ddrum side snare

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multiperc
Posts: 241
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 3:14 pm

ddrum side snare

Post by multiperc »

Hey
Has anyone tried or own one of these snare drums?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=445235

Ultra inexpensive - wondering how the drum sounds, quality of the hardware and build...
magit2002
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Apr 18, 2006 6:58 pm
Location: england
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seen a kit

Post by magit2002 »

hi ther is a kit just like that in the local drum shop were i live not herd it yet but they are raffleing it off ?1.00 a ticket i got ?30 over time lol, link to there site
http://www.thedrumcentre.co.uk
i go there quite a bit coz i get good deals there BUT they dont do COCKTAIL kits only club jordon to order......darn all the best Keith
fw
Posts: 54
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:12 am
Location: Lansing, MI

Post by fw »

I'd get a Pacific LX popcorn--they aren't much more--the same price if you can find them used on Ebay, and they're maple. Even the cheaper Pacific popcorn snares (the funky colored ones) are maple/basswood instead of pure basswood or luan.
multiperc
Posts: 241
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 3:14 pm

Post by multiperc »

Hey Will

I do have one of the maple pacific XL drums and it's a dandy!

Over on another topic I'm looking into building an acrylic shell drum (this size) and thought of this drum to cannibalize the hardeware (lugs, rims, mount, strainer) for the new drum.

...and while I was at it, wondered if anyone has heard the drum. Could be an easy way to add a side snare for someone here - IF it sounded good.

So, have you heard or played one of these ddrums?
palacki808
Posts: 152
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2003 10:50 am
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snares

Post by palacki808 »

I have to agree with the guys here. I own both drums and personally I prefer the pacific brand snare drum over the ddrum snare.

The ddrum brand snare drum certainly has a cool look to it and its not a bad snare drum by any means. It comes with a nice rim mount and has a good strainer, but the basswood shell is really soft and doesn't seem to have the tuning range that the pacific snare drum does. Since I'm on the subject of tuning, I found it difficult to get the bottom head tuned right when I first got it. I think that may have something to do with the shallow snare beds, the snares kept buzzing and buzzing until I got the head tuned. However once I got it where I wanted it, the drum sounded very, very nice.

The pacific snare drum is a mean little maple drum. Its super easy to tune with a good range for its size and the mount is very heavy and stable. There is no rims mount, but it doesn't seem to negatively affect the sound of the drum with the mount bolted to the shell. I recorded twice with the pacific snare and it sounds excellent under the mics with a remo coated single ply head (I changed the head on this drum the day I got it. The included batter head was a little thin for my taste).

I gig with the pacific snare about 2 to 3 times a week and its just great. The only thing I don't like about the drum is the snare tension adjustment on the strainer. It has this weird constant tension adjustment that makes it really difficult to change the bottom head. Personally I would spend the extra money for the pacific drum.

If you're still unsure you can check out yamaha's 10" snare that comes with a mount. its a nice drum for about the same price. The only probem is it uses yamaha's mount. The mounting rod actually goes inside the drumshell and I personally don't like that. That's just my opinion though.

Your best bet is to go to a few music stores and check the drums out yourself to make certain of what you are getting. Everyone has different tastes, but like I said before I think the pacific the better drum and worth the extra money.

-Joe
multiperc
Posts: 241
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 3:14 pm

Post by multiperc »

Hey Joe

Thanks for your thoughts on this. Earlier in this post, I may or may not have been clear about my interest in the ddrum snare offering, but it's like this:

I do have the Pacific maple and it's a mean sucker for sure. I didn't intend to compare the 2. However, I have been wanting to build a couple acrylic-shelled drums (a popcorn snare and a tiny kick), and haven't yet gotten around to it....

I was interested in picking up the ddrum snare for it's hardware only; take away the heads and the shell and the parts remaining would be a cost-effective start to build around a 10" acrylic shell (and adding some good heads).

So my inquiry was more about the quality and effectiveness of the hardware - the rims, the lugs, the mount, the strainer assembly. Not the drum as a whole.

As an owner of one of these ddrum popcorn snares, would you recommend the harware for a build project such as this?
palacki808
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sorry

Post by palacki808 »

I'm sorry. As usual I wasn't paying attention. There must have been a good-looking chick in the room when I was reading... not much else could pull my attention away frim drums. To answer your question: Yes, I think the hardware is stable enough to use for a project drum.

The coloring on the hardware can flake if you're not careful, slight dings can really make it look bad fast. Other than that, I have no problem at all with the hardware, the shell was the main thing I didn't like about the drum. In my own opinion, I like the snare strainer on the ddrum is better than that on the pacific.

On a side note, if you're interested in making a small bass drum in the traditional sense (a bass drum to sit horizontally instead of a cocktail drum that sits vertically) I would recommend some type of lift.

I have a 16" bass drum that came with a lift and unlike standard 18" bass drums I can keep the beater height set the same as on a typicla 22" kick drum and it still hits the center of the drum head. It not only allows for a better overall sound, it also keeps your feel of the pedal from changing and you are more comfortable playing the drum.

Pearl makes a kit with one of these lifts included for converting a floor tom to a kick drum (you need to buy a mounting bracket that isn't included for some odd reason). All of the hipgig kits that yamaha makes comes with these lifts (although I don't know they're availability) and danmar makes a decent lift as well. Gibraltar makes a simple lift, but I have never seen one up close or used it. So I can't really recommend it. Here's a link to the pearl lift kit via the cocktail lounge shop:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=448440

Here's a link to the hipgig kit I have:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=445698

If you look at the enlarged pic you can see the post/plate lift. Its similiar to the pearl lift. The post fits into the bass drum through a tom mount. These work the best in my opinion, some people say this takes away from the bass drum sound, but I have no trouble tuning the drum to sound like a cannon lifted or not.

I'm going to try to wrap this up quickly since I got long-winded again. Yes, I think the ddrum hardware would be a reliable and cost-effective choice for a project drum. If you are planning a 16-18" bass drum or smaller, try to incorporate some type of lift. Buying it or building it doesn't really matter, as long as it's stable and it keeps the beater hitting the center of the head without you having to change the beater height it's good. I'm getting back to my laundry. I hope this info helps.

-Joe
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