8 lug vs 10 lug Thoughts

[SpazApproved]

So I'm building a new snare drum and I'm online ordering parts as we speak.

I have one predicament... should I go 8 lug or 10?

Here's my pros and cons...

10 Lug Pros:
With 10 lug snares the sound is crisper and more controlled to me.
I feel you can tune them tighter and they stay in tune better with my aggressive playing.

10 Lug Cons:
With more lugs it takes away from the finish of the snare drum.
I have a beautiful Bocote snare shell and i want to show off more of the beautiful natural wood.


So... Do I sacrifice sound for looks... or go for sound over style.

with my racecar I've always been Function>Form
but with this snare I can't decide!

[SpazApproved]

Also... I love die cast hoops but the price is twice the price of 3.0mm Triple Flanged hoops

[N2Bluz]

I assume it’s 14”?

I’d say if you like a tight batter head, then 10 would be best. Less stress on the lugs and shell and better control of overtones. Maybe use a tube lug that is less noticeable?

8 lugs work good, but tend to produce a wider range of overtones. Depending on the sound you want, that might even be more desirable.

[SpazApproved]

I assume it’s 14”?

I’d say if you like a tight batter head, then 10 would be best. Less stress on the lugs and shell and better control of overtones. Maybe use a tube lug that is less noticeable?

8 lugs work good, but tend to produce a wider range of overtones. Depending on the sound you want, that might even be more desirable.

It is a 14" snare indeed.

I'm passing on the tube lug because sooooo many people use them. And I want something different.

I'm going with these in black nickel

[noreastbob]

I'd go 10 for sure! And I like N2B's idea of tube lugs as, A) I like tube lugs...they look classy, and, B) It perfectly solves your cosmetic "problem".
Good call N2B!

[noreastbob]

your lug pic post came in while I was typing Zack. Those lugs won't cover much shell. You know you need 10 of 'em.

[SpazApproved]

yeah I'm excited to finally finish this drum up. Had it for 2 years haven't touched it.

[N2Bluz]

It is a 14" snare indeed.

I'm passing on the tube lug because sooooo many people use them. And I want something different.

I'm going with these in black nickel

Those will work....probably look even less cluttered than tube lugs. I’d say you’re on the right track. I’d definitely go with 10....especially with triple flange hoops.

[Pearl MCX Man]

Go with the 10 Zack

[drummerMD]

Go with the 10 Zack

Yeah, I thought 10 lugs on 14" was pretty much the norm. and 8 lugs on a 13". Though I do have a 6x13 in. Drum Craft snare that has 10 lugs, that's those German's for ya! lol

[SpazApproved]

i went with 10 lug and I splurged on the die cast hoops... it's just money right?!

[rickthedrummer]

Took you all of 9 hours. Hell of a difficult decision. Takes me longer to decide what I'm going to have for dinner.

[SpazApproved]

Took you all of 9 hours. Hell of a difficult decision. Takes me longer to decide what I'm going to have for dinner.

I tell you what Rick... Cailyn thought I was so crazy that it took me HOURS to decide what parts and route i wanted to go. Then I showed her the price tags and she said... take your time and don't get it wrong! hahaha women...

[rickthedrummer]

Years ago, I considered getting Keller shells and building my own custom made drum set when I realized that I didn't have the patience to wait for my toast to get done, so that idea went out the window.

There was a guy here that built a beautiful set about 5-6 years ago. Superprohero if I remember right. He put a lot of work into building them. He was offered money to build a set for somebody and he said "never again". I guess that the picture(s) he put up are up there somewhere but I'm damned if I remember when and where.

[Pearl MCX Man]

Rick, could it be signia fan I think he is the one that builds drums not too sure though.

[rickthedrummer]

Rick, could it be signia fan I think he is the one that builds drums not too sure though.

Pretty sure it was superprohero. He built the set for himself and doesn't build for other people.

Somebody here must remember who I'm talking about.

[N2Bluz]

Signia builds his from scratch...as in cuts down the tree himself, LOL.

Right now, you can buy Keller Shells on-line with your choice of bearing edges already cut, and even pre-drilled for the hardware. All you need to do is stain/paint/wrap the shells and assemble them with a screwdriver. Honestly, with the exception of the stain, it’s no more work than assembling a new kit out of the box. That said, the finish work, whether it’s stain or wrap, can be a fair amount of work. Not difficult, but laborious.

[SpazApproved]

Yeah and honestly.... the cost of parts just putting this snare together... it's honestly not worth it in my opinion vs just buying a new one that I like. I probably have almost $400 into this snare drum already now

[Pearl MCX Man]

Pretty sure it was superprohero. He built the set for himself and doesn't build for other people.

Somebody here must remember who I'm talking about.

Rick I checked the members list and there is no superprohero.

[drummerMD]

Rick, could it be signia fan I think he is the one that builds drums not too sure though.

Yep, signia fan is the one.

[rickthedrummer]

"Drumbuild- DONE!!!
Started by stuperprohero, 08-28-2011 08:00 PM
123"

It was stuperprohero. The pic's of the set he built were removed. He had 3 "pages" of posts including 1 from Ricardo. It starts on "page" 45 of Drums, Drumset, and gear.

I don't know who or why the pic's were removed. It was a sharp looking set of drums.

[SpazApproved]

Yeah don't mess with Rick! He'll search it till he wins

[rickthedrummer]

Yeah don't mess with Rick! He'll search it till he wins

This is true. It's entirely possible I'm the Devil you don't know.

[Ricardo]

Do what you like..................what looks best to you.
While I appreciate (and own) the 10-lug snare drum, the best sounding snare I ever played was a 5X14 with 8 lugs................gorgeous.

[slinky]

Yeah and honestly.... the cost of parts just putting this snare together... it's honestly not worth it in my opinion vs just buying a new one that I like. I probably have almost $400 into this snare drum already now

Exactly how I felt when I refurbed one of my bass drums.

How are those lugs? They take on a big load both ways.