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Boomboomdrums - question!


FitchFY

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So with your (new, apparently!) marching snare, and in the capacity in which you play with the Sousa band, what do you do for tuning, head, and stick selection?

 

I've been thinking back to my drumline days and how we cranked the Remo Kevlar heads and used, at first, Regal Tip Quantum 3000s before switching to something else, but I noticed in your videos your snare isn't as popping as a drumline-esque drum... you have it tuned much more to the sound of the band so you fit in.

 

Make with the details, amigo! :)

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FitchFy - Good question. Thanks for asking.

 

The drum in the videos is the drum I just replaced. It is an older Premier Lite marching drum. It has regular metal snares. That's why it has such a great snare sound. I actually like the sound of it better than my new drum because of that. I bought that drum long before I joined the Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band. I broke a high tension lug on it a few years back and it was very difficult to get a new one. I broke another in May, probably from tightening the head too tight, so I decided to just get a new drum. Besides we had another gig in a few weeks.

 

I use

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The new drum I got is more like the ones you're used to probably. It produces a drier sound because it has gut snares instead of metal. Here's the link to it on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/NICE-Yamaha-MS-8014-12-x14-Field-Corps-Marching-Snare-Drum-MS8014-ZERO-issues-/300714949807

 

It has a white coated or textured (not sure) Evans head on it. I want to get a different head but haven't yet. Maybe something like this. When I first got it and tuned it up it had a nasty overtone, so (Carmine will like this) I got a small piece of kleenex and taped it to the head close to the rim with masking tape. Sounds much better. I think I have it dialed in pretty well now. It might take a kevlar head, but I don't want one. that would be way too loud for this band. I played on a Kevlar head in the Seattle Sounders Sound Wave band. It was cool, but like I say, I don't want one for this drum.

 

It also has the high rims which the old drum did not. Even though I like the way the old drum sounded a little better, I'm starting to like this one more and it plays way better. Mainly because I can crank the head tighter.

 

Funny thing happened when I took it to the first gig. The conductor on the video really likes my playing and plays baritone in our band. He said it sounded like the snares were off and he liked the old drum better. One of the trumpet players who was subbing said she was listening to the drum and really liked the way it sounded. Crisp and with not too much of a snarey sound. You can't please everyone! But, I think I have gotten it dialed in sounding really good now with better snare response.

 

As far as trying to match the sound to the band, not so much. I'm not trying to re create the instrument and sound that Sousa would have used way back when. I also play with a modern rudimental DCI type style as opposed to old school style.

 

Thanks for your interest FitchFY.

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