Do The Snare Wires You Use REALLY Matter?

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_______________ Do The Snare Wires You Use REALLY Matter? -- Puresound Super 30 strainers have custom end tips on each end of the snare strainer that are copper. Not the strands themselves. They are steel alloy. I've been wanting to try these out for a while and see what they sounded like. Sometimes a 40 strand is too much and a 20 isn't enough. So this is a happy medium. Much easier to control the snare-iness of this setup.
Leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts!
___
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[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Sorry! Puresound Super 30 strainers have copper custom end tips on each end of the snare strainer. The rest of it is steel alloy. My bad on not reading the complete packaging before making a video. Leave me a comment below and let me know what snare strainer you prefer!

[@firemenstation18]

this was awesome! im going to try the 30! you rock brother! love the channel!

[@fnord23]

hahah things that grow outta cats? XD have you tried any of the str8 8 strands that GHarrison uses apparently on his old protean snares? they come with a bronze , steel and a brass , always wondered how/if those alloys and 8 strands and different spacings really made any actual differentials ...

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Thanks Robert...glad it helped!

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

I haven't...maybe they do, maybe they don't? Such a personal preference in my book.

[@mateusxxx]

I love the Canopus but they are too expensive. Maybe the ones made for Vic Firth might be cheaper. Ps: Thats strings that comes with Puresound sucks so bad! They dig into the snare edges and destroys reso heads.

[@nickmatthewsmusicstudio]

"So anyway, I don't know." POWERFUL ending XD I recently upgraded to these snares as well, minor differences. I'm convinced I like the, more because I spent more money on them.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

I spend half of the day wondering where I am and how I got there. Strainers are no different lol

[@midkills]

Imagine being unhappy with that first snare sound

[@kvistulv]

40s are awesome for higher, open tunings as well. super responsive! My Gretsch solid aluminum 14x6,5 came with 40strand strainer. That sounds incredible. also changed from 20 to 24 on mye Ludwig acrolite, just that tiny difference was huge! really woke the instrument up.

[@ironweaselsbest]

Listen to Stephen when I'm tearing down and setting up. Learning while I work lol

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Love it Danny!

[@mathias841]

2:27 versus 3:06 2:34 versus 3:17 The pitch is slightly lower with the 32 but that's maybe caused by different tuning. Can't know how the ghost notes sound before because he didn't play them..

[@Funkengr00ven]

When you said snare *strainer*, I thought you were going to do a Dunnett vs Trick vs whatever. Watched the video... Oh... snare *wires*. Still a good video. Cheers!

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Funkengr00ven Ah, you thought I meant throw off. Honestly, I’ve had more issues with throw offs in my life than I have snare *wires*

[@TheCalm25]

From this video i learned that changing the snares make your bass drum sound 10x's better. Rad

[@brentdavis3611]

What perfect timing. Going tomorrow to buy new strainer and heads. My old one is starting to fall apart and almost didn't make it through the last gig. Time to give the gig kit some tlc. Im going to to checkout the pure sound 30. I'm doing mostly 90s and 70s rock this this weekend and that snap/response you speak of sounds like just what i need. Thanks for the info

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Brent Davis You bet man. Lemme know how you like em

[@LittleDrummerChannel]

Awesome snare modification to try! I use the 30 strands often, they are really cool, seems to give the snare a shotgun type of sound. They can tend to make the resident head a bit less open sounding, but I love it for a change too! I have found that the 30's are better for me in the studio verses on stage due to the stage volume that can occur, and lead to increased sympathetic snare buzz. They can make your buzzes and presses sound pretty sweet. ;) Always awesome brother, take care!!

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Thanks!

[@acrock21]

i have a puresound 20 brass and love it transformed my snare into something greater.

[@bradennicoson6782]

I put a puresound 30 strand on a 14x6 DW snare at my church, and oh man! I love it! The response is insane!

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Yea, I'm diggin this one

[@FanaticDrummer]

I have a 42 strand on my Tama Bubinga Quilted with a Remo Fiberskyn Powerstroke top and Hazy bot. Its magic. Great for jazz, blues and classic rock.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

FanaticalDrummer ooohhh...That does sound like a nice combo

[@kas36spires]

I play a lot of contemporary worship and mostly use an 8"x14" ludwig black magic which I have outfitted with 42 strand snare wires. Really dig the sound for the context i use them in! Something about those big fat snare drums just pairs well with the 42s 😀

[@timsears951]

old review but still helpful im in the market for new snare wires myself...have never used copper or brass snares before , only nickel ...but I got to believe that the brass or copper snare wires would make a huge difference...

[@deejaaywalker2314]

I would have MUCH preferred a raw room sound for this comparison. The EQ and compression robbed the authentic character each set of wires would have made on the listening end. The sound of the wires seems vastly diminished.

[@deejaaywalker2314]

@@kyronnewbury I think the over production takes away the opportunity to hear if there is and what , if any, characteristics sound different. Not everyone plays for the sole output of a recording. Playing for the joy of the music in the moment is one of the greatest rewards.

[@jedidrummerjake]

Thanks for another great video, Stephen!

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Jason Schultz You bet Jason

[@laager3223]

Thank you Stephen your videos really help!!

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Lil Dac2 glad to hear it!

[@thenightsoil4553]

Agreed about the responsiveness! I just retrofitted a Pearl aluminum snare with the Puresound Super 30 (heard on the latest improv jam "Shock Absorber" on our channel. Definitely a more articulate response compared to the stock Pearl snare wire. I also installed the Super 30 on a Yamaha 13" Musashi Oak Custom snare. . . In addition to the aforementioned articulation and responsiveness, there seems to be more nuance/dynamic range when adjusting the snare wire for tightness/slack, so I feel there are a few more unique sounds you can get between the snare wire adjustments and tuning. Pretty amazing, and a lot cheaper than trying to experiment with tons of different snare head combinations. Thanks for posting this, BTW! Love your channel.

[@Assimilator702]

I've had the opposite experience with Puresound wires on all my newer Tama snares. No sensitivity unless the wires are cranked which chokes the bottom head. I have zero issues with Tama wires and I feel they work the best with Tama snares.

[@ambroulard]

I have to agree,,, I use Strictly Pearl free floaters and they sound fantastic with PUresound 30’s--

[@ARDrummer]

Nice demo! I like the sound of the 30 best

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

AR Drummer Me too

[@MyDyerMaker]

Tried puresounds and they were nice, but I didn't hear much of a difference from stock. I like 42-strand Gretsch wires on a 6.5" Supraphonic.

[@digustres9994]

what is the real difference between ??? pure sound wires twisted series and blaster series 20 strand.

[@bradennicoson6782]

To Tim: Thank you for compressing down the "hard hit" on the snare drum that would supposedly blow our ears out. Sincerely, A drummer who highly values his hearing

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Braden Nicoson Sorry. Tim can’t hear you. That snare hit caught him off guard and did his hearing in.

[@francogravante6004]

Thanks to the iPhone actually It has a compressor on the microphone

[@KC-sm7gm]

even though i blow, these are really nice. Great for big pop on a 6.5x14 steel.

[@nickferrence8593]

I think the puresound make a slight difference as you mentioned. Love the intro to this particular video. Very different in a good way

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Yea...slight. And thanks...trying to mix it up a bit ;^)

[@2002drumsonly]

Brilliant and entertaining video.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

2002drumsonly Thanks so much!

[@firpomaan5544]

Big difference its worth the money to change. These sound so much richer and fuller.

[@ryanperson6307]

That ending was glorious

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

My best yet

[@escadrums2]

Bought a Tama Starphonic Bubinga which had a crap Tama snare strainer got a 30 Strand puresound strainer and the difference Is night AND day tbh, It sounds a shit Ton better

[@garywilliams4905]

Might I make a suggestion? If you're gonna A/B something, show A then straight away show B. That way you can make a comparison. To show A then have a music filled little filler bit, then show B means that my meagre mind can't remember what A sounded like, especially when the music for the filler part has such a HUGE fat snare sound in it. My 2c

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Thanks Gary...and yes, in the next video that I A/B something, they will be together. Love the feedback!

[@Kubakaiser]

Someone had a silly mood that day ;)

[@swingarmer]

You have a bunch the metal in your ear?

[@AtTheSourceStudios]

Always change to 30strand on my snares. Love the fattness and smoothness. Ever since I tried it the first time it's been a staple whenever I get a new snare to change to 30 strand and 2ply coated head on the batter/top side.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

I'm digging the 30 more than I do the 40 for general use

[@tdrum21]

On the bottom head two ply coated?

[@AtTheSourceStudios]

tdrum21 2ply just on the batter/top head. The 2ply helps with the ringing but also adds a thicker sound and smoother feel when doing rolls. As soon as I tried it I was like wow I should've done this year's ago.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Nope, classic clear single ply

[@tdrum21]

SiREN2173 I figured. 👍 Making sure because 2ply would be so thick for resonant side. Wires probably wouldn’t even work much with that.

[@classixdrummer]

Steve, work on your meter for the clapping demo at the opening. ;-) I like the puresound 20 strand on my custom maple stave snare. I have an old pearl copper snare that I put a pearl 40 strand on to increase the snare action on brushes.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Yea, I dig the 40's for brush response and big, gushy backbeats. They can just be finicky to adjust precisely (for me at least). I'm digging the versatility of the 30's atm.

[@ReBeLhIpI]

i bought the same pure sound super 30 and i was a little disappointed, it kinda muffles the buzz, and it becomes to dry. 24 strand has been the best for me so far, having tried stock 20 strands and gibraltar 42 strand ones aswell.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

ReBeLhIpI it does dry things out a touch. I’ll agree

[@tdrum21]

Let’s hear sounds back to back ... Haha that clapping for Tim editing 😜?

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Next time for sure. Tim is very high maintenance. I guess that comes with his greatness ;^)

[@mtario16]

Hi Stephen, I really like your videos and thanks for al the tips you have posted over the years. I have a completely OFF-Topic question: where did you buy your iPhone holder? Can't find one like this on ebay or Amazon. Thanks.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

mtario16 here ya go...look up iPhone music stand: www.amazon.com/dp/B008LY8JSM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xb4JAbRQMAGFJ

[@mtario16]

Merci. Cheers from Montréal.

[@drumyogi9281]

Was that 'The Warriors' music in the begening? Lmao

[@zedzero77]

Is the super 30 good enough for punk rock?😜

[@schinbeindrumco]

The Strainer couldn't possibly affect the sound of your snare drum, except potentially for dampening the shell a bit (negligibly really) in the case of some really heavy ones. The snare wires however....

[@jameskirkbydrums]

the super 30s dry a snare out, i have them on my 13" steel snare, but it makes the snare sound good! i also have 42 strands on my 14x7 thin maple, and my 14x6 thick maple snares, and they give it a really crisp, solid snap while still allowing me the feel and response of the shell :)

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

They do...which is ok with this particular snare. Needed to beef it up a bit!

[@johnwarnet7295]

Not a fan of Puresound wires really. I use FatCat dual adjustable and it makes any snare I’ve thrown them on sound better! IMO at least lol

[@DailyDrumLesson]

I am not really picky about them. I mostly use pure sound and they just work. I never A/B tested the different models. Maybe I should do that.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Yea, I've always just used what worked in the past. But, thought I would change it up a bit. Worth it I think, especially after retuning the snare (brought the bottom head up a good bit and top head down).

[@DailyDrumLesson]

Just ordered a Puresound Super 30. Lets see what it does!

[@scottswift8153]

I bought a new one last night. Guitar center only has 2 kinds the pure sound and the spl brand. Variety would be nice. I founder how hollow metal beads would sound as a strainer.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Lol...yea, it was the same here in Nashville. Amazon is best for that. I just stopped in there cause I wanted some that day.

[@meekoloco]

Well howdy Stephen! So my ears never liked Puresounds that much. That said, I think they improved on your snare sound here. I’ve been using the Canopus Vintage Dry wires.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

meekoloco Yea...I did some major tuning after this video as well. Heard good things about the Canopus as well

[@meekoloco]

Puresound does make a cool set of wires that are close to the Canopus ones I mentioned. The Concert Series, comes in 12 or 16 strand. Very surprising snap for fewer wires. So many great products out there for drummers!

[@ldcsam1]

Tiger Woods has a Bubinga snare? Wow!!! I didn't know.

[@GrayGhostDrumCovers]

When BR says you only get better by playing it’s like John Glenn saying you only get to the moon by flying. None of us are Buddy Rich....or John Glenn.

[@DreamyBongos]

Are you going to goof around with the Vic Firth Canopus ones?

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

If we're being honest here...I didn't even know VF made some. Which is sad cause I'm an artist of theirs. Let's keep this between you and I...

[@VicFirthCompany]

We caught you! :P They actually haven't been released yet. Mid-March is when they should be hitting the shelves. We'll have to send some over for you to review!

[@JSquaredDesigns]

Thank you for this - I have always been mystified as a player of 30+ years over the "black magic" science of creating a great snare drum sound.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

JSquaredDesigns Ha! I wish I knew the magic. Just a bunch of trial and error in my book.

[@ebeat7]

yep cool.. it's all trying.. some snare builders swear to using snare 'ropes' intead of straps (less head choke) and 42 strands can sometimes choke a bottom head too.. i like either 24 or 32 depends on the snare bed .. then i like shallow snare beds or no 'bed' at all..

[@m0j0b0ne]

This is kinda spectacularly unhelpful, and not just because of the conclusion; there's a homogenizing effect when you use EQ and compression that tends to iron out the rather minute differences betwixt one strainer and another, so it's really hard to hear, here. Then again, flat mics in a dry room won't flatter most drums; that'd be all too revealing. I'm no scientist, I'm barely even a drummer, but I feel like we should be thinking in terms of physics; membrane tension, mass/composition of the wires/number of the wire coils, number of turns per inch, diameter of the wire, etc. Shoot, it might even be helpful to think of the strainer as a mechanical spring reverb, but what do I know? I'm barely a drummer.

[@asmallpug]

Personally yeah i think it matters a lot, I’ve had 20 strand vs a 42 strand and the 42 gives me so much more sizzle and it just sounds so much fatter all around (I have a 14x8 tuned low) I think the lower and more wet you want your snare to sound the higher strand count matters a lot. I just don’t see me getting the sound i want from anything other than a 42 so with that being said, it probably comes down to the depth of your shell and the pitch.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

q Haven The depth of shell...now that’s a part of the equation that really plays a role when changing out those wires. I prefer higher strand count the deeper the shell.

[@asmallpug]

Stephen Taylor absolutely, I’d say 30 strands are nice on 14x5.5 through 14x6.5, but as far as a 14x8 1 mil brass snare, 42 is what you’d need

[@Powerserg-dx5kk]

But does it make you faster! Lol funny been think about swapping mine out and here you are demoing the goods thx again

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Powerserg 5000 87% of the time it makes you faster every time. Glad you dug the vid

[@Powerserg-dx5kk]

Went out and bought this sucks and you are right 87% faster jk really love the sound and response thank for making me get off my wallet :)

[@cDisturbed.]

I want a nice low fat snare, I use hydraulic head and was wondering about wires…

[@franjobriski7566]

It is not good idea to set drum volume much lower than your voice volume when you're comparing drum sounds. In this case listener will get impression drum sounds much softer than your voice and won't get any realistic impression about drum sound. When dealing with snare drums there are lot of noise and to give realistic representation of it's sound at least some of this noise should be preserved.

[@TheMerryPup]

"So anyway. . .I don't know." Thanks Stephen. o_o

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Lol...that was a rather lackluster conclusion, wasn't it. I just wanted to document it. I'll leave the decisions about how it changed things up to your ears ;^)

[@TheMerryPup]

Just a little gentle ribbing man. Love your content and thanks for all that you do and put out here for us! 🙂

[@jaymeramirez7435]

Tama Starclassic wires are nicer than the cheapie stuff from Twon.

[@miniatureface]

I don’t understand the appeal of so many strands. For me, even 30 is way more than I need. Fewer strands opens up the tone of the drum, but you still get great articulation. I think I cut my wires down to 12 or something. Pretty sure Gavin Harrison cuts his wires to a smaller number.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Daniel Mears It all depends on what sound you’re wanting and what music you’re playing. In the end the music should dictate the sounds you’re going for. For me, on this drum, the 30 is a better fit.

[@Assimilator702]

I don't like how the Puresound wires rest on the head. I have to over tighten the wires to get any snare sound. I'm sticking to Tama wires. The High Carbon wires that have Tama on the endplate are excellent. I'm replacing all my Puresound wires with Tama wires ASAP.

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

I've actually never tried their wires (and I'm a Tama artist). Putting these on my list to check out!

[@Assimilator702]

@@StephenTaylorDrums After installing new heads and PS wires on a used Limited Edition Starclassic snare and doing the tap test everything seemed fine until I played the drum. At a normal wire tension which is not real tight for me I got NO wire activation at all. It sounded like a tom. I thought the snare beds were bad. So I grabbed a set of regular Starclassic wires with the chrome plating and the issue was solved. I went through several of my drums and it was the same issue with the Puresounds. No sensitivity until the wires are too tight for my liking. The only snare they worked well with was a Tama 80’s Artwood snare and a brand new Gretch Bell Brass. However when I installed a set of Tama wires on both of those snares I preferred sensitivity and they just seemed easier to set up. I like the Tama MS20RL14C and the MS20SN14C. Both have the brass colored end plates. I like supporting American companies that manufacture in the US but I feel the “issues” that PS is trying to solve is creating more problems. The metal clips that offer the quick release feature is another pain in the ass when the clip starts slipping through the slot. That’s a BAD idea and PS needs to rethink that “feature”. Just include basic thin black cloth straps like Tama uses.

[@ivanbajovic3476]

@@Assimilator702 What wires do you recommend for my Tama S.L.P. Classic maple 14x5.5 snare, MS20RL14C or MS20SN14C? Currently I have Puresound and plan to replace them.

[@Assimilator702]

@@ivanbajovic3476 MS20RL14C for sure. I have them in all my G-Maple snares. The bronze wires work great on the Bubinga snares.

[@ivanbajovic3476]

@@Assimilator702 Thanks for the advice my friend! I will check MS20RL14C

[@Dadedrums]

But the thing is... where did you get that t-shirt¿

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Lol...the blue one was a Kohl's purchase by the wife. The Black (gray, charcoal, whatever) one is a shirt that goes with a course I teach called The Art of Practice.

[@Dadedrums]

Stephen Taylor the art of practice one is the one I like... uhmmm so I guess if I want one I have to take the course? That would be tricky as far as I live in Menorca...

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

It's an online course ;^)

[@Dadedrums]

Stephen Taylor oh perfect! Is there any way to contact you in order to know conditions, price, etc?

[@se-ku3op]

2:35 3:17

[@josteinv.jordet257]

Do you have a video for absolutely everything?

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

🤓🤓🤓

[@josteinv.jordet257]

+ do you answer all comments?

[@artcorvolet]

well is 4 minutes and 40 seconds I'll never get back :p

[@jeffalgra1186]

😂

[@Pro1938ftc3ch]

How do I put my snare drum medium volume cause mines at a Footballfield range with no mics

[@ACLOCKWORKDRUMMER]

that's it problem solved...puresound

[@TheGruveMaster]

More importantly, why do they call it a strainer?

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

I think this cuts to the core of the REAL issue here...

[@Yotrymp]

Because it puts strain on the snare wires

[@TheGruveMaster]

???? The strainer "is" the snare wires.

[@76JStucki]

Nope. The strainer is the piece of hardware on the shell that pulls the wires against the head. It's a good video, but he misspeaks when he calls the wires "the strainer." That's not the strainer.

[@sideoutside]

Because noodles..

[@hansgrueber8169]

Simply replacing old worn out wires will freshen up any snare regardless of wire count or style...

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

I totally agree here. These were less than a year old though. As well, replacing factory strainers will up your game.

[@Ticonderous1]

I am not going to hit it ..... hit hit hit ....

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Ticonderous1 I. Couldn’t. Resist.

[@Ticonderous1]

Stephen Taylor you wouldn't be a real drummer if you didn't brother ...

[@colinfitzpatrickdrums5853]

Like something that grows out of a cat.l nearly posses myself 😂😂😂😂

[@colinfitzpatrickdrums5853]

Posses ! I mean pissed😂

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Colin Fitzpatrick drums I would have been more impressed if you would have possessed yourself. That really would have been something to see.

[@snipereliteone]

I Really dont like the sound they produce the 30 strings went the band is all playing the snare sound very muted you have to tweak a lot to make it sound bright

[@johnweyers2685]

You're changing your snare "wires" not your snare "strainer."

[@colinfitzpatrickdrums5853]

Believe me ,not pretty either way!

[@andrewmurphy5310]

Sorry but it would be nice if you played the two snare back to back and if half the video wasn't just talking.

[@modernbeachball]

First

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Second ;^)

[@classixdrummer]

D 9th.

[@bassiclogic]

Audio sucks!

[@danielbreymaier5242]

You are very hard to follow on this video. It seems like you are even confusing yourself.