Does Anyone Use the Internal Snare Muffler

[kenshireen]

I have several vintage snares with internal mufflers... I find if I just lightly touch the head that it works real well and cuts out the overtones on rimshots in particular.
I have a lm400 and an acrolite (which is extremely close in sound when I use the same heads and tension)

Any opinions

[thismercifulfate]

I did use the one on my Acrolite sometimes. I really liked having it, because it was an easy and unconscipcuous way to quickly dry up the sound. I fixed up an acro for my college, and I had to remove the internal muffler, it was all messed up and would make considerable noise when disengaged, which is no good to me because I use it a lot there for recording.

The reason the Acro and the Supra are close in sound is because they share the same shell. The differences are the Supra is chromed, has 2 more lugs, uses imperial lugs and has thicker 2.3mm hoops.

[kenshireen]

Are you sure the hoops are different.... I know that the supra is 2.3..... is the accrolite a 1.6

[thismercifulfate]

Are you sure the hoops are different.... I know that the supra is 2.3..... is the accrolite a 1.6
Yes, that is the difference. I meant to say 'thicker [thank the Acro's 1.6mm hoops] 2.3mm hoops.'

[barjack]

I use internal mufflers on all my snare drums. Generally, if I have a snare that I plan on keeping and it doesn't have an internal muffler, I drill the shell for one. They're simple, easy to use, and negate the need for heads with vents or mylar dots/rings. They make Moongel pointless, and they're always on the drum so you're ready to go whenever the performance situation changes. Why modern snares have decided to omit this useful tool is beyond me.

[nathanieljobe]

I have an internal muffler on one of my snares and have found it very useful. While not my best sounding snare, it's probably the most versatile because of the variations available. Like Barjack, I've wondered why it's no longer in vogue.

[chilledbongo]

i think they are useful too. in fact, i have them on all the toms on an old ludwig kit and they are even more useful there....

in drum hardware, trends come and go ... they may be back

[barjack]

i think they are useful too. in fact, i have them on all the toms on an old ludwig kit and they are even more useful there....

in drum hardware, trends come and go ... they may be back


I've met a ton of drummers that are super whiny about them: "they're buzzzzyyyyy" or what have you. BS, they're useful and look a heck of a lot better than the duct tape I see on every 4th snare head out there! I agree that the mufflers on the toms can also come in handy depending on the style of music you're playing. My Ludiwg kits are both too old and too new to have mufflers, but my Pearl kit has them and I've used them during recording to great effect.

[xWeasel]

I recently acquired a snare drum (steel, Pearl World series) which has an internal muffler. I think it's a great feature.

[BadAstronaut]

I'm oddball out .. I uninstall internal mufflers from every tom,floor and snare I get that has them .. personal preference .. I do think they are a better alternative than using tape,moongel,etc etc .. I know a guy that glues cotton balls on top of the internal mufflers on his ludwig set.

[Marlow]

I recently acquired a snare drum (steel, Pearl World series) which has an internal muffler. I think it's a great feature.

I have one. A 6.5"x14". Actually a pretty decent snare. I mean, I totally like my Starclassic tons more, but the World Series Snare definitely isn't bad - and they go for real cheap.

[lovetheblues]

I like the Ludwig baseball bat muffler. A quick flick to turn it on, half-way on, or off. But I don't like the ones that you screw in, it takes a long time to engage or disengage it, and on stage in dim lighting it is difficult to see if you have engaged it too much instead of just touching. Moongel is more convenient than those because you can just quickly put it on or take it of.

But I don't believe some of you, when you say that you don't understand why modern drums don't have them. You know of course that the trend these days is:

to try to avoid putting holes in shells as much as possible so that the drum resonates more,
to try to make lugs lightweight and avoid putting anything unnecesary on shells so that the drum resonates more
and to avoid putting anyting on a shell which might over time start rattling.

[nathanieljobe]

I'm oddball out .. I uninstall internal mufflers from every tom,floor and snare I get that has them .. personal preference .. I do think they are a better alternative than using tape,moongel,etc etc .. I know a guy that glues cotton balls on top of the internal mufflers on his ludwig set.

This reminds me of an old school muffling technique--putting cotton balls in the drum itself. They bounce off the reso upon impact so they don't affect attack much, but then cut a bit of resonance/sustain upon landing. I've done it with floor toms and snare drums before.