Pearl Super Gripper!

[TheAnt]

http://cgi.ebay.com/PEARL-14x6-5-BRASS-SNARE-SUPER-GRIPPER-SYSTEM-NR_W0QQitemZ7356434777QQcategoryZ38095QQrdZ1QQcmdZ ViewItem

What's the deal with this snare? What's the super gripper thing about?

[DeadSkinMask]

i seen that yesterday and i was wondering what the super gripper system was? maybe an older special strainer or something?

[Thrush]

The SUPERGRIPPER was a CLASSIC snare!!! I sooooooo want one! I played one once, and it was lush! The supergripper part of it is the lugs - they are a snap-back, quick release type lug, which don't really make the snare sound any better, but are trick as fook :D

This should help you;

http://www.pearldrummersforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=109585

[TheAnt]

now that was a good idea... wonder why it didnt stick around

[Thrush]

So now you know where the idea for the Yamaha Nouveau lug came from ;)

[DeadSkinMask]

looks like the reference idea sort of.

[TheAnt]

So now you know where the idea for the Yamaha Nouveau lug came from ;)

And part of the design for phattie's rat trap lugs haha

[Thrush]

looks like the reference idea sort of.

Nah the Ref lug only pivots to allow perfect seated tension rod angle... This was a quick release lug - like the Yamaha Nouveau lug...

[Alcatraz]

Drumboo has one, or so I seem to recall.

[jbrandt]

A side note on that snare if you decide to buy it - the one in the auction has the wrong snare wires on it. That strainer/butt system has a pair of cylinders out-board of the rim that the snare straps bend over. The cylinders can be adjusted up and down to control how much the wires get buried into the head.

That design needs "extended" snare wires in which the metal ends of the wire assembly extend out beyond the bearing edge. Grover, Puresound and Pearl all make and sell "extended" snare wires for drums like this.

Jeff

[Thrush]

Yes - the system you show is the same as emplyed on the old Free Floating System snare drums (of the same era)

[Fixxxer]

The SUPERGRIPPER was a CLASSIC snare!!! I sooooooo want one! I played one once, and it was lush! The supergripper part of it is the lugs - they are a snap-back, quick release type lug, which don't really make the snare sound any better, but are trick as fook :D

This should help you;

http://www.pearldrummersforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=109585

Dude, thoes lugs are pretty Boss...not quite as boss as the reference/masterworks lugs...but with 20 years of difference...thoes are kickass

[grypmatthias]

Why did pearl stop using this type of lugs? Were there any problems with them, because the idea is very convenient.

[Mapexdrummer17]

Nah the Ref lug only pivots to allow perfect seated tension rod angle... This was a quick release lug - like the Yamaha Nouveau lug...

They also allow you to change a bass head quicker.

The Steel Noveaus are cool, but the plastic ones suck. And let's not forget YESS :mad:

[AL PERCIVAL]

Drumboo has one, or so I seem to recall.

Correct! Here is DRUMBOO's Pearl GLX Super Gripper Brass 14 x 6.5

You can view other pic's of it (and all his other snares and kits) here.

http://www.eric-singer.de/drumboo/html/drums.html

[StixNSkins]

I know I'm a bit late on replying to this thread, but hey, that's what happens when you're out of touch for a year or so... ANYWAY, I love the Super Gripper stuff! I've owned a Super Pro GLX kit for the past 20 years and Super Gripper lugs were the standard on that kit. I still love it today as much as the day I bought it in 1985. I too asked Gene Okamoto why Pearl stopped making these lugs and he gave me the following list of reasons:

1- Too many pieces made it a production nightmare.
2- For the same reason, the lug was bulkier and more expensive to manufacture.
3- The tension required to keep the lug housing closed limited the low end of the tuning range.

I've been looking for some extra SG lugs so that I can build an 8x8 tom to match my kit. No luck finding just the lugs, but I have been able to pick up a few extra GLX drums off of e-bay in the past few years. I would love to have a brass shell Super Gripper Snare, or a Piano Black maple SG snare. The one I have is maple with a chrome laminate. Great sounding drums!

[Rhodan]

Hi,
I have got a GLX drumkit whose screws and washers are rusted and about to crack.
Are there some available Pearl spareparts that would fit GLX drums?

Thanks a lot!

[jgates]

I've got an GLX black piano finish kit including the snare shown above... while I love the drums I never was a fan of the Super Gripper design... the "feel" of tightening the head to tune the drum is subtly different from a typical rod/lug and I was never able to get them to work with RIMS... but I do LOVE the drums!!

[StixNSkins]

Yes, you're right. The SG lugs do feel quite a bit different because you have to have enough tension to keep the casings closed before you can even begin to tune the drum. That's why Gene said that it really limited the tuning range of the drum, especially on the low end. I had never really thought of it, because the tuning range they allow suits my taste, but it makes sense. As far as the RIMS goes, I've never tried them on my GLX's, but it makes sense that you might have a few problems getting them to work. However, I upgraded my kit to Opti-Mounts a few years back, and they work great.

[ConvertedLudwigPLayer]

Here's a link I found that for the 1985 Pearl catalog, and it contains some info on the Super Gripper.

http://www.vankuipers.nl/Drums%20Drums%20Drums/Pearl%20Drums/GLXMLXDLXetc1985%20II%20.pdf