Project: Making my 13" tom into a snare

[RedHotMuDMath]

Okay, I have a Forum with tom sizes of 10x12, 11x13, and 16x16. I'm getting a 14x14" floor tom for Christmas, and I'm probably not going to use the 13" tom anymore. (Right now I have a one rack tom, two floor tom setup, with the 13" as a floor tom, and would like to keep it that way).

Now, this presents a few options for me:

Option 1: I could keep the 13", and put it to the left of my snare, because I'll still have an extra tom arm and a clamp (I use an ICON rack by the way)... but, I really won't use it a whole lot, because I would see where it would be kinda hard to work it into fills, the best you could do is use it for something to "ride" on for dramatic buildups, etc.

Option 2: Since the 13" is so hard to tune with the rest of the even sized drums, why not make it into a snare? I've been reading up on other threads and learned it's not too difficult. Cut a snare bed (my dad's friend is a master woodworker, he can do just about anything, so I can get him to do it), drill holes for a strainer and butt plate, put a gated bottom hoop on it (I have an extra one), and a coated head if you want, and you're good to go! I'm almost positive that I won't use the 13" as a tom again, so why not?

Thoughts, questions, comments, concerns, reccomendations?
What do you think I should do?

-Pat

[Blank]

It would be a great project, and prolly wouldn't sound too bad...but I have a question for you. How could it ever be playable??? If I recall correctly, I can remember seeing pics of your kit. (If I am recalling correcly [sorry if I'm not, but the question will still apply, just forget the first part of it]), you have your drums set EXTREMELY LOW. If you want to convert this into a snare, it would be 11" deep!!! This would mean you would have to either modify you snare stand, or raise your throne and your other drums to make it even remotely playable. Otherwise it would be just way too high. How do you plan to get around this?

Good luck!!

[TLD]

Originally posted by Blank
It would be a great project, and prolly wouldn't sound too bad...but I have a question for you. How could it ever be playable??? If I recall correctly, I can remember seeing pics of your kit. (If I am recalling correcly [sorry if I'm not, but the question will still apply, just forget the first part of it]), you have your drums set EXTREMELY LOW. If you want to convert this into a snare, it would be 11" deep!!! This would mean you would have to either modify you snare stand, or raise your throne and your other drums to make it even remotely playable. Otherwise it would be just way too high. How do you plan to get around this?

Good luck!!


Thats what I was gonna say too, 11" deep is quite a setback.

[OD-Drumr]

I'm attempting the very same project, but mines is a 13x9 tom so I don't forsee anything adverse, seeing as there are 13x8 snares on the market anyway.
I'm interested in the sound coming from the shell though. The outer ply is reddish-brown like mahogany, there's 6 plys with a very white layer in there and the innermost seems like a composite material with a very faint wood grain. Gives a very focused tom sound so maybe for a snare.....
Hey, let me know how yours turns out 'cuz right now I'm having a hard time finding a 13" 6-lug gated hoop.
Can the old hoop be machined?

[mrbeaver]

he could just cut off some of the bttom is what I think he was planning. I'd get a 13x5

[Pyrotechnic]

He could mount the 11x13 snare off the left on his rack, or he could put a tom arm and a multi clamp on the bottom portion of his snare stand and make a low stand like that.

[sirduffy]

why not train a monkey to hold it for you? if not, an upside down tom arm off a clamp would be sufficiently low. Have you ever heard the sound of such a deep snare? I'm thinkin there must be a reason why you cant buy them ready made that deep. I'd love to know how it sounds cos I'm always tryin out strange stuff with my old drums. Ever tried taping a 10 inch splash to a snare drum. Sounds pretty cool! (when you hit it with a stick!)

[RedHotMuDMath]

Great replies, sorry I took so long to reply back...

To answer your questions about height, I already have a plan. Since I'm getting a floor tom, I won't need a rack clamp or a tom arm to mount it. Thus, all I have to do is put the clamp and the arm to left of the hi-hat and mount it inverted (so the tom "hangs" off the rack) I already tried it yesterday and it works perfect.

Thanks for the great replies, I think I'm gonna go ahead and do it when I get the floor tom.

-Pat

[Big King]

Interesting.

it will probably sound deep and like a cross between a tom and a marching snare.

Here is something that I recently did.

I put an evans clear tom head on the bottom of my 13" pearl maple piccolo snare. It has an odd sound now. It sounds "high" like a piccolo, yet has a punch and ring like a tom. Quite interesting sounding. I wonder how it will record.

ohh and for mounting the snare, you could put an "iss mount" on it, and hook it from any where on your rack.

Also if you know someone who can weld, you can weld the top of a snare stand to the bottom of a mic stand. Just cut the mic stand as low as you need it. Violà!

[larsfan]

any one know if i can just cut my current hoops and save the cash?

[Spnkdrm]

like some of the other guys said, i would just use the tom mount and use an arm to just attach it either to the rack, or out the tom arm into a stand and have it like that. either way, good luck

[larsfan]

any one know if i can just cut my current hoops and save the cash?

[OUKIE]

Don't do it!
I wouldn't do it! I know someone who did it, and well it didn't turn out at all. The snare strainer and butt have to be set perfectly or else the whole project will fail.