On drums...

I have a phonic concert tom coming that I plan on making into a snare. How deep should I make it? 8, 7 or 6.5"?

I know what I want to do with the finish and I'll most likely put my own badge on it, but I'll want to make it as close to a phonic snare as possible. I'll also be asking about snare beds and bearing edges on phonic snares.

This is what one does when they can't afford the real thing...lol

Wow, no suggestions? Is this a crime?

Part of this will depend on where the lug holes are on the drum, but otherwise I look forward to finally having a beech snare...

No crime, Dave, but can't answer your question, first because I don't know enough about what you want, and second because, even if I did, my answer would be speculative. I would have thought that you would know much more on the subject, since you have been building your own snares, and you know what kind of response you are looking for.

_________________
Gregory

Is it a 14" concert tom? Do you want to make a 10 lug or 8 lug snare?

Greg, I have a an idea. Ideally I would get another and make the other size or come across a deal I can't pass up. Theoretically I could make the deeper one and cut it down again if I don't like it.

Hale, it will be a 10 lug since die cast hoops are easier to find for them.

Perhaps I am still a gear whore. I do like options and since I still rent to a local studio, I can justify it.

Just wondering if anyone had a preference and why.....

What I've done in the past is cut out a plug from the same shell (use a jig saw or scroll saw then sand to fit tightly) glue it in and use that area of the shell for the snare bed. Works great imho.

I vote for 6.5" or 7". I could never get an 8" drum to speak quickly enough, but I know there are a lot of deep snare lovers out there.

- D.

I like 8 for a fuller body, and I like 5 for quicker response, crisper snare. In between are the in-betweens, and I like them, too. Not all thin snares sound fat, and vice versa, so it's a bit of a guess. I am using a 5" Gretsch with Emperor snare side and Fiberskyn batter than sound very full bodied and fat.

As far as beech Sonor shells go, they seem to fit the model: shallow more articulate, deeper full bodied, but I am in no way representing that I have any idea what heads or tuning can produce for either.

_________________
Gregory

I'd personally go with the 6.5" depth, if the snare is left with 8 lugs.

If You can go with 10 lugs, than it depends what depth is left after You cut bellow the second lug hole...

A 7" or 8" 8 lug snare would be a bit too much for my taste. Unless I use some special head like the one Brian mentioned - the Remo Controlled Sound, or something similar from other brands...

That's how I'd play it...

_________________
Goki - short from Goran

Let the good drums roll!!!

What did you end up doing?
I did this with a Rogers XP8 14x10" (double headed) tom shell I got a year and a half ago. I wanted it as deep as possible, with regards to where the lug holes were. 7.5" deep and kept it 8 lug. Love the snare. It's just right.

_________________
Chris