Tuning/Adjusting a Pearl Free Floating snare drum

[-Pearl-Blx-1987]

Hi. i am having a horrible time trying to dial in a 6 1/2x14 steel shell Free floating snare drum.Shell is round,hoops are round. I just put brand new O.E.M. Pearl snare wires on,a brand new Remo vintage coated ambassador,but the bottom snare side head is a brand new but cheap no name 3mil i thought i would try.Is it the cheap snare side head that is throwing me off on getting this snare to sound like it should? or would that have little to no effect. I have tuned in hundreds of snares drums in my lifetime. I am having a hard time with this one. Also the 2 phillips screws on each side to adjust the height of the snare wires are even both sides-What height do you guys usually have them set at? Thanks for any suggestions.

[Oliver_Stein]

I‘m guessing you have a first Gen. Steel Free Floater with the hex lug posts!? This drum can sound excellent, but some things need to be looked at on the way.
You mentioned a new snare wire - it needs to be the Pearl S-025 which is long enough to go past the edges of the drum. Next up is the correct setting of the rollers on both sides. They need to be adjusted in a way that the wires are plain on the reso head. Not bend up, not bend down. On my FF the reso hoop limited the snare wires so that they could not get to the level of the reso head. I had to file away two milimeters of the hoop to enable the wires to sit flat on the reso. Next up is a really cranked reso head. It should be tight. My Steel FF sounds awesome since I set it up that way!

[-Pearl-Blx-1987]

Thank for the reply. Yes, it is the earlier hex post version snare bought brand new in 1987 that came with the rest of the BLX kit.

Yes i just installed a new set of Pearl S-025 wires that finally came back in stock! (Musicians friend-$9.99 shipped free.
I tried adjusting the height adjustment of the wires and i remember NOT installing the plastic strap around the roller and the wires popped a wheelie on the end-so i corrected it the right way.I had the snare sounding pretty good a couple times then i get my drum key and try making it sound even better then i throw everything off and make it sound worse.(Need to get snare sounding good then hide the drum key) I still suspect the cheap snare side head i put on instead of a quality snare side head but you did not mention that. I think i am going to loosen both heads and try again from scratch. I have had these FF snares in the past and i know they should sound excellent. Thanks for the advice.

[Oliver_Stein]

Yes, tuck on a Remo Ambassador Snareside head and you should be good to go.

[-Pearl-Blx-1987]

I have the snare sounding great right now and will leave it alone. I will eventually put on a Remo ambassador snare side head to see if that does anything but its dialed in good right now. I adjusted the snare wire height more so on one side to bring the snare wires lower)seemed like it had very slight play in it) and i also loosened the butt plate side and pulled down on the plastic strap and that seemed to help. I also cranked the snare side head down really tight as you suggested to do (even tighter than i normally would) and took off the batter head and hoop and rechecked the roundness of the hoop and shell which was fine.Reassembled the top head and fine tuned the head and wire tension and it is sounding great. I have messed with this snare for 2 straight weeks and hours of back and forth tuning that was driving me nuts. I do appreciate the suggestions-Im good to go. Have a great day!