Thanks one and all... I'm going to put a 2 mil Diplomat on the bottom and swap the calf skin onto the batter. Will tune it up medium-low and I'll see what it sounds like! Much appreciated...

Aj

I don't feel this way Mark, if you adjust it correctly and understand how it works, they will NOT break. Yes, not the greatest strainer ever made, but it works!

Mouse

Mouse, is of course the expert. But I do have the same snare, with a Remo fiberskyn head on the batter side and an Evans hazy 300 on the reso. It has the original very narrow snares. I use it with an acoustic singer/songwriter that I back. I often use hot rods, or Promark broomsticks and tune it kind of low. it has an earthy loose sound. Kind of nice if you need that sound.

I just don't care for them. I do understand how they work and how to adjust them correctly. I've owned one or two in my life. A Rogers strainer is a logical upgrade.

Sounds like you've got your Kent set up very similar to the advice I'm hearing about my snare... any chance you have any sound clips of you playing your Kent (with the singer/songwriter)?

Also I'm curious what your low tuning technique has been with this drum... I've never owned a single-tension snare before. Do you just tighten opposing lugs until it's "tight-but-loose" (and sounding cool)?