annoying rattle

[Drumming Hobo]

I have tuned and re-tuned my brass sensitone classic II (6.5 by 14, an old one with the claws and gold shell) yet I still get an annoying snare rattle. I know all the tips like loosening the four lugs around the snare and tightening the rest, and it is all in vain. Can anyone tell me why my beloved snare rattles? Also, if new snares are in order, can anyone give me a reccomendation; I usually just grab the $10 replacements, but I am loosing faith in them. I use this drum for gigging, if it matters.

[cschreppel53]

Do you mean the snare buzzes when you hit another tom? If this is the case, then it's just simply that the snare and the toms are tuned too closely in pitch. Try tuning the snare higher or lower and same with the tom, until you don't hear the snare buzzing. And, in all honesty, it's not that big of a deal.

OR

Do you mean that the snares keep buzzing after you hit it? If this is the case, just tighten the snares a little bit. But you do not want to overly stress the snares, because, well, that's just bad.

OR

Do you mean the snares are just rattling like crazy when you hit the snare? This is different from the buzzing in that the wires are actually bouncing off of the resonant head, instead of just vibrating across it. If this is the case, you'll want to take off your snares, inspect them, and if they're fine, line them up correctly and be sure that you apply an equal amount of pressure on both the strainer and butt ends.

Hope this helps!

[comebakzak]

try putting like a playing card between the snares and the reso, put it sorta off center, it might sound a little flat and may need a little tuning but it definatly gets rid of buzzing

[DED]

Are you talking about the snares buzzing a bit after you hit the drum?
If so: Make sure the snares are positioned evenly on the head and that the tension is equal on each side of the snares when the throw off is engaged. (With the snares in the 'on' position, flip the drum over and flick each side of the snares with your finger. Do they sound/feel like they have the same tension? If not, adjust the string.)
If you haven't replaced the snares in a while, then a new set is probably in order, especially if you are a hard hitter. The $10.00 jobs are okay but I really like the Puresounds and I use them on my main snare drums.

If you are talking about the snares rattling when you play other drums in the kit, then try this: First, make sure the snares are adjusted correctly. Then try tuning up the bottom head of the snare up a bit more. If a particular tom seems to activate the snares, then tackle the tuning on that drum. Seemingly small adjustments in each drum can minimize the problem.

Here is a last resort solution that I have been forced to use on occasion:

Pull off the top head. Find a "Zero-Ring" and place it inside the drum. If it's a 14" ring you'll have to trim it down a little bit to fit and if you are a slammer you might want to use a couple of very small pieces of tape to hold the ring to the bottom head.
This will fix the snare rattle but the trade off is a slightly boxier sounding drum. . .which can be a good thing sometimes!

:cool: