The Perfect Snare-Drum Sound? Part 1: Guru Drum Works Stave Shell

[LousyMusician15]

How many snare wires are on it?

[88MapeX88]

were you in a marching band or something or are you self taught, sounds good

[robbietj1964]

Hi Dave, Really useful tips, I love ya technique..... Do you play in a band....... If Neil Peart departs this world........ I reckon you could be a good candidate for a replacement........ and thats from a Hardend Old Rush fan........ who calls himself a drummer..........LOL ....... How much do you charge for lessons LOL....... Keep up the good work...... Keep On Drumming Dude>>>>>>>>

[mprimecoleman]

Wow, you know a ton about heads! What are your feelings about # of snare wires? I do between 8 to 12 wires just for a more clean sound. You clearly have a great sound with a lot more, as many other people do too. Obviously it just depends what the player likes. Any thoughts?

[TubeKingism]

nice and easy beats. I like a lot 

[OpulentRedrum]

snare chops > lamb chops

[ShittyMcPoopyBalls]

Please post a video on how you tune your drums and set up the snare wires!

[Yellowrcheese]

How did you get your snare to sound so perfect? I have the exact same heads on my snare and it still sounds like crap.

[dave90mckeague]

@Yellowrcheese its an expensive, custom made snare! Although, the stave construction really helps. Everything needs to be good to get a great sound, the heads, the thickness of the shell, the wood consistency, the bearing edges, the snare wires, throwoff etc etc. Guru drums represent the vanguard of craftmanship and so every aspect is perfect.

[xsabers]

Thanks for the info and great sounding snare drum. I don't like 2-ply heads on my snares so I have never experimented with the STs. I did accidentally buy a 2-ply HD Dry once thinking it was a Genera Dry... Have you tried the Genera head (tone ring, no vents)? I wonder how that might compare to your altered head (vents but no tone ring)...

[bjdeboy]

thanks for the vid (i think) your snare is one of the best sounding snares

and i kinda have tuned my snare to match your sound

my drum head is a remo powerstroke 3 (but for me it is hard to tune a powerstroke 3 head)

[pearldrummerkori]

no its not



[metalmanky306]

i love how incredibly informativa all of your vids are... i think you're just the perfect youtuber! and some kick-ass playing there :D

[dave90mckeague]

@metalmanky306 thanks man, it means alot!

[TheDrHopeless]

Sounds phenominal!! Really, it does! And i dont preffer it but i kinda like the sound of a head when it isnt completely played in yet, i preffer the sound when it is played in but once in a while, its kinda soothing! Makes it sound kinda natural and 'new'

[64revolt]

that really does sound pretty damn good. great sensitivity.

[z2thaanko]

0:18 "Two ply butter"

[dtigers27]

I like you. I'll probably give you a nickname.

[dave90mckeague]

@dtigers27 should i be scared???

[emenim43]

I really like the high pitch

[dave90mckeague]

@emenim43 and it isnt even cranked! id say this is middle-tension

[bat830]

That sounds amazing I have the genera dry single ply and it's working out great with the built in ring.

[aspinwallx]

Congrats! Great snare sound, beautiful snare.

[drumdoc]

just a quesiton by cutting that flap out would that be just like a G1 coated ?

[dave90mckeague]

@drumdoc yes, except it has the holes around the edge. Its the genera dry.

[liquida123321]

dude you're an amazing drummer!! and i like a lot that snare sound! =)

[dave90mckeague]

@liquida123321 thanks mate, really appreciated

[Christownsme]

Nice! I prefer the sound of the the thicker drumsticks, more military like! :)

[dave90mckeague]

@Christownsme yeah that was the idea, to show it off for that side of it too. Glad it helped!!!

[zildjianpstsabian]

AMAZING SOUND!

[MajorracoonStudios]

hey dude your a SICK drummer. Im from Vancouver Canada and I actully have a question about your accent, when your british do you know you have an accent? cause I probably have my very own 'canadian' accent but the british accent is so renown for being the Europeon accent and I find it very cool! OH and another thing, Im tight for cash and i need some ideas for a cheap, but quality snare. All you have to do is give me a few names and ill do the rest.

Thanks Man! Your Great By the way :D

[dave90mckeague]

@MajorracoonStudios hey man, thanks for your watching! I don't really think i have an accent, i try to enunciate a bit more on these vids as i know international viewers could have a problem understanding me. In england my accent is pretty bland, like a really diluted yorkshire-dialect. Depending on your budget there's loads of options. The pearl sensitones are really good, especially since the black nickel over brass model is basically a black beauty. Black panthers are never a bad choice

[dave90mckeague]

@MajorracoonStudios [continued from never a bad choice] either although aren't quite as cheap. If you're looking for something really inexpensive, you can pick up a mapex meridian or pro m snare pretty easily. They're not amazing, but are the cheapest real maple and birch drums on the market, some good heads will make them sound more than acceptable! If you want a custom snare for cheap, there's a great british brand called liberty drums, check them out on ebay! although shipping wont be cheap!

[dave90mckeague]

@TheDadrummerboy oh, and mention my name too (its my username without the 90 in the middle)

[dave90mckeague]

@TheDadrummerboy haha, unfortunately no i won't. This is my pride and joy and was made to my own design. If you contact Guru Drum Works, Dean Price will be more than happy to make you the exact same snare, or something a little more customised perhaps? Guru will make anything you want (within reason) so have fun designing. If you're on facebook, send Guru Drums a PM.

[TheEverfade]

nice drumming and i love the sound! wish mine sounded like that ! also i love your accent, i have no idea what you're talking about but it's great to listen to haha :D x

[dave90mckeague]

@TheEverfade haha, i take it you're American? (just assuming!). I've had quite a lot of comments on my accent lately, might have to concentrate more on an RP accent, or just keep going and let you figure it out.

[TheEverfade]

@dave90mckeague Haha no way man, i'm english but i'm living in New Zealand now. I miss the accents dearly, im glad i've lost mine because i can appreciate english ones more i suppose. Anyway keep up the 'awesome'. =]

[TheEverfade]

@dave90mckeague Haha actually, I'm from England but I live in New Zealand now! I guess I love your accent because I miss it! Hehe. Na, all good man, just keep doing what you're doing! :P x

[1DiogoDias1]

Hi,

I really liked the sound of you snare! Sound Awesome sounding!

Could you help me choosing the heads to get a similar sound? My snare is a Mapex Pro M 14x5.5, with the crappy stock heads... I will replace them, but I need some advice...

Thanks

[izzytastic01]

dude thats so sick. you remind me of matt helder's with your accent lol. but that snare man, ohhh my. sick shit my friend.

[dave90mckeague]

@izzytastic01 haha! best comment ever, i'll get another vid up with it on a kit. got some artisan hihats recently too so they'll be the feature.

also, got another guru snare on its way!!! purpleheart/steel hybrid with purpleheart hoops, should be even more sick!!!

[2010pearldrummmmer]

can you give me some advice how to get that sound? i have a remo drumhead on a pearl drum. i run into the problem that it either rings to much, or its just a horrible snare sound.

[dave90mckeague]

@2010pearldrummmmer yeah no probs. What snare is it? (model, size etc) and what heads are you using top and bottom?

The snare wires also have a lot to do with the overall dryness of the sound, and the sensitivity. Plus, your pearl is no doubt a ply shell whereas this is a stave, which ofcourse influences the overall sound massively.

[2010pearldrummmmer]

@dave90mckeague its a 14 inch pro base black and silver pearl snare. i have an original clear pearl bottom head and a remo top head.

[dave90mckeague]

@2010pearldrummmmer sounds like the classic bright-resonant snare 'problem'. the first thing to do would be to replace that pesky stock snareside head with a decent branded one. I recommend an evans hazy 300. Experiment with 2 ply batter heads too, the evans st dry will give you enough control without choking the drum, or if you're a heavier hitter check out the ec snare head. Finally, invest in some pro snare wires. Puresound do some great r&d to help you get a better sound!!!

[2010pearldrummmmer]

@dave90mckeague ok thanks.

[zakchamb]

details on snare? sounds good.

have you got die cast hoops?

sorry intruiged. Sounds incredible.

is it reccomended to get a evans hazy, or stick with default resonant head.

[dave90mckeague]

@zakchamb

its a 13x7 purpleheart/bubinga alternate stave shell (16 staves) with birdseye maple inlays.

1/2" thick shell

45 degree slightly rounded bearing edge

die cast hoops, tube lugs (all chrome obviously)

genera dry batter (perimeter flap removed)

hazy 300 reso, puresound twisted snare wires.

and yes definitely change your reso head, stock reso heads on snares tend to break at high tensions, and thats where the best sound is!

[xxxnityninexxx]

D: Holy God that's the sound i am looking for, you used a genera dry not the HD,right? Twisted snare wires too,right? I am planning on getting DC Hoops for my starphonic bubinga and hopefully a new snare head, i was thinking on getting an aquarian focus x with power dot but it might choke the drum too much. Do you think that DC Hoops may choke my starphonic? My snare is bit too ringy and open.

[dave90mckeague]

@xxxnityninexxx i was under the impression that the grooved hoops that come with the starphonics were even stiffer than DC hoops, giving a drier sound. The 'ring' of the drum is probably because of the relatively thin shell. A focus x w/power dot will probably choke it too much but then again, my drum is relatively dry anyway (due to the thick shell and direct-ness of tone from the staves). and yeah its the genera dry, although i removed the perimeter flap. and yeah twisted snare wires

[xxxnityninexxx]

@dave90mckeague So you recommend DC Hoops? I want to get rid of the ring.

Also does the twisted strand add sensitivity? But how much and do they buzz when hitting small toms?

[dave90mckeague]

@xxxnityninexxx nah if anything, just try get rid of the ring with head choice. evans heads with edge holes like the genera dry (and my old favourite the st dry) work better than the ones with flaps which can choke more than 'dry up' the drum. like i said, if anything the hoops you already have on cut out more ring than diecast. the twisted snare wires add about twice the sensitivity, having twice as many wires! snares will always buzz, you just have to experiment with tuning to get rid of it

[xxxnityninexxx]

@dave90mckeague Actually the Groove Hoops that came with my starphonic are like simple triple famnge 1.6mm hoops so that's why the snare rings and it does ring, so i thought that mybe DC Hoops can give my snare a drier foundation.

[dave90mckeague]

@xxxnityninexxx in that case yeah dc hoops should make the sound a bit more focussed, although the head choice will have more influence on the sound, the hoops will have more influence on the feel.

[xxxnityninexxx]

@dave90mckeague Thanks,That's the same thing everyone has told me, BUT i will get the DC Hoops(Pearl MasterCast) and an Aquarian Texture Coated w/ Power Dot or an Evans Genera HD Dry. So i will have the best of 2 worlds. And probably i will get the Puresound Twisted the next year, since i need new hi hats and a new china.

[dave90mckeague]

@xxxnityninexxx haha! I would advise either the genera dry or the st dry over the hd dry though, the hd dry is like hitting a wood block. i know you want to reduce ring but the hd dry will choke it waaay too much! itd be better to get one of the others and to stick some moongel on, it would give the same effect and you can take it off if you want it to be a bit more lively. but either the st dry or the genera dry will suppress the overtones more than enough

[xxxnityninexxx]

@dave90mckeague Ok but you removed the perimeter flap of the Genera Dry because it choked your snare too much. I had an Evans ST Dry, it made my old sensitone sound great but the coating only lasted 2 months. But i don't know if the Genera Dry is more durable than the ST dry since the genera is a single ply head.

[dave90mckeague]

@xxxnityninexxx yeah, my snare is pretty dry anyway since its 1/2" thick so i took the flap out. well the st dry is actually 3 mil thicker than the hd dry, although it lacks the flap that the hd dry has so if anything, the st dry will last longer. although it could be worth getting both? i guess youre a hard hitter so the genera dry probs wouldnt be durable enough.

[xxxnityninexxx]

@dave90mckeague Getting again the ST Dry? and the Genera Dry too? I don't know i don't have a lot of money since i bought the starphonic although i'd had prefered a Pearl Ultracast since it's cast aluminum, it would give a great dry sound. Not trying to dry out a wet snare,lol. But oh well, i am checking the Aquarian heads because they the most durable heads in the market so i am looking at the TC w/ Powerdot.

[dissected133]

oh my!!!!

[SolidSnake1162]

That snare has the perfect sound. I'm jealous.

[Pandanobear]

This here kids is what a snare drum sounds like.

[dave90mckeague]

@Pandanobear haha thanks! although i cant take all the credit, the quality of the drum takes out alot of the guesswork.

[PokemonTraderTCG]

love the jacket whered ya get it? :D snare sounds perfect as well.

[Xzurii]

Wow! Sounds amazing! I might have to try this.

[MrFalobalobalob]

Perfect! Im jealous lol.

[hockey3428]

awesome snare I WANT IT

[thenordicpulse]

That is a perfect sound!

[dave90mckeague]

@thenordicpulse glad to know my ears are still working then!

thanks man