom hardware I had built at a machine shop. The exact size and type of clamp I wanted was not available, so I designed it myself. I have had two sets of them made thus far. I do mechanical design for a living, and I have a friend with a machine shop.
Without pictures, here's the best decription I can give you: Imagine the leg of a floor tom/cocktail drum that has two mounting brackets to hold it to the drum shell - one is down low near the bottom hoop (the typical bracket), and the other is up high near the top of the long leg (same kind of bracket, just installed as high up as possible). The Yamaha ball and socket mount is the long one, and it is parallel clamped to that floor tom leg using two clamps, one high and one low for stability. Get the picture? It is very adjustable and works great. The same thing can be done to any of the other legs to hold other mounts (toms, cymbal arms, etc.). The weight of the snare will tip the whole thing over unless I have the ride cymbal on the other side of the drum to balance it.
I will do my best to get some photos loaded to the site as soon as I can. I want all the Drum Loungers here to see my custom sidekick pedal, tom arm clamps, and cymbal arm designs. My parts are compatible with Yamaha hardware, and my pedal is based on DW5000 parts. They have been working great for me for a few years of gigging with no problems or failures.
The solution involves custom hardware I had built at a machine shop. The exact size and type of clamp I wanted was not available, so I designed it myself. I have had two sets of them made thus far. I do mechanical design for a living, and I have a friend with a machine shop.
Without pictures, here's the best decription I can give you: Imagine the leg of a floor tom/cocktail drum that has two mounting brackets to hold it to the drum shell - one is down low near the bottom hoop (the typical bracket), and the other is up high near the top of the long leg (same kind of bracket, just installed as high up as possible). The Yamaha ball and socket mount is the long one, and it is parallel clamped to that floor tom leg using two clamps, one high and one low for stability. Get the picture? It is very adjustable and works great. The same thing can be done to any of the other legs to hold other mounts (toms, cymbal arms, etc.). The weight of the snare will tip the whole thing over unless I have the ride cymbal on the other side of the drum to balance it.
I will do my best to get some photos loaded to the site as soon as I can. I want all the Drum Loungers here to see my custom sidekick pedal, tom arm clamps, and cymbal arm designs. My parts are compatible with Yamaha hardware, and my pedal is based on DW5000 parts. They have been working great for me for a few years of gigging with no problems or failures.