Am I The Only One Who Doesn't Like My Craviotto Snare?

[mlucas123]

I hated my Craviotto. Give me a $25 Maxwin steel shell any day.

 

[ayotteguy]

Gentlemen; I have just joined the 'Forum', and this thread, because I was interested in determining
whether Mr. Craviotto had significantly refined/re-engineered his shell thickness/contour/design post DW.
Also, as an old carpenter/woodworker, and drum builder, I've learned to appreciate the effects of aging on wood, so those who may have dismissed early drum purchases may be missing what is to come in time! (Oh, that we might have more of it)....
Luthiers and violinmakers traditionally held material for literally decades before use, and I have
found the same to be true for 'aged' solid snares. My 2001 DW Craviotto snare is tremendous, but
I would not be surprised if it was weak and spongy at it's origination. So too is my early stave shell
mahogany snare, which I'd given up on, and sat on a rack at a local music store for over a year before I reclaimed it, and it has aged into one of my top 3. Hardwoods do mature, if given a chance.

 

[Jake Gibson]

Well.............I made drums with Johnny Craviotto for around 13 years before he started "Craviotto Drum Company", and all the way till 3 years after his death. DW couldn't sell a sub par shell from Craviotto because We wouldn't sell them one!
Johnny and his partner starting Craviotto Drum Company had nothing to do with DW "selling bad shells". Johnny always loved being a part of the DW family! DW did purchase Vaughncraft shells as well though.

Trust me this guy know exactly what he saying. Thank you E.G for all the years of your great work. I treasure all of Craviotto drums!

 

[ayotteguy]

Trust me this guy know exactly what he saying. Thank you E.G for all the years of your great work. I treasure all of Craviotto drums!

Well.............I made drums with Johnny Craviotto for around 13 years before he started "Craviotto Drum Company", and all the way till 3 years after his death. DW couldn't sell a sub par shell from Craviotto because We wouldn't sell them one!
Johnny and his partner starting Craviotto Drum Company had nothing to do with DW "selling bad shells". Johnny always loved being a part of the DW family! DW did purchase Vaughncraft shells as well though.

Interesting, thank you...I'm certain J. Craviotto was very meticulous about his shell construction.
What I was wondering was the process regarding shell thickness, and wood aging.

 

[Jake Gibson]

Interesting, thank you...I'm certain J. Craviotto was very meticulous about his shell construction.
What I was wondering was the process regarding shell thickness, and wood aging.

I would go directly to e.g as a source. He is the expert!

 

[ayotteguy]

I would go directly to e.g as a source. He is the expert!

Great...hope he replies. Anyone who has been as dedicated as JC was must have experimented
over the years. Even a 32" must have been a consideration. And, as the wood dries and ages,
tonal characteristics change.

 

[drummer5359]

Gentlemen; I have just joined the 'Forum', and this thread, because I was interested in determining
whether Mr. Craviotto had significantly refined/re-engineered his shell thickness/contour/design post DW.
Also, as an old carpenter/woodworker, and drum builder, I've learned to appreciate the effects of aging on wood, so those who may have dismissed early drum purchases may be missing what is to come in time! (Oh, that we might have more of it)....
Luthiers and violinmakers traditionally held material for literally decades before use, and I have
found the same to be true for 'aged' solid snares. My 2001 DW Craviotto snare is tremendous, but
I would not be surprised if it was weak and spongy at it's origination. So too is my early stave shell
mahogany snare, which I'd given up on, and sat on a rack at a local music store for over a year before I reclaimed it, and it has aged into one of my top 3. Hardwoods do mature, if given a chance.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[drummer5359]

Currently twelve of my snare drums are single ply maple from various manufacturers. They are various depths, thicknesses, have various bearing edges and sound somewhat different. Two of my single ply maple snare drums are by DW/Craviotto.

My one DW/Craviotto is a signed and dated flame maple shell from 2003. The other is dated 2006 and has the Diamond shaped Craviotto trademark inside, but is not signed. I'm thinking that it is among the last single ply shells that DW sourced from Craviotto. They both like a tight bottom head, that seems to be a trait shared by solid maple Craviotto snares. A friend of mine on Long Island has an earlier DW/Craviotto than either of mine. We both played all three and they really do sound consistent to my ears. I do think that that take a little more work to dial in just right, but I find the effort to be worth it.

I have a 7" deep 1988 Noble & Cooley SS Maple that sounds freakin' great. My aforementioned friend on Long Island picked up a Walnut Noble & Cooley snare recently, we both love it. I'm intending on trying some other N & C drums in the future.

 

[noreastbob]

Don't know... I've never met your Craviotto snare.
Sorry, someone may have gone there already but I couldn't resist.

 

[Deafmoon]

I have had a few Solid Shell Snare Drums that I did not like and sold. One of them was the DW made by Johnny. I tried everything with that drum. I should have recut the edges, but stopped short and sold it long ago. Just too boxey sounding for my taste. Same with Ludwig’s 90th Anniversary 5.5”. Although, that drum was more collectible to me than a drum I would bring out. Best sounding solid I owned was a 5” Cherry N&C. However, that nodal point tuning of flipping the drum top and bottom on every lug was for the birds. I realized after 50 years of playing drums, I am quite comfortable playing a Luddy Brass snare.

 

[shuffle]

My Cravs fit and finish was tremendous but the snare was like a Ferrari, i was retuning between songs,not good on a 4 hr gig.
I built a Vaughncraft snare with edges and beds,8 lugger A-Bd them and it ate the Crav for lunch on several levels including staying in tune.
Sold my Crav

 

[Markkuliini]

Best sounding solid I owned was a 5” Cherry N&C. However, that nodal point tuning of flipping the drum top and bottom on every lug was for the birds.

Huh? Could you explain that more clearly?

 

[Markkuliini]

My Cravs fit and finish was tremendous but the snare was like a Ferrari, i was retuning between songs,not good on a 4 hr gig.

Yup, same experience here. Had three of them, but ended up selling them all. After some gigs I actually had to crawl on the dark stage floor looking for resoside tuning rods that had fallen off.
They sounded really nice but the detuning was really an issue. And I'm not particularly hard hitter, I've never had big problems with any other snares detuning.

Now have Noble and Cooleys that I'm much more happy with.

 

[Ptrick]

Huh? Could you explain that more clearly?

I think he’s referring to the way the N&C lugs are placed on the nodal point near the bottom of the head, with a single attachment point per lug. This requires tuning or detuning the top and bottom heads simultaneously (N&C recommendation), so the unequal pressure on the shell won’t damage or warp the shell. I tend to just tune both heads to slack, then full turn bottom lugs, full turn top lugs, flipping the drum upside down over and over until the drum is at correct tension. It is a little annoying.

 

[Markkuliini]

I think he’s referring to the way the N&C lugs are placed on the nodal point near the bottom of the head, with a single attachment point per lug. This requires tuning or detuning the top and bottom heads simultaneously (N&C recommendation), so the unequal pressure on the shell won’t damage or warp the shell. I tend to just tune both heads to slack, then full turn bottom lugs, full turn top lugs, flipping the drum upside down over and over until the drum is at correct tension. It is a little annoying.

Nope, that's not necessary at all when just tuning the heads.
I'm very familiar with these lugs, I have 2 of SS snares, and also the tuning instructions here. (Picture attached).
Loosening the opposite head is necessary ONLY when changing a head. That's the only situation when there could be enough of sideways pull to the single point lug.
When both heads are attached, the lug cannot move anywhere since the tuning rods are going through the hoop holes on both sides, (and there's no lug nuts to let the rods move independently from the lug). The amount of each head's tension is irrelevant, just as long there's some to keep tension rod's in contact with the hoop.
What Deafmoon and you are describing is totally unnecessary.

 

[Ptrick]

That sounds much less cumbersome , thanks!

 

[coll3ctor]

I had 2 dw craviotto from '96, one got single flange rings & vintage bearings, but I still disliked both. As already mentioned: boxy, hard and not really harmonic in sound.

 

[Whitten]

I've been reheading and tuning nodal point N&C snares since the late 80's and never knew to loosen the opposite head when changing heads. Notice they say it is to protect the finish (cosmetic). But none of my N&C drums have cosmetic issues.
I find N&C snares very easy to tune and have never had a detuning problem. They got slammed at high volume on two world tours.
I have a Craviotto Dark Cherry now that I play live. It also doesn't detune over a two hour loud rock show.