
Jon Cohan
Jon Cohan is a Boston-based studio drum tech (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dropkick Murphys, Fall Out Boy), drummer, author (Zildjian: A History of the Legendary Cymbal Makers, Star Sets: Drum Kits of the Great Drummers
, The Drummer’s Almanac
), magazine writer (DRUM!, Traps, Rhythm), drum consultant, and recovering custom drum maker. You can check out Jon’s drum tech blog at www.allthingsloud.blogspot.com
Jon’s TIp:
“I ALWAYS use nylon or metal snare drum cord instead of the Mylar strapping many companies provide. Good cord, such as the products made by Trick, Pure Sound, or Gibraltar , allow the snares much greater response and sensitivity than the straps. Also, be aware that over-tightening your snare wires against the snare-side head will also result in a loss of response. Seems pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised how many drummers make this mistake.”
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Depending on the snare the metal snare cord can actually cut through the snare side drum head. I had this problem with a DW Edge Snare. I used a trick steel snare cord, and I had switch back to a standard mylar strip to keep from ripping through the head.
@Cliff – I’ve never had the problem you describe. Is it possible you are tightening your snares too tight? One possible fix is to put a very small piece of electrical tape at the point where the cord meets the head.