Members danbronson Posted July 2, 2008 Members Share Posted July 2, 2008 My current snare (stock Pearl Export) goes out of tune quickly and it drives me insane. I hit fairly hard, nothing ridiculous though. A lot of the time I use consistent rimshots. After 15 minutes of playing, I have to retune the rods next to where my stick hits the rim. For my next snare, my #1 priority is tuning stability. I would like to play loud, heavy rock for 45 minutes and not notice a difference. So with that in mind, what are some things I should look out for? When it comes to drum gear, I'm somewhat in the dark (I just play the things dammit!), so anything you mention will help, even if it's obvious. The only thing I'm aware of to get better tuning stability is a die-cast hoop instead of flanged. But what else is there? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thelegacy Posted July 2, 2008 Members Share Posted July 2, 2008 Lug locks. Rimshots will always loosen the rods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sunspot Posted July 2, 2008 Members Share Posted July 2, 2008 The higher the quality of the instrument, the better it will stay in tune. IMHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jenksdrummer Posted July 2, 2008 Members Share Posted July 2, 2008 Nothing is perfect - the head will stretch too knocking it out. If you want drums to stay in tune, the best you can do is to never play them - however, even then humidity and temperature changes things too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted July 2, 2008 Members Share Posted July 2, 2008 Falams snare head would help. And then perfecting your rimshot stroke.And the lug locks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cheeseadiddle Posted July 2, 2008 Members Share Posted July 2, 2008 If I had to wager, I'd say the export probably doesn't have 2.3mm hoops on it. 1.8mm or 2.0mm more likely. That will have an impact with the rimshots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boxofrocks Posted July 2, 2008 Members Share Posted July 2, 2008 Mine does it too, and it gets on my nerves as well. I am going to try something this weekend and let you know how it works. Just like how my guitar locks the strings and they don't go out of tune. I'm taking off a rod and going to the hardware store to buy some lock nuts to fit, then put the rod in the hoop, put on the lock nut, tune up the drum, then tighten the lock nut. In theory it should lock it in place so it can't move, just like my guitar does the strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jenksdrummer Posted July 2, 2008 Members Share Posted July 2, 2008 Mine does it too, and it gets on my nerves as well. I am going to try something this weekend and let you know how it works. Just like how my guitar locks the strings and they don't go out of tune. I'm taking off a rod and going to the hardware store to buy some lock nuts to fit, then put the rod in the hoop, put on the lock nut, tune up the drum, then tighten the lock nut. In theory it should lock it in place so it can't move, just like my guitar does the strings. Change the strings on your guitar with the locking nut/trem, with nylon/classical strings. It'll go out of tune with playing. Same deal with a drum head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cheeseadiddle Posted July 2, 2008 Members Share Posted July 2, 2008 That sounds more like a solution in search of a problem. Tweaking your drums is a regular and necessary thing, just like tuning a guitar. Is it really that much of an inconvenience? I always keep a key on my floor tom. I spend maybe three minutes a week tuning them, and they are used every day. That's notwithstanding head changes, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SYMBOLIC Posted July 2, 2008 Members Share Posted July 2, 2008 I would think that a snare with ten lugs instead of eight would stay in tune better, due to the force is distributed better from lug to lug. So if one starts to back out the lugs on either side will help decrease the detuning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kabaalk Posted July 2, 2008 Members Share Posted July 2, 2008 I keep my snare CRANKED, so it goes out of tune very, very slowly. My piccolo, though, goes out fast, because it's not so tight, it has less lugs, a softer head, and I play rimshots on it a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jarick Posted July 2, 2008 Members Share Posted July 2, 2008 Is it newer or older? Wood or metal? I noticed when I upgraded to a decent steel snare (Pearl Chad Smith) from my Export model, it was way easier to stay in tune, and when I got better technique, it was never an issue again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members danbronson Posted July 2, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 2, 2008 I got it used a couple years ago. My guess is it's 3 to 5 years old. The snare is wood. Thanks for the advice guys. I'll look into some lug locks and a thicker hoop. Tuning problems aside, I'm going to invest in a new snare anyway because I want a better tone as well. So I'm not interested in fixing this one up. I just wanted to be aware of what to look for in a snare that will maintain tuning very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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