Drummer Cafe Community Forum

CHEF CORNER => Bart Elliott - Q & A => Topic started by: Susan Wood on April 10, 2009, 03:26 PM

Title: Omar snare with wooden hoops??
Post by: Susan Wood on April 10, 2009, 03:26 PM
Hi Bart,
I wanted an Omar Hakim snare AND an Anton Fig snare (because of the wooden hoops) and since I can only have one, I thought I might marry them and put a 13 inch Yamaha wooden hoop on the batter side of the Hakim snare.I love the sound of the sticks on wooden hoops. My question is:would this sound good?2.) would I need a wooden hoop on the reso side too? 3.)Does Yamaha even make 13 inch wooden hoops?
Thanks for your opinion and help!
Susan
Title: Re: Omar snare with wooden hoops??
Post by: Bart Elliott on April 10, 2009, 04:54 PM
Before I get into a lot of details, I would suggest that you play the Omar Hakim Signature Snare first ... as is ... then decide if you need/want wood hoops. One of my favorite things about the Omar Hakim snare is how great the cross-sticks sound! I've typically liked the cross-stick sound on many 13-inch snare drums, so there's something about the diameter that works in its favor.

About Yamaha wood hoops; why does it have to be Yamaha wood hoops? Yamaha does make wood hoops, and they do have a 13-inch wood hoop as the Akira Jimbo Signature Snare makes use of them. However, the Akira Jimbo snare is a 6-lug drum ... and the Omar Hakim is a 8-lug drum. So suffice to say ... that's not going to work for you ... unless Yamaha makes a 13-inch, 8-lug wood hoop, which I don't think they do (I could be wrong).

You can purchase wood hoops from someone like  http://www.drummaker.com]DrumMaker.com . Owner Andy Foote is a good guy (lives here in Nashville) and will certainly fix you up with what you need. Great prices too. He stocks 13-inch, 8-lug wood hoops.

If you do decide to go with wood hoops, I would consider trying a wood hoop on the batter side first before purchasing one for the snare side as well. You can get a variety of sounds by using various rim/hoop combinations on a particular drum. Experimenting and finding the right combination for the sound you are after can be very rewarding. If you are able to, try a die-cast rim (top, bottom or both) as well as various metal rims (triple-flanged, super hoops, etc.); they all sound and feel different.

FYI ... when purchasing rims and hoops for snare drums, the batter and snare side hoops/rims are different, so be sure to order the correct ones.

What sounds good on one drum may not sound good on another. Wood hoops on the Hakim snare (5x13), may not sound as good as they do on the Jimbo snare (7x13), or Fig snare (6x14). The Hakim snare may be too shallow and small of diameter to speak well with wood hoops, but it's certainly worth trying.
Title: Re: Omar snare with wooden hoops??
Post by: Susan Wood on April 10, 2009, 05:15 PM
Thanks for taking the time to answer and for the information.
I thought of this after I posted my questions: one reason i wanted a 13-inch snare was for more wiggle room and a wooden hoop would probably change the diameter to a 14 inch because it kind of protrudes, so maybe it would not work for me?

And/or maybe all wooden hoops are not made like the ones on the Anton Fig, and I am sure your friend would know this.

Anyway lots to think about.Any input regarding the above would be great.Thanks again, Bart.
Title: Re: Omar snare with wooden hoops??
Post by: Bart Elliott on April 17, 2009, 08:38 AM
The wood hoops will not extend the diameter "footprint" of the drum any more than the lugs on the drum shell. It may feel bigger to you due to the physical appearance with the wood hoops.
Title: Re: Omar snare with wooden hoops??
Post by: Susan Wood on April 17, 2009, 08:49 AM
Thanks for information, Bart. I will play the Hakim snare for awhile before exploring the wooden hoops idea.

This is a great snare and I am having loads of fun with it! Maybe if it ain't broken, I shouldn't fix it.