What the… how many plies are too many?

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i like thin shells...the thick stave or ply shelled snares don't do it for me (tried a ludwig brick).... the interior volume of a 14" drum becomes similar to a 13" drum...and they are heavy...no thanks....
 
More plies would provide a stronger shell, but there would be more glue. One of the claims for stave drum shells is that there is more resonance because there is much less glue than on multi-ply shells.
 
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orville said:
More plies would provide a stronger shell, but there would be more glue. One of the claims for stave drum shells is that there is more resonance because there is much less glue than on multi-ply shells.
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That glue sounds much better than a tonally-dead piece of single-ply. :icon_smile:
 
I have a 15-ply Eames birch snare that is just insane-sounding. Don't know the answer to the question of how many plies are too much.

I prefer 5-ply Slingerland to 3-ply. I love Sonor Phonics. I have no idea whether or not fewer plies do anything except be fewer plies. If the drum sounds good, I'm not at all concerned that it runs counter to the drum wisdom/fad of the day.

A thinner shell resonates more? Why not a two ply drum then? I am certain that going to either extreme must offer a point of diminishing returns.

Seriously, though, 50-ply sounds like it should be a claim made by a garbage bag company.


Dan
 
I played an Ayotte 17 ply snare once, and it was a great sounding drum. But then, so is my one ply Slingy.
 
My assumption is that it would be high pitched and loud with a lot of attack. The hard hitters that like really, really tight snares might like it not only from a tonal standpoint but because you would be hard pressed to pull a lug through the shell. I know a lot of the gospel chops and hip-hop drummers crank the daylights out of their snares.

Personally, I think it is a great thing when manufacturers meddle with different configurations. One just cannot have enough snare options. Is 50ply over the top? Maybe, but it is up to the end user to decide if he/she has a use for it. I've seen interior pictures of 50 ply shells and they look massive. Woo-hoo!
 
This is a 30 ply shell I bought raw on eBay. I had MedicineMan build the drum for me. I bought diecast hoops and the Hayman style turret lugs and the wires and throw and I had him do the drilling, powder coating and wrap. It was a birthday gift for my kid years ago. He liked Michigan, hence the color choice. The drum has a beautiful crack to it. Nice response for ghost notes. I see it as a great funk drum in the Tower of Power style. It's my son's favorite and he has a lot to choose from.

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atomicmorganic said:
I played an Ayotte 17 ply snare once, and it was a great sounding drum. But then, so is my one ply Slingy.
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i asked Ray Ayotte the reasoning behing a 50-ply snare and he said "because they could"

... wasn't the answer i was expecting
 
I would say that when the ID is about 4" on a 14" dia snare, the drum has too many plies :laughing6:
 
Geostorm98 said:
I would say that when the ID is about 4" on a 14" dia snare, the drum has too many plies :laughing6:
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Is "ID" interior diameter? On the 4x14 I posted above the shell is definitely around 1" thick. It looks like nothing I've seen before, but I can't argue with the sound. Great cut, but still warm.
 
Gary I was not referring to your drum whatsoever - I bet it rocks. ( your son's drum) I use a 5x14 oak stave and love it.
 
In thinking on this (always a dangerous proposition) it occurs that there is no magic formula when it comes to a great snare...it is so much the 'roll of the dice' in dealing with natural materials and varying types and levels of workmanship. We have a few standards that everyone relies on but beyond that is why guys have dozens of snares...the possibilities are virtually limitless.
 
I was apprehensive about the purchase of a thick wood shell snare drum until I got a walnut stave snare from Salem St drums. This is by far my favourite wood shell snare drum these days. I have put wood hoops on this snare since these pics and it made a great snare just about perfect.

That being said, I have played a few of the Pearl Reference wood shell snares and found them to be a one trick pony , the stave shells are much more versatile and sensitive IMHO.
 

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A Salem street stave snare is on my want list.
 
I'm wondering if The Brick and other mega-ply shelled drums would do a super low, fat tuning well. I like that tuning, but wonder if my 6.5 Supra could be doing other things.
 
Geostorm98 said:
Gary I was not referring to your drum whatsoever - I bet it rocks. ( your son's drum) I use a 5x14 oak stave and love it.
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I didn't think you were. I was just trying to determine if you meant internal diameter when you said ID. Then I wrote some stuff about it being a nice drum. I honestly haven't heard to many bad snares no matter what the ply count or shell material for that matter except if they were broken or and bad need of new heads.
 
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