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Thread: Snare buzz.

  1. #1

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    Default Snare buzz.

    Hey guys, been a long time since I posted on here...

    Good to be back.

    So what brought me back is that my snare drum is making a strange buzzing sound every time I strike it...

    I retuned it with the snare off, It sounded fine, put the snare back on and it buzzed again. Would that have more to do with the resonant head or the batter head?

    Cheers,
    If the house is Rocking,
    Don't bother Knocking,
    Just come on In.

    My drums are my babies,
    AND I BEAT THEM.

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Snare buzz.

    Maybe you can tighten up the snare wires a little?
    - Zack

  3. #3

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    Default Re: Snare buzz.

    and if they dont tighten, you need to have a snare bed done
    ZildjianLeague/LP/Aquarian/Mapex/Pearl
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  4. #4

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    Default Re: Snare buzz.

    Hi Reindeer, it's good to see you back!

    First, I am curious what snare you have, and second, is this the first time this has happened? If it's the first time, and you've had this snare for a while, then it could be that something has loosened.
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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  5. #5

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    Default Re: Snare buzz.

    what is holding the snare wires to the reso head? plastic or string? is it in good condition?
    ZildjianLeague/LP/Aquarian/Mapex/Pearl
    Snares: 4
    RIP- Frank, Wolvie, Les Paul
    Quote Originally Posted by Pearl MCX Man View Post
    I wish I was your wife
    Quote Originally Posted by amdrummer View Post
    if double bass is cheating then so is using two sticks

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    No metronome?
    The Rudiments

  6. #6

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    Default Re: Snare buzz.

    If you're looking for the easy way out slip a piece of folded toiler paper under either edge of the snare and that should stop the buzzing. If you want to do it the right way it might take some careful tuning and adjustment of the snare wires. If you google it I'm sure you can find a guide on how to do this, it can be a royal pain.
    zerOrings are bad people.

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Snare buzz.

    Did you put your snares back on right?

  8. #8

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    Default Re: Snare buzz.

    Quote Originally Posted by Northern Redneck View Post
    Did you put your snares back on right?
    Yes, I believe I did. I centered them and fiddled to the point of exhaustion. I'm fairly confident in my ability to take apart and put back together drums as I do it often with school drums and, of course, my own.

    what is holding the snare wires to the reso head? plastic or string? is it in good condition?
    Plastic, and yes, I've never had trouble with these before. They seem to hold very firm.

    First, I am curious what snare you have, and second, is this the first time this has happened?
    Mapex mars series, I don't know the year, everything on it is stock except the remo black pinstripe batter head. It was buzzing before and that's why I decided to try out a new head.

    The only thing that I can think of is either I tuned it wrong, which is weird because I've retuned it many times without this problem and many, many more since, or that my reso head is crapped out. When I take it off the drum is seems to deflate and crackle a lot, is this normal?

    Cheers,
    Last edited by Reindeer; 10-10-2009 at 11:32 PM. Reason: forgot to say cheers ;)
    If the house is Rocking,
    Don't bother Knocking,
    Just come on In.

    My drums are my babies,
    AND I BEAT THEM.

  9. #9

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    Default Re: Snare buzz.

    No insult intended but Ive seen many people put the snarewires on upside down or to loose were they cant adjust them properly.

  10. #10

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    Default Re: Snare buzz.

    Try a contrasting tension between the top and bottom heads. Tighter bottom, lower top, etc.
    Yamaha Maple Custom 4-piece (Bebop)
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  11. #11

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    Default Re: Snare buzz.

    I had one of those snares before, and I got another one after I sold the set (wood, they also had steel ones). The snare bed is fine, don't worry about that (wood or steel).

    Get rid of the plastic strands and get the nylon ones. Once you have them all together and tight, tie a knot on the "loose end" of the strings to get overkill assurance that they won't slip.

    I've had that drum at super tight and fairly loos tunings with the snare wires. I like it more on the tighter side. Honestly, I love the Remo snare side Ambassador and coated Powerstroke3 head on that (wood) snare.
    "Life is backwards. Happiness isn't something you seek, it's something that finds you when you are doing the right thing." - Zone47

  12. #12

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    Default Re: Snare buzz.

    THANK YOU GOD IN HEAVEN......SNARE BUZZ ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE!!!!
    HARDLY NOTICEABLE!!!!!

    I just replaced my heads and BOTH heads on the snare and suddenly...."Buz"
    I have been fighting this ALL DAY, until I came to the site and searched the topics for a solution.

    Thanks to this thread and the great advice.
    Thanks guys,
    KENGOLFNUT

  13. #13

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    Default Re: Snare buzz.

    Glad you found your answer Ken
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  14. #14

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    Default Re: Snare buzz.

    Yes, the conditions of heads can be a big factor and also tuning. Never underestimate the importance of tuning. Remember not to tighten your snare wires too much as the drum will be choked making the drum sound... dodge.

  15. #15

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    Default Re: Snare buzz.

    Another remedy for too much snare buzz is to tighten the four lugs on either side of the snare beds. This will distance the head from the snare wires a bit.
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  16. #16

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    Default Re: Snare buzz.

    Quote Originally Posted by Brady View Post
    Yes, the conditions of heads can be a big factor and also tuning. Never underestimate the importance of tuning. Remember not to tighten your snare wires too much as the drum will be choked making the drum sound... dodge.



    My snare buzzed like CRAZY. Both when hitting the snare and when hitting the toms. If I tightened the snares up to the point it went away they were totally dead. After TONS of messing around with tuning I figured out it's a tuning issue more than anything else. I still stink at tuning but if I mess with it long enough I can get it enough in tune to get rid of the buzz.

    Basically here is my theory. When you have a snare drum perfectly tuned the heads will only resonate in a small frequency range. If likewise your toms are tuned well the toms will project a very small frequency range which should be outside the frequency your well tuned snare heads resonate at.

    However if you snare is tuned poorly it will resonate a wide range of frequencies (because each lug is tuned to a difference frequency). I believe it will also now resonate at many more harmonic frequencies as well. To make matters worse if your toms are out of tune they are projecting a wide range of frequencies (and weird harmonics) which easily overlap with those frequencies your snare heads will resonate at. Viola! Terrible snare buzz.

    My tuning ears are horrible. They were even worse when I first started tuning. I swore my drums were in tune. But now after HOURS and HOURS of messing with it I realize they weren't. When I do a reasonable job tuning my snare drum it can be played from one side of the head to the other without getting any nasty overtones. I find when the middle of the head sounds good but playing off to one side gives me high pitched metalic overtones then I screwed the tuning up and I need to mess with it some more.
    Last edited by Doc_d; 11-10-2009 at 08:39 PM.

  17. #17

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    Default Re: Snare buzz.

    Man, I fight with sympathetic snare buzz all the time. When I tune my snare and toms to where they sound good individually, I will get major snare buzz when I hit tom #2 (10"). I replaced the wires (an underrated must if you want your snare to crack. With the higher quality wires, I can actually tune them tighter without choking the drum). Buzz is still an issue though...and my 10" tom is sounding killer too, so changing the tuning is not what I really want to do...

  18. #18

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    Default Re: Snare buzz.

    I just changed my snare wires to the FAT CAT 24 wire Dual adjustable snappy wires..... SUPER LEGIT!!!! I swear my snare sounds and responds better than it ever has.
    NO snare buzz... period.

    Peace,
    KENGOLFNUT
    PEARL sessions custom maple
    12/15/18 with 22 bass
    14x8 Mapex proM snare
    14x5 Pearl free floating maple snare
    DW9000 single pedal
    Zildjian A cust 8/10/12/14/16
    Meinl Byzance 20" dry ride
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