Warm Snare Sound

[JustAHobby]

I'm looking for snare options to use in a low volume acoustic setting.  I'm not sure when I say warm that it means the same to everyone else.  I'm not looking for a sharp pop.  I think I want more lower tones with limited overtones.  I'm kind of thinking blend more with what's going on as opposed to sticking out.  I'm not playing any hard rock...some oldies and some older country music.

I have a steel snare 14 X 5 that came with my export set and I have maple piccolo snare 13 x 3.  Maybe different heads would help?  Currently the steel snare is set up to play loud and the piccolo is pitched higher than I would like.  Otherwise I have considered looking for a larger (not piccolo) wooden snare?  Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.

[Chip Donaho]

I would use the steel snare since it's bigger and deeper. I have Phosphor Bronze snare with 30 strand Puresound wires. It's the only metal snare I have, all my other snares are wood shells. Just the same, your choice wires, choice of heads, and tuning all play into the end result. I've only known of a piccolo snare to have a sharp crack. But then I've never owned one.  :-\

[Bill Bachman]

I think it's 90% tuning (or more) versus one snare drum to the next. I'd recommend to use the 5 x 14 and keep the bottom head nice & tight since that's where the snare articulation comes from. From there I'd drop the top head to a mellower tension with a long and resonant sound (and the more in tune the head is lug to lug the longer it'll resonate or ring out).

[Big Yummy]

How soft and warm do you want?  You might try laying a single layer of T-shirt material over the entire head of the snare.  That gives a really nice, soft sound, and lets you play quietly without too much finesse.

[JustAHobby]

Thanks for the replies!  Actually, I do not have any problems controlling my volume.  I just don't like the sound my drum is producing.  It doesn't fit the setting.  But I actually do have a larger bronze snare (14 X 6) that I haven't used in a long time because it seemed big and bulky to me.  I will try to tune that as Bill has suggested and see if i can get the sound I am looking for.  Any suggestions in case it requires new heads?

Thanks again.

[Bill Bachman]

Remo coated ambassador is my standard go to. It gives you every possible frequency that you can then dampen out if desired.

[JustAHobby]

Well, I did some tuning on the Bronze snare and it sounds pretty good.  I guess I didn't think about using it before because I thought with the larger drum I would need to hit it harder to get a nice response but that doesn't seem to be the case.

There is that, and that it weighs a ton so I don't think of it as a real portable drum.

[Todd Vierra]

I'm looking for snare options to use in a low volume acoustic setting.  I'm not sure when I say warm that it means the same to everyone else.  I'm not looking for a sharp pop.  I think I want more lower tones with limited overtones.  I'm kind of thinking blend more with what's going on as opposed to sticking out.  I'm not playing any hard rock...some oldies and some older country music.

I have a steel snare 14 X 5 that came with my export set and I have maple piccolo snare 13 x 3.  Maybe different heads would help?  Currently the steel snare is set up to play loud and the piccolo is pitched higher than I would like.  Otherwise I have considered looking for a larger (not piccolo) wooden snare?  Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.

Evans white coated reverse dot tuned not to high sounds warm and controlled like a snare should.

[DR]

Plus one on Bill's comment to dampen the frequencies via the head.  In addition to the suggested tuning and heads, you could try treating the inside of the steel snare shell with different material to alter the sound.  For example, try some blue painters tape inside and see how that warms it up.