Tuning the Snare Drum (Bonham style) (preview)

[ricardoieci]

do u tune your reso tighter thant the batter?, thanks.

[GrooveDrummin]

@ricardoieci

yes, much tighter

[MrHammerhead66]

Once again thanks for your advice, I might as well ask you some more, The drum shell and rims seem to be in good shape (not bent or rusted), I'm missing 2 lug tubes and many lugs, seems like Sam ash carries this stuff (closes store) What kind of snare wires & heads would you recomend? Also Did Pearl discontinue the Export snares? Also If I dont like the end results what kind of price tag could I put on it. Thanks .

[GrooveDrummin]

@MrHammerhead66

get a coated ambassador for batter and diplomat snare side with standard snares (Gibraltar) is reasonably priced. The lugs can be found on ebay also and may be cheaper. I don't think the Export line has been discontinued but I can't confirm. I would try a search on ebay to see what other snares of this type are going for but I think you'll like the results and end up keeping it. Good luck!

[MrHammerhead66]

@GrooveDrummin Thank you so much, I will try everything you suggested, Im anxious to give this old drum another chance, It will almost feel like a hand built drum, I may have to retire my $600 dollar bubinga.LOL . I will let you know how it turns out . I enjoy your videos, keep up the teaching we all aprecieate it. John

[MrHammerhead66]

Another question for you, I have an older Pearl export metal snare shell jst collecting dust,, is this drum worth fixing up? Id hate to sink money into it and then it just feels like a student drum. Ive been looking for a cheap snare that has "That" feel. Test drove a Gretsch Blackhawk, had about the same feel as my exsisting snare so not gonna keep it. Thank you for your help.

[GrooveDrummin]

@MrHammerhead66

Yes, i would, you'll be surprised how good it will sound imo. I used to have one but in a Tama version. Now I have a metal Yamaha and love it almost as much as my LM402.

[jdrummys]

What do you think of the Vintage Ambassador for a snare batter? Also, I have an S Hoop on my 402 and it really fattens up the rim shots!

[GrooveDrummin]

@jdrummys

I love them...better imo than the standard emperor. S Hoop sounds interesting. Also may try to slap some 42 strand snare wires on there for an even fatter sound.

[scott111193]

Don't forget everyone, you can't get any other snare to sound as sensitive as this. This is a Ludwig, a well known fact is that they have always been known for their responsive attack and sensitive snare action, you won't find it anywhere else. Go out and get a Ludwig Supraphonic LM402 or a Ludwig Black Beauty. With those two you can't go wrong.

[GrooveDrummin]

Yes, I apply this same technique to steel, maple and birch.

[prime158]

I can tune with other snare drum?

[BABOS1974]

Sounds great!!

[JCProductions75]

@GrooveDrummin I bought a remo weather king coated ambassador head for the reso side of my snare.. is that good?

[GrooveDrummin]

@JCProductions75

Has to be a "snare side" non-coated ambassador (very thin like paper). A regular coated for the reso will not work properly. Use it for the batter only. If you put the ambassador on for the batter make sure to use the lighter diplomat for the reso..."snare side".

[JCProductions75]

@GrooveDrummin Thanks for the help. I bought the 42 strand snare wires as well.

[GrooveDrummin]

@JCProductions75

Awesome, you're good to go :)

[JCProductions75]

@GrooveDrummin I have one more question. I really am bad at tuning the snare. I can tune toms really greatly but the snare sounds way to high and theres always way too much overtones. I like a little overtones but not as many as i get..

[GrooveDrummin]

@JCProductions75

Try tightening the reso up higher than usual and keep the batter medium tight.

[JCProductions75]

@GrooveDrummin Thank you! sounds great!

[sunnylee84]

Coated Vintage Emperor / Clear Ambassador? :)

Thanks for vid!

[GrooveDrummin]

@sunnylee84

yes, you are correct

[MrHammerhead66]

@sunnylee84 

[MrHammerhead66]

@sunnylee84 Question for you, I have a high dollar 10x7 snare that has a good sound but I cant get the top head tight enough for good rebounds, I played on an old old cheap snare the other day and I could roll like crazy, had really good rebound, and I had much better stick control, I have the top head set about 90 and its still cushy. is there hope for this expensive snare?

[sunnylee84]

@MrHammerhead66 from my experience, snares like piccolos or 10" in diam keep tuning when used with 1ply heads, 2-ply heads or 1-ply coated heads. because of the small amount of "space",air inside the drum keeps bouncing both drum heads and if u use heads like emperor coated or similar 2 that it will choke and keep detuning the heads. the best drumhead to my opinion for 10" is clear/coated ambassador or clear cs with black dot and hazy on the resonant side. hope it helps.

[sunnylee84]

@MrHammerhead66 on my steel piccolo 13x3.5 I use clear cs with black dot and sometimes clear pinstripe. hazy on resonant side, both sound amazing with very "fat" rimshot in any tuning (low/medium/high). and very durable!

[sunnylee84]

@MrHammerhead66 i prefer 2 play only low/mid-price drums b/c hardware-wise expensive snare most of the time doesn't sound "super-sonic". the factor that matters most is tuning and ur playing. 4 instance, I don't like maple snares, they sound "2 loud" and no "shape" for wood 2 me. i like birch or even basswood. but my main choice 4 snare is brass or steel. any brass/steel snares r awesome 2 me :). they sound the same & the only difference I c is finish, name & rods/lugs :)

[MrHammerhead66]

@sunnylee84 Thankyou for the info, My snare is a dios bubinga (deep snare) almost looks like a Tom, it sounds good, live, mic'ed up and in recordings, Ive tried different heads on it, right now I have a Evans coated reversed power dot, If I remember right I have tension about 90 on the top 80 on the bottom. just wouldnt want to play wipe out on it , too slow.

[sunnylee84]

@MrHammerhead66 I know that the regular way is to have 90 = bottom and 80 = top just make the snares sound more "shaking". 2 b honest, I never used that way up until last 2.5-3 years. i always used the way where snare side is slightly tight and batter side is a regular way, that was the way to shake snares less and leave more timbale/tom sound. afaik, evans coated with power dot shd be fine. try to use methods I described above & c if u could find the right sound :)

[MrSnarey]

How I love your playing !

[GrooveDrummin]

@MrSnarey

thanks for watching

[MrJohntube12]

Great vid!!! much needed! Now if guys my age were learning from "Realistic Rock" I'd have a band already. Seriously they need to get on it!!

[drumsanddrumming]

is that an Emperor like Bonham used? I have a COB and a Black Beauty and I think I can get almost the same sound as Bonham even with my choice of either an Ambassador X or even the Aquarian texture coated 100.

[scott111193]

I couldn't live without my 402 lol. It's literally perfect for me.

[ricardoieci]

Do u have your reso tighter than your batter, and do u use stock reso head?

[GrooveDrummin]

@ricardoieci Much tighter reso and an Ambassador snare side.

[RLFilms]

I downloaded this video and it was very helpful. I've seen people on here ask but I'm curious myself now..any plan to do one for toms?

[GrooveDrummin]

@RLFilms

good news is, it's already been shot, I'm just putting it all together and editing right now.

[RLFilms]

@GrooveDrummin awesome! I look forward to it

[GrooveDrummin]

Yes, my tuning technique will make your snare sound great too. The aluminum supraphonic snare (LM402) has a distinct sound that no other one does. You can have a snare that is 6.5 inches but if it's not aluminum it won't sound like Bonzo's. In fact, Bonzo didn't like the brass (cob) snare but the cheaper aluminum model.

[paistekid]

I am not disagreeing with your statement. However, it speaks to the contrary in that Bonham never used an LM402 aluminum or brass. His was always metal and unless I am missing something here. Also, I am not knocking on your video or your tuning technique, but your snare doesn't sound close to Bonham. I have the Alex Van Halen signature snare made from Santa rose wood that sounds pretty close to Bonham, it has that dintinct "brown" sound. Either way your video is very informative. Thanks.

[GrooveDrummin]

@paistekid

Thanks for trying but you are not correct and a wood snare doesn't have the same sound. Bonham did use an aluminum shell, metal is brighter and brass is darker...the aluminum is louder and he never touched a wood snare (maybe to try one but not in performance). This snare tuning vid is showing how Bonzo tuned it later on, say '75 and past. It's you opinion if you don't think they sound the same. Thanks for watching.

[XxStrongDrums1996xX]

@paistekid Like GrooveDrummin said, most of your statements are incorrect. Although your snare may sound something like Bonham's snare drum, there's no way that it sounds pretty close to an aluminum snare. Also, I'm sure that GroovinDrumming doesn't aim to get Bonham's exact sound. I've heard him say on his videos that he tries to play and tune along the same lines that Bonham did, but still maintain his own style. Also remember that you can't get the same EG as Bonham anymore.

[OriginalDrummer10]

hey dan, my snare is 6 in. would this still work??

[setnewer]

nigger 16:00

[charlessavarese]

I've used 42 strand snares on my Ludwig Superphonic snare, but found that they overpowered the tone of the drum, so I went back to the industry standard 20 strand. All personal preferance.

[GrooveDrummin]

@charlessavarese

that's right about preferences, whatever is best for the individual.

...i found the 42 strand made the sound "bigger" and somewhat "deeper"

[jeremyw5]

Hey Dan, my snare isn't getting enough rebound and I like the tuning of it as is. I don't overtighten my snares either please help (:

[danielpbb]

Hey Dan, I have a LM402, but it doesn't have the tone controller inside. What Can I do to supply that lack?

[GrooveDrummin]

@danielpbb

Hey bro, you can either buy one and install it yourself or just use a little tape but I have to let you know most of the time it's not even touching and when it does it is very minimal. With the right tuning there should be little to no ring on the LM402...also depends on the room.

[RLFilms]

Hey, my snare is a 13" and it's very hard to come across a 42 strand for that diameter :/ Would I still get similar results from the video on your site or is it mainly based around that detail?

[GrooveDrummin]

@RLFilms

My video shows how to tune any snare drum, doesn't have to be the LM402. I guarantee you'll get your snare to sound great by following my instruction. However a 13" will not sound the same as the "Bonzo" snare sound, even with the 42 strand snares. Actually, even a 14" same depth (6.5) wood snare doesn't sound the same, close but not quite. To get that sound you'll need an aluminum shell. Note that cannot be metal or brass...needs to be aluminum.

[RLFilms]

@GrooveDrummin Ok fair enough, I'll probably just stick with my 20 strand and try it out. Thanks!

[Bonzotriplets1]

so what kind of snare strand do you prefer, i've heard bonham used gretcsh and pure sound. 

[GrooveDrummin]

@Bonzotriplets1

so long as it's 42 strand and not the cheapest one on the shelf, I am happy.

[ZoSoVirtuoso1]

great sound

[LucaCava94]

how many strings were used by bonzo?

[triforce10155]

@LucaCava94 42

[KilledbyBordom]

SOOOO worth the $5.00; Thank you Dan!

[pachopavan]

Hey Dan, can you explain me what kind of thing are you doing at 0:06 to 0:15 ? I heard a thing like this on a Clive Bunker solo.

Sorry if I can't explain me well.

Greetings from Argentina, Franco.

[GrooveDrummin]

@pachopavan

Yes, that's just a triplet played LRLRLR with accents here and there. Greetings from Canada.

[Who2Are1You]

I'm glad I bought this. Mine's a 5.5 X 14 metal snare, so it ended up with a medium-high tuning. I kept it like that for now. It sounds great. I thought my main problem was my snare adjustments, but it was the tuning.

For future reference, what if I want a lower tuning? Do I lower both the resonant and batter, or just the batter?

[GrooveDrummin]

@Who2Are1You

I'm happy to hear you got a great snare sound! Lower tuning only adjust the reso and the batter VERY minimal. Thanks again!

[jesseleite]

i have purchased your bass and snare drum tuning videos. very good job! i can't wait until you do a tom tuning video!

[GrooveDrummin]

@jesseleite

Hey Jesse, I'm still rounding up new heads for the toms/floors and then the creation of this tuning vid will begin. Thank you so much for the support bro.

[Bonzotriplets1]

Does the emprorer give everything more of a bonham sound??? And if so does it matter what the bottom heads are??

Thanks

[GrooveDrummin]

@Bonzotriplets1

Yes, it really does really make a difference with the 2-ply. The reso is not as critical and I have had success with pretty much any kind but I find the ambassador (snare side) works best.

[TheMisha1000]

@GrooveDrummin What batter head do you use? I have a 14x6.5 ludwg black beauty and I was wondering what batter head would give me a fatter snarier sound with a bonham type tone? I liked the sound of your head and would like to know what it was but if you know other heads too I would like to know. The heads could be remo or evans but whatever works.

[GrooveDrummin]

@TheMisha1000

Put a 2-ply coated on there and crank that reso way up. Another thing to try is 42 strand snares. They fatten the sound up a lot. I have a coated emperor on there and 42 strand snares.

[TheMisha1000]

@GrooveDrummin I have puresound 30 strand wires they're good, you're using a coated emperor right? Anything else I can try out?

[GrooveDrummin]

@TheMisha1000

any 2-ply coated should yield same results but try 42 strands if you can, you'll be surprised

[Canadiarockmusic]

Dude, I didn't really watch the video, but but with your beginning and my adjustments, I got an open, fat, and wide sound!!!! Thanks alot! :D

[GrooveDrummin]

@Canadiarockmusic

That's cool bro! You're welcome.

[levyelizabeth]

@GrooveDrummin I will be looking forward to your next tutorials :D

[rhythmantic]

that kit sounds great.

[thunderdrumass]

Or should I say Bonham sent !!!

[thunderdrumass]

Tuning the snare drum...man that was what I've been waiting for ...Just like tuning the bass drum video...it shows the things I've been doing wrong for years...no wonder I was never happy with the sound produced..I always cranked the snot out of the batter less on reso..This video shows all you need to know without getting all technical and leaving you clueless.. And it was only like $3. and worth more than gold.. If your having issues you should get tuning bass/ snare vids. It's God sent !!!

[DiobloHunter]

Awesome Snare! Is there automuffing on this snare!?

[GrooveDrummin]

@DiobloHunter

An internal dampener, yes but it's not touching. I think I might remove it because it creates a slight rattle.

[Kudan26]

OH CRAP !!

supraphonic have automuffing?

T_T I tough they sounded great with muff D:

im sad now