I have a 15x12 marching Slingerland snare drum. It's from the 40s, and has the really old snare wires on it (if you have owned one, you know what I'm talking about, I don't think they are very rare or desirable). Anyway, I am restoring it, and am wondering if anyone knows where I could get some new snare wires for it. Obviously, they attach very different from a regular snare drum.
Any ideas, please let me know, thanks!
Kevin
They're not unique to marching drums, but might you be talking about wire-wound silk snares? (Kinda look like wound metal guitar strings?) What model is your drum? Can you upload pics, particularly of the snares and strainer?
I'm actually having a heck of a time dialing in an old 15" Slingerland marching snare myself (a 1953-54 Slingerland Standard King) and am considering trying catgut snares instead of the wires it came with.
...and just because we like looking at old drums around here, I've attached a couple pics of my drum -- one as it was pictured on eBay and one after I cleaned it up.
Good lookin' drum pictures, I'm afraid that I have it all apart, as I am working on refinishing it. The snare wires are different than what you have on yours, they do resemble wound guitar strings, and they are run through a piece individually on the ends.
I found the catalog year for the drum on the site, it was in the 1940 (maybe 1941) it is 15x12" Standard marching snare, with the long tension rods that go all the way down, and a single little eye-guide in the center that it runs through.
Thanks,
Kevin
pics would help I must say.
I recently restored (with the help of this forum) a '65 15x10 Ludwig marching snare.
I had wire issues as well although yours sounds like a totally different animal.
Thick sound and lots of tonal variation!
Best of luck!
Pic to add to topic:
[IMG]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/5441434399_5e8bc25835_z.jpg[/IMG]
GUT snares would be authentic as well as they were also used during this time period .They give a great crisp dry sound when played.
Gut snares can be obtained at COOPERMAN Fife and Drum or if you want a lot ogf guys use tennis racquet nylon stringing.Its not as thick as gut but gives the same look sound.
To me there is NOTHING like the sound of a 12x15 gut snared field drum not the table top sound you get with the modern marching snare drums!!!!!
Tennis racquet string is great for modern marching snare drums with extended strainer designs. On these, the string is suspended completely straight from end to end. But synthetic racquet string doesn't conform to curves well, so it doesn't work so great when it has to bend around the bearing edge.
At least that's been my experience.
