Just bought a Coated PowerStroke3 for my snare

[WorshipMetallica]

and I think it sucks. I had an Evans ST dry on it before. This PowerStroke3 on the snare business just isn't cutting it. I've messed with it so much and can't get it to sound right. As I recall from a thread about a month or two ago, the Remo PS3 head for the snare was the most popular one. I even bought a Tama Tension Watch, just to help me in the process. I still fine tune by ear. I still think the PS3 bass head kicks ass however. I got the snare head in a pre-pak with some Pinstripe tom heads, god I can't wait to try them out, because I know they are gonna sound so much better then the hydraulics I had on.

 

 

That tension watch though, man, that thing is very accurate. I used it on all six lugs on my snare, and it was perfectly in tune with itself.

[Old Steve]

Ok, so that's your opinion. I like the powerstroke 3 on my tama steel snare drum. It cuts down the ring just enough without deadening it (like a hydraulic would).

 

If you like a deader sound, you'll probably like the pinstripe better, but nothing is as dead sounding as a hydraulic.

[rumblebelly]

Or just do away with the steel snare and get a wooden one. I found out that it makes all the difference in the world.

[Chabo]

 

Originally posted by rumblebelly Or just do away with the steel snare and get a wooden one. I found out that it makes all the difference in the world.

 

 

Metal projects like nothing else, and some people like the tone it produces.

[rumblebelly]

 

Originally posted by Chabo Metal projects like nothing else, and some people like the tone it produces.

 

 

Yes, it does project like nothing else. However, it sounds like he doesn't like the tone he's getting. I'll never go back to a metal snare.

[Old Steve]

 

Originally posted by rumblebelly Yes, it does project like nothing else. However, it sounds like he doesn't like the tone he's getting. I'll never go back to a metal snare.

 

 

Of course just saying a "wood" snare or "metal" snare is way too general. Some "wood" snares suck, as do some "metal" snares, and there are plenty of cases where both are great.

 

For example, many drum companies are now packaging "wood" snares with their low-mid level kits (i.e. rockstar customs, etc.). These snares are made with the same cheap basswood construction as the toms on these kits...sure they work, but they're far from great. There are tons of high quality metal snares that are MUCH better than this "wood" one. Aside from the type of wood used (oak, maple, birch, basswood, etc.) there are other factors. A thick shelled, heavy wooden snare, will sound very metallic (i.e. a 20 ply oak snare).

 

Same thing with "metal"...too many variations to be this vague. Is the snare steel, brass, bronze, aluminum, or titanium? Each "metal" has it's own properties and sound, and some of these metals actually produce very "woody" sounding drums.

 

So bottom line, saying either "wood" or "metal" is preferable over the other is like saying blue drums sound better than green ones...it's not specific enough to make any sense.

[portnoyfan84]

I

[WorshipMetallica]

My snare IS metal, I don't know what kind though. Steel, brass, bronze, aluminum, or titanium... It's a cheap piece of crap, so whichever one of those metals is the cheapest, I'm sure my snare is made of it. But it's not the ring, it's just the tone that I don't like. I don't know what it is, I've never tuned the snare side head before until I put on the PS3 snare head. I did crank the snare side head up alot more though, and it sounds alot better now.

 

I'm just having a hell of a time tuning these Pinstripes though. I used the recommended setting on the Tension Watch and the toms sound too papery sounding. Yet if I get rid of the paper sound on the floor tom, it's pitch isn't low enough. I think I'm gonna read the bible... Prof Sound's Tuning Bible that is, just for the sake of reading it for the 100th time.

[rumblebelly]

 

Originally posted by Old Steve Of course just saying a "wood" snare or "metal" snare is way too general. Some "wood" snares suck, as do some "metal" snares, and there are plenty of cases where both are great.

 

 

I guess no one read my Pacific FS thread. I don't wanna explain it again but I will.

 

The birch snare that came with my Pacific that I just bought from Goldtop is wonderously better sounding than my steel snare that came with my Ludwig Rocker. The steel snare was hard too tune and had to be cranked pretty high for it to sound decent. In contrast, my birch snare sounds great with a half-assed tune job. That's what I was comparing...my own experience and opinion. Sorry if I was being too general.

 

I'm assuming Worship has a steel snare with 6 lugs, right? No wonder you are having a tough time tuning it. You have a Rockstar kit or am I wrong. Actually, I think I'm wrong. You had some piece of poo kit you hated...I think.

[WorshipMetallica]

wow Rumblebelly, you're pretty good. The answer is B: I have a kit that sounds like poo that I hate.. I wish I had a Rockstar... that thing would be god next to my kit. Here's a link of it here:

 

 

It actually looks better than it does in their picture.

 

Anyways, you guessed it, 6 lugs on the snare. 5 on the toms. and 6 on the kick. What KILLS me is 5 lugs on a 16" floor tom!! I don't even know what it's like to tune a floor tom with more than 6 lugs, and it still kills me. I sure do bitch about my kit alot, I definately have to get a rockstar or something. I keep thinking about Mapex though, I'm suspicious that maybe I'm leaning towards a Rockstar just because it looks more like a Metal drumset than Mapex does. I mean, would it KILL Percussion Plus just to throw on a few more lugs on everything, like 3 more on each tom and 2 more on the snare and 4 more on the kick? 15 lugs can't cost THAT much to greatly improve the qaulity of a {censored}ty drumset!

[rumblebelly]

Originally posted by WorshipMetallica wow Rumblebelly, you're pretty good. The answer is B: I have a kit that sounds like poo that I hate.. I wish I had a Rockstar... that thing would be god next to my kit. Here's a link of it here: It actually looks better than it does in their picture. Anyways, you guessed it, 6 lugs on the snare. 5 on the toms. and 6 on the kick. What KILLS me is 5 lugs on a 16" floor tom!! I don't even know what it's like to tune a floor tom with more than 6 lugs, and it still kills me. I sure do bitch about my kit alot, I definately have to get a rockstar or something. I keep thinking about Mapex though, I'm suspicious that maybe I'm leaning towards a Rockstar just because it looks more like a Metal drumset than Mapex does. I mean, would it KILL Percussion Plus just to throw on a few more lugs on everything, like 3 more on each tom and 2 more on the snare and 4 more on the kick? 15 lugs can't cost THAT much to greatly improve the qaulity of a {censored}ty drumset!

 

Yeah, you do bitch a lot.

 

I think no matter what you do like throwing new heads on it or spend hours tuning it, it's still gonna sound like crap. Rockstars are pretty cool. I had access to one for a while. It's a good set and does look pretty metal. However, eventually you'll get pissed at that 13" tom. 12",13", and 16" don't make a whole lot of sense because the 12 and 13 are so close together in pitch. Something to think about when you buy a new kit.

 

I bought a Pacific FS birch kit. It has smaller toms but with a 10,12,14 configuration. Not quite as beefy sounding as my old set but it sounds better and it's much easier to tune. Costs about as much as a Rockstart too.

[Old Steve]

Rumble: those Pacifics look nice, and I'm not suprised at all that your Birch, decent quality snare sounds much better than Ludwig's low-level steel job. Hell, I can barely keep track of my own kit, much less remember what everybody else here is playing!

 

As for the Percussion Plus kit....let's just say that there are plenty of improvements that COULD be made to their design, but their only interest is keeping prices low. Hell, a 5 lug 16" tom....good luck finding a replacement rim should this one go! I've never owned a 14" snare with anything less than 8 lugs, and frankly I prefer 10 for a snare. 6 lugs barely cuts it on a 14" tom for crissakes!

 

I agree with Rumble on the 12/13/16 combos out there. I had one, and I never got the toms sounding the way I wanted. My tuning strategy was to get the 16 and 12 where I wanted them, and then I tried to get the 13 as close to halfway between the others as possible. This is much easier to do with a 12/14/16 combo (or any other combo where the sizes progress more evenly). Tama's Rockstar kits can be ordered in just about any configuration, so you can easily avoid the 12/13/16 progression if you want. My rockstars are actually 10/12/14/16 and they work great for me.

 

Bottom line, however, is you've reached the limit to what a cheap 6 lug snare can do. Metal/wood isn't really the issue here, IMHO, it's a matter of just going out and getting a better snare (with at least 8 lugs).