snare head and wire?

N

NotThatBright

New member
I've only played with two different snare heads (Evans hybrid coated for most of my time drumming, and just switched to an Evans hydraulic blue). Also have only ever used a 30ct snare wire on the bottom.

Anybody have a favorite snare head and wire? What kind of tone do they give you?
 
Remo CS Dots. Also occasionally Remo Ambassadors (or Vintage Ambassadors). Love those heads.

As far as snare wires, I have ended up replacing the stock ones on my three snares for your standard Gibralter wires, probably a 24 wire if memory recalls. If I ever get a deep snare (6.5") then I'll go for the 30+ wire, since that's the size they're intended for.
 
Seafroggys said:
Remo CS Dots. Also occasionally Remo Ambassadors (or Vintage Ambassadors). Love those heads.

As far as snare wires, I have ended up replacing the stock ones on my three snares for your standard Gibralter wires, probably a 24 wire if memory recalls. If I ever get a deep snare (6.5") then I'll go for the 30+ wire, since that's the size they're intended for.
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Thanks for the response. What kind of tone do you get? I just looked up the Remo CS... I'm guessing it gives you a bright "crack" sound that doesn't ring?
 
Well, rather than describe it in words, just check the song samples in my signature. Of course its processed with EQ and compression, but it'll give you an idea how it sounds (at least on a brass snare).
 
You'll have to forgive me for that, my mind was all over the place... I've been alternately looking at the computer and yelling at the TV because I was dumb enough to bet on the Packers. Plus the hangover! :)

As you say, it's EQ'd and compressed, but I think I have an idea of what the raw sound is like. I appreciate the info.

Your band's pretty good. I sampled every song and not one of them sounds like filler.
 
I like the Evans Genera HD Dry heads. They don't ring and give a solid thunk or crack depending on how you tune them. They last a good long time too. I tend to use the size wires that the snare came with.
 
Yeah some people like muffled heads. Different strokes for different folks I guess. I'm not a fan though. Yeah, technically the CS Dot is muffled, but it doesn't sound muffled. IMO muffled heads tend to have less body, more "head" sound.
 
Farview said:
I like the Evans Genera HD Dry heads. They don't ring and give a solid thunk or crack depending on how you tune them. They last a good long time too. I tend to use the size wires that the snare came with.
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Thanks. I've had a really bright crack since I've owned a kit, and I'm looking for more of a happy medium between the thunk and crack. I'm going to swap my 30-wire snare for a 16-wire and see if that gets me closer. Evans was the only brand of head I ever bought... they were so much better than what came in the kit that I didn't look beyond them. I'll probably give Remos a try at some point. It wouldn't surprise me if I'm not able to even tell the difference.
 
Seafroggys said:
Yeah some people like muffled heads. Different strokes for different folks I guess. I'm not a fan though. Yeah, technically the CS Dot is muffled, but it doesn't sound muffled. IMO muffled heads tend to have less body, more "head" sound.
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It's true. I don't like a ringy snare. With these heads, I can tune it for an elongated note that actually stops. It also doesn't start ringing goofy as it loses it's tune during a show.
 
Remo Powerstroke 3 batter
Remo Ambassador Hazy reso
Puresound-30 wires.

That will get you rocking like a champ on pretty much any metal shelled 6-7 inch deep snare.
Wood snares, maybe go for a single ply like an Ambassador.
For shallower snares, decrease the wire count to 20.

Thank me later.
 
I agree with Greg. I've used those on my 6.5" for years and they always record well. I had a kevlar head for a while. It held up well for heavy metal.
Rod Norman
Engineer
 
Rod Norman said:
I agree with Greg. I've used those on my 6.5" for years and they always record well. I had a kevlar head for a while. It held up well for heavy metal.
Rod Norman
Engineer
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Lol are you high? Kevlar is, like, the polar opposite of Greg's advice.

I would never....EVER....use those kevlar heads on a non-marching snare. Those drums ARE NOT DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND THOSE TENSIONS! You'll cause the drum to implode.

If you're recording a 14x14 marching snare, then by all means, that's what we used (Remo Black Max) in high school. But that's the shittiest advice in this thread. I'll take a muffled-to-all-hell regular head over a kevler head for a standard concert/set snare.
 
Seafroggys said:
I would never....EVER....use those kevlar heads on a non-marching snare. Those drums ARE NOT DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND THOSE TENSIONS! You'll cause the drum to implode.
.
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The tension is only a problem if you try to tune the drum like a marching snare, which you wouldn't. I had a Ludwig COW that sounded great with a Remo Falam II on it.
 
I can't stand the Kevlar marching heads on kit snare drums. Yuck. I knew a guy that used a piccolo snare with a kevlar head and it was the shittiest most annoying snare sound ever. I stopped being friends with him because it was so bad.
 
if you drum hard enough to where "taking a beating" is an issue, you need some lessons, or at the very least get some help with your technique.

I get away with changing my snare head about once a year, I should do it more but its not a big deal. Considering how much more expensive the kevlar head is....yeah.
 
Seafroggys said:
if you drum hard enough to where "taking a beating" is an issue, you need some lessons, or at the very least get some help with your technique.

I get away with changing my snare head about once a year, I should do it more but its not a big deal. Considering how much more expensive the kevlar head is....yeah.
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I actually like the sound. The cost wasn't an issue for the time I had the remo endorsement. I went through two of them in 10 years. The main downside was that you could only get one sound out of it, no subtleties, so if the song needed something more delicate, I would put a different head on it. (or more likely grab a different snare with a different head on it)
This is that snare:
 
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