Hello -
Picked up a 60's Gretsch Reknown snare & am curious how to seat the snare-side head w/ the funkily cut deep snare bed. This is the 1st Gretsch anything I've had & can say w/out a doubt that early 60's Jazz Fests scared the bajesus out of me before I learned that they're supposed to be cut like that.
I have the head on but it's crinkly on both sides where the beds are cut.
It's deja vu once again!
Chris
No $h!t? Do I then not tighten the perimeter rods as much as a sort of counter to the serious torsion?
c
Hobbs - Tune the bottom head tight until you get an A note when you tap in front of each tension rod. Once you have the head in-tune, loosen the four rods at the sides of the snare beds by a quarter turn. Loosen them up just a tiny bit to create a small bulge in the head. The snares will have great contact. A little crinkling by the snare beds shouldn't effect the sound or playability of the drum. The beds are deep, there's bound to be a little crinkling on either side of the beds where the bearing edge drops away.
John
Mac & John -
Thank you. I will do the twist tomorrow - Chris
Hate to recommend this, but I do it with deeper beds. Use a heat-gun. Put the head on with a little bit of tension, swipe the heat-gun back and forth near each side of the bed. It works. Some will pooh pooh this method, but you don't want that "bunching" up with the head, it doesn't give a consistent area for the snares to pull up against. The heat-gun method is perfect for this, the snares have a catenary curve to pull up against, and you should have great snare response.
Hate to recommend this, but I do it with deeper beds. Use a heat-gun. Put the head on with a little bit of tension, swipe the heat-gun back and forth near each side of the bed. It works. Some will pooh pooh this method, but you don't want that "bunching" up with the head, it doesn't give a consistent area for the snares to pull up against. The heat-gun method is perfect for this, the snares have a catenary curve to pull up against, and you should have great snare response.
That is crafty my friend. I never liked the crinkling even as a kid.
Ever burn through one?
It sounds like a trick/custom/detail idea.
scott
I use a hair dryer to get the crinkles out - I saw a drum builder do it once....it's worked for me most of the time.
I do the heat gun trick too, and yes it can easily burn through. Keep the gun moving and not in one spot more than a couple of seconds. You don't need to use the high setting either.
Gary
