Anyone have experience with getting a toy snare drum to sound good?

[RyanLovesDrums]

My brother has a Ludwig kid’s drumset that needs a little fixing up for me and his kids to use. I have the snare drum right now and put some new Evans heads and Puresound 20 strand wires on it. The size of the drum is 5x12. The strainer-throwoff is pretty crappy but it still works for the most part. I tuned it with the Tunebot to a perfect 5th so G on the bottom and C on top. Put a little tape on top for dampening. It doesn’t sound too bad although the snare side of the drum is making a little too much noise after I hit the drum. Anyone have any pointers for me? Like a different tuning or something or is this as good as this gets with this drum. Below are some pics of the drum.

 

[JDA]

Yes and they're a member here.

For April Fools We Demoed a Rogue Kit... Sorry.

We've all seen this kit, whether it be while browsing online or in-store. And now, it's here in our studio. Introducing the Rogue "5-Piece Complete Drum Set". At $350, it's one of the cheapest beginning drum sets out on the market, and lucky for us, it just happens to have a bop-sized bass drum...

www.drumforum.org

The Rogue Kit Again, but with better heads, edges, cymbals!

Things that we fixed: The bearing edges on these drums came in pretty poor condition, with many chips and splinters. We sanded them down and now they're smooth and happy. We took off the stock drum heads, and replaced them with some fresh Remo heads. Because the wood (poplar?) is pretty soft...

www.drumforum.org

video in both ^

 

[RyanLovesDrums]

Yes and they're a member here.

For April Fools We Demoed a Rogue Kit... Sorry.

We've all seen this kit, whether it be while browsing online or in-store. And now, it's here in our studio. Introducing the Rogue "5-Piece Complete Drum Set". At $350, it's one of the cheapest beginning drum sets out on the market, and lucky for us, it just happens to have a bop-sized bass drum...

www.drumforum.org

The Rogue Kit Again, but with better heads, edges, cymbals!

Things that we fixed: The bearing edges on these drums came in pretty poor condition, with many chips and splinters. We sanded them down and now they're smooth and happy. We took off the stock drum heads, and replaced them with some fresh Remo heads. Because the wood (poplar?) is pretty soft...

www.drumforum.org

video in both ^

Cool vids. Thanks!

 

[JDA]

(I thought they sounded good stock!

 

[RyanLovesDrums]

(I thought they sounded good stock!

I agree. These Ludwig’s of my brother’s sounded pretty good when he got them too. They came with clear heads (maybe 2ply) on the toms and they sounded really low and fat. I was amazed you know for them being kids drums.

 

[gwbasley]

Try a 12 or 16 wire. That 20 may just be too much for the light weight throw off.

 

[RyanLovesDrums]

Try a 12 or 16 wire. That 20 may just be too much for the light weight throw off.

Yeah that could be the problem but also the snare did come with 20 strand wires. It’s fine for now. It doesn’t need to sound pro level. Thanks anyway.

 

[bassanddrum84]

My daughter has a spl kit and while the toms and kick sounded good I upgraded the kick head to a emad and redid the bearing edges on the snare drum and what different just re edging the snare made. It’s a 10” but a hell of a crack

 

[RyanLovesDrums]

My daughter has a spl kit and while the toms and kick sounded good I upgraded the kick head to a emad and redid the bearing edges on the snare drum and what different just re edging the snare made. It’s a 10” but a hell of a crack

Yeah, I put new Evans heads and some puresound wires on the 12 inch Snare and it sounds pretty darn good. I also tuned it with the tune but to G sharp. Do you use a tunebot? It really helps me out

 

[bassanddrum84]

Yeah, I put new Evans heads and some puresound wires on the 12 inch Snare and it sounds pretty darn good. I also tuned it with the tune but to G sharp. Do you use a tunebot? It really helps me out

Nah I usually just go by ear. Tight bottom medium top. Gives me a fat crack on my snares the 10” nice crack

 

[mebeatee]

I have a 12x4 "Dynamic" snare of the same ilk, and is one of my favs!!!
However I changed out the strainer and put an ambo reso side and because I knew the drum at that size would be very boingy, I put on a coated pinstripe on the top. Normally I can't stand pinstripes but in this case the head worked.....no boings. Can be delicate and not so at the same time...and more importantly doesn't sound like a popcorn drum at this size.
Because of being small but sounding full, this was always my "fly to gig" snare. It fits into a 6 1/2x14 case which left lots of room for those small bits that can save yer butt with backline kits...plus some extra socks.... All this and fits under your airplane seat.
The rest of that kit....18 bd, 8,10,12 toms were Dynmaic brand as well but with proper heads they sounded ok actually. Those I have passed to a young fellow, but there was no way he was getting that snare...
bt

 

[6topher]

Puresounds ain't helping

Crank that reso.

 

[RyanLovesDrums]

So I actually put Gibraltar 16 strand snares on that snare and put the puresound 20’s on the Pearl 12x7 I just got. Here’s some vids of me playing both of them. The Pearl has a UV1 on the batter and the Ludwig has a G1. Both have Evans 300 reso heads and both are tuned to G# with the reso heads tuned to 400hz on the tunebot which is about as tight as you want to go. The last vid is me playing the Pearl with the kit. And by the way I was forced to work on them in the bathroom that’s why I’m in there haha.