DaveBari Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 hi, i've recently gotten a HS band director job.. and i looked in my percussion closet and found 2 pearl snares with good quality harnesses.. and 6 other snares that are used with slings... i was wondering if i could install harness attachments to these drums that used to use slings... has anyone ever done this? your thoughts are appreciated :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-horns Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 hi, i've recently gotten a HS band director job.. and i looked in my percussion closet and found 2 pearl snares with good quality harnesses.. and 6 other snares that are used with slings... i was wondering if i could install harness attachments to these drums that used to use slings... has anyone ever done this? your thoughts are appreciated :-) I don't see why they couldn't be converted. But before doing anything, first I would be sure that the snares to be converted are in playable condition and will be compatible with the 2 Pearl drums. If they aren't I would try to sell them off on eBay and buy three or four new drums. Since you're a new hire, the administration might be willing to part with some funds to get you going in the right direction. Before doing anything, I'd also be sure you need those snares. Lots of kids claim to be snare drummers until they have to deliver the goods. Good luck in your new job! Just curious, where is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GGarrett Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 Sure you can do that. Obviously, we are not talking about the newer style of snare drum with the high tension rims and mylar heads, right? It would probably be bad to change that style snare drum into a sling strap type carrier, but you are talking about going the other way here: an older snare drum to be converted to a shell mounted holder for a carrier. You won't compromise the integrity of the shell, but just be careful how much you tighten down the bolts you use. Use a lock washer and go with a lower (but firm) tension on those bolts that hold the mount plate. And make sure you choose the correct location to drill your new holes and mount that plate... you want them all to look the same from the front and be in the correct place for access to the snare strainer. The fact is, the mounted snare drums on a carrier are the better way to go. Snare drums that had the sling holder bar mounted right under the tension rods and onto the hoop itself frequently bent the rim after time, and probably had inconsistent tuning due to that spot on the rim being subject to bouncing around. While it won't be the super high-tension sound (which don't even sound like snare drums anyway anymore...) and strength of the mylar head you'll have here, you WILL have a great sounding snare drum that should last for years and years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-horns Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 Sure you can do that. Obviously, we are not talking about the newer style of snare drum with the high tension rims and mylar heads, right? It would probably be bad to change that style snare drum into a sling strap type carrier, but you are talking about going the other way here: an older snare drum to be converted to a shell mounted holder for a carrier. You won't compromise the integrity of the shell, but just be careful how much you tighten down the bolts you use. Use a lock washer and go with a lower (but firm) tension on those bolts that hold the mount plate. And make sure you choose the correct location to drill your new holes and mount that plate... you want them all to look the same from the front and be in the correct place for access to the snare strainer. The fact is, the mounted snare drums on a carrier are the better way to go. Snare drums that had the sling holder bar mounted right under the tension rods and onto the hoop itself frequently bent the rim after time, and probably had inconsistent tuning due to that spot on the rim being subject to bouncing around. While it won't be the super high-tension sound (which don't even sound like snare drums anyway anymore...) and strength of the mylar head you'll have here, you WILL have a great sounding snare drum that should last for years and years. High tension rims usually use Kevlar, don't they? The correct term for the big washers you want to use on the inside of the shell is a "fender" washer. They're pretty big. If you can get into the school metal shop or have a parent who can do it, put the washers on a set of rollers and shape them to the contour of the shell. This will better distribute the stresses of the mount. In the best of all worlds, you'll have a shop teacher who is willing to have some kids fabricate custom plates for inside the shell - or get mounting hardware that has plates included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeN Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 hi, i've recently gotten a HS band director job.. and i looked in my percussion closet and found 2 pearl snares with good quality harnesses.. and 6 other snares that are used with slings... i was wondering if i could install harness attachments to these drums that used to use slings... has anyone ever done this? your thoughts are appreciated :-) If you're looking to go from sling to harness, sure - if they're free floating, you're golden - Randall May (Yamaha / Pearl) and XL (Premier / Mapex) both make attachments that just clamp onto the lug rods. XL also makes a carrier system that just clamps onto the secondary rim and eschews the lug rods altogether. If you've got older model snares, you can either drill holes and add Dynasty tilters to the shell, or if they've got an ET clip attachment already bolted on (Yamaha and Pearl), I know they used to make an attachment that adapted ET clip to harnesses. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyDog Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 (edited) First of all, congrats on the new gig! Here are some of the hardware items Mike and the other guys mentioned: Pearl FFSA made by Randall May One side of this clamps onto a free-floating drum's tension posts. The other side receives j-hooks from a harness. Mapex XXTSA Snare Attachment made by XL Specialty This clamps onto the tension ring (the metal ring below the top rim) of a high-tension snare drum and receives j-hooks from a carrier. Dynasty Tilters These are bolted directly to your drum's shell and receive j-hooks from a carrier. These will work with just about any snare drum, whether or not it's a high tension drum or free floater. If you can provide more info (or better yet pictures) of the drums & carriers you have, it'll be easier to offer more detailed help. If you're within driving distance, I'm sure some of us would even be willing to drop in and wrench on them with you. Edited March 24, 2009 by SkyDog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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