I just picked up one of these puppies on ebay for $50 plus shipping. I can't believe how good it sounds, no matter what head tension I use. The maple finish looks great, and the clamp makes it perfect for cocktail use. I don't have a cocktail set at the moment, but this drum has me brainstorming new design ideas. It would be fairly easy to polurethane a maple shell to match this drum. Plus, I found I can tune the drum down to the point that it works as a tom with the snares off, but then still turn the snares on for a fat, flat kind of snare sound. All the online places sell the drum for about $129, which I think is a very fair price. I'd consider using it for a main axe! The only issue is rim clicks, but if you set it lower than a neighboring drum, you can click it to the other drum's rim to get an excellent rim click sound. It's the only snare drum I've seen that has me debating using the top head of a cocktail drum as a floor tom instead of a snare.
Will
Pacific SX maple popcorn snare
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palacki808
- Posts: 152
- Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2003 10:50 am
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pacific snare
I too use one of those snares. Mine is the older model with the constant tensioner. Its weird, the snare throw always keeps the snares tensioned. Its got a little spring in there and the adjustment is kinda hard to get the sound you want sometimes. It can be especially difficult if you change the bottom head. It will tighten, but not release all the way. You had to loosen the set screw and unwind it before you begin to tighten it back up.
Other than that I love the snare. Someone on the forum mentioned a woodblock called a groove wedge that attaches to the side of the shell. It really adds a nice crack if you're looking for a good rimshot. You might want to try it. I did and I was very happy with it.
My dad (also a drummer) made fun of that little snare until he heard it at a gig, now he thinks its the cat's meow.
-Joe
Other than that I love the snare. Someone on the forum mentioned a woodblock called a groove wedge that attaches to the side of the shell. It really adds a nice crack if you're looking for a good rimshot. You might want to try it. I did and I was very happy with it.
My dad (also a drummer) made fun of that little snare until he heard it at a gig, now he thinks its the cat's meow.
-Joe
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fw
Joe, did you change the heads on yours? Also, do you have your set set up club jordan style with the cocktail as the main snare and the popcorn snare as an auxilary snare, or do you just use the pacific for the snare and the cocktail as a tom?
Also, have you heard the 6x12? It's weird--I've never really ventured away from Ludwig supraphonics and super-sensitives, and playing a maple shell is opening new worlds to me. And since I'm sort of broke, the Pacifics are especially interesting to me. I like 6" drums, but the 5 1/2x14" Pacific with wood hoops looks pretty nice.
Also, I'm curious--I like the sustain of the popcorn snare, and I've heard it's a symptom of Pacific not cutting snare beds. Do you know if snare beds cut both sustain and snare buzz, or just snare buzz? I'd imagine snare beds cut the sustain of bottom heads, and that would explain why my old Rogers Holiday snare with deep snare beds was articulate but also kind of dead.
Is the sound of "modern" maple and birch snare drums mainly the result of bearing edges and the lack of snare beds?
Will
Also, have you heard the 6x12? It's weird--I've never really ventured away from Ludwig supraphonics and super-sensitives, and playing a maple shell is opening new worlds to me. And since I'm sort of broke, the Pacifics are especially interesting to me. I like 6" drums, but the 5 1/2x14" Pacific with wood hoops looks pretty nice.
Also, I'm curious--I like the sustain of the popcorn snare, and I've heard it's a symptom of Pacific not cutting snare beds. Do you know if snare beds cut both sustain and snare buzz, or just snare buzz? I'd imagine snare beds cut the sustain of bottom heads, and that would explain why my old Rogers Holiday snare with deep snare beds was articulate but also kind of dead.
Is the sound of "modern" maple and birch snare drums mainly the result of bearing edges and the lack of snare beds?
Will
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palacki808
- Posts: 152
- Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2003 10:50 am
- Contact:
pacific snare
Yes, I did change the head on mine. The first time I changed it I used an aquarian brand head. The sustain or buzz you're talking about was minimal on my drum until I put that aquarian head on the drum, then it got worse.
I then (a week later) changed both heads on the snare and it sounded much better. Remo coated on top and a remo snare side on the bottom. The drum's sound is simply wonderful. It did take some time to get it tuned however. The bottom head is not something I change very often and I'm always afraid of cranking it too tight.
I don't know about the snare beds for certain, but I assume you're correct. It makes sense that deeper snare beds would cut sustain. If you think about it, deep snare beds may even wrinkle the head slightly. That kills sustain almost as well as muffling does.
To answer your other question: I use the cocktail set differently depending on what I'm playing. I use the ten inch snare and the cocktail drum as a tom/bass when I play with sticks. When I use brushes I just use the cocktail drum in the typical manner, snare/bass with snare wires under the top head of the cocktail drum.
Its a one-size-fits-all type of cocktail drum. It can be played like a 4-piece kit if need be (similiar to a club jordan) or it can be used by itself if toms are not neccessary for the gig.
-Joe
I then (a week later) changed both heads on the snare and it sounded much better. Remo coated on top and a remo snare side on the bottom. The drum's sound is simply wonderful. It did take some time to get it tuned however. The bottom head is not something I change very often and I'm always afraid of cranking it too tight.
I don't know about the snare beds for certain, but I assume you're correct. It makes sense that deeper snare beds would cut sustain. If you think about it, deep snare beds may even wrinkle the head slightly. That kills sustain almost as well as muffling does.
To answer your other question: I use the cocktail set differently depending on what I'm playing. I use the ten inch snare and the cocktail drum as a tom/bass when I play with sticks. When I use brushes I just use the cocktail drum in the typical manner, snare/bass with snare wires under the top head of the cocktail drum.
Its a one-size-fits-all type of cocktail drum. It can be played like a 4-piece kit if need be (similiar to a club jordan) or it can be used by itself if toms are not neccessary for the gig.
-Joe