snare clamp metal block thing

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antichef

antichef

pornk rock
Just picked up a 1970's Ludwig Acrolite snare for $80 at a pawnshop - it's in really good shape, except that I noticed the snare was being held on with a shoelace on one side. Didn't think much about it until I went to clean it up and put new heads on it and maybe a new snare. The reason the previous owner used a shoelace is because the, um, little metal block with two screw holes in it that forms the backside of the clamp that holds the snare string/strap/whatever in place is missing, so they got as much tension as they could by tying the shoelace really tight through the holes in the front part of the clamp which is of course, the stalk of metal that is part of the, um, snare tightening lever and adjustable tension screw thing.

Does anyone know the name of the metal block of which I speak? And whether/where a replacement might be available?

PS I wannabe a drummer!
 
thanks - that's a great video.

So, it's the strainer side I'm talking about, but I don't suppose that fact is really important, since the clamping mechanism is the same on both the strainer and the butt side. The butt side is all there, but the clamp on the strainer side is missing both the screws and the, um, metal block thing that the screws screw into - whatever that's called. Anyone know what it's called and whether/where I could get a replacement (and some replacement screws, too, I guess)?
 
searching for the butt side

The part you need is from the butt side of a P-85 strainer. You'll probably have to buy the whole butt side. The earlier Ludwig strainer, the P-83 might be the same for the butt side. The P-85 butt side probably is interchangeable as they were used on the same snares.

You see them on eBay a lot, but I just checked and didn't see any today. I didn't look for P-85's. You should be able to get just the butt side.

If you post that you need one on www.vintagedrumforum.com someone will probably sell you one, or even just the parts you need. It's a very common part. I'm thinking $10-20 or so.
 
Go to www.drummaker.com
He has lots and lots of parts. Maybe not the exact replica of the original, but something that will fit and do the job for you.
 
Thanks guys!! Time to go over the to the butt side. Somehow that didn't come out right. Actually, the first thing I think I'll do is remove the clamp piece that's there on the butt side, and go to a couple of music stores around town and see if they have an extra one in spare parts bucket or something. Failing that, I'll go to the web.

Edit: whoah - I took off the metal bar I've been talking about from the butt side, and tried to line it up on the strainer side, but it didn't fit - it was too wide, and the screw holes were set too far apart and maybe too high or low. Guess I'll be looking for a strainer-side version. The pix of the P-85 strainer look dead on accurate, so I've got that to go on.

edit again: OK - I took a closer look at my Supraphonic, which has the same strainer, and noticed that the clamp is totally different from the butt side - here's a picture of a strainer:

P85_L.jpg


It's the horizontal little piece with a slot it in it that's screwed on at the base that I need.
 
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Why don't you just shit-can those parts and use it as is with just snare cord? That works way better (to me), I've never liked those plastic strips. Don't buy snare cord from music stores!!! You can get it for 1/50th the price at boating stores or even better yet I raided a venetian blind that gave me perhaps 50 years worth for free.

That's my two cents... and use a square knot on the cord and leave it way long so that at a gig if it breaks you have enough slack to re-tie it (try that with the plastic straps :mad: ). The cord is way better than the plastic, if that's why you want that part...

If it's the stainer side then the reason it was probably removed was because I've what I'm saying. It works better. When you use that piece of metal and clamp the cord it eventually cuts it where it clamps so it worked way better without it (like Ludwig had for 75+ years before they added that stupid clamp).
 
that makes sense - I was trying to use the blue rubbery-coated wires that came with my new True Sound snare, and just couldn't get them to tie in a knot that would hold, which of course leads to crappy dull sound once the snare goes a little slack.

I broke down and picked up a new strainer for pretty cheap at the local store and took the bracket off of it, so I'm happy for now. I threw the rest of it my "drum parts" toolbox. I'll check out those alternative sources for strings.

Thanks again!!!
 
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