Give me a price idea..

[Blackie]

I'm thinking about trying to make my own snare drum, but not from scratch. I just want to pick up the parts and put them together basically, with drilling the holes and stuff.

I'm thinking black hardware, with tube lugs, and a basic triple flanged hoop. The size would probably be 6x14, Keller maple from drummaker.com

How does Keller Maple sound? Also, what is the snare bed?

What would you guys estimate this price to be?

Thanks  8)

[Chip Donaho]

Since it's the first time building a drum, it could end up costing more than if you bought a drum already custom built.   ;)   Fine, if you've got both the money and the time. I know I don't.   ::)

[Ryan]

All you need to do to estimate the price is go to drummaker.com, pick out the shell you want (there are a couple of thicknesses to choose from), decide if you want them to cut the bearing edges or if you want to do that yourself, and decide if you want them to cut the snare bed or do that yourself (the snare bed is a small cut on both sides of the bottom bearing edge on the snare drum which lets you use snares with the drum, and sort of determines the maximum width of the snares which you can use - for example, I have a snare which has a fairly narrow bed, so I have a 20-strand wire on it, but my other snare has a larger bed, and I have a 42-strand wire on it).

Drummaker should have the tube lugs (you can get either short lugs and have separate ones on the top and bottom, or longer tubes which run almost the length of your shell), rims, throwoff, tension rods, and snare wires so you can see the prices of all of those on their website as well.

Then don't forget about staining or wrapping or whatever.

Tama, Mapex, and I'm sure others have maple snare drums with black hardware in the $250-$350 range.

[Bob Dias]

+1 to all of the above.  Cost? Everything new, basic, funtional parts (nothing special) will be right around $200 (not including heads and cost of a finish) and would only go up from there very quickly. Advantages? You can make exactly what you want (to afford), and it will likely be unique.  Dissadvantages? you drum will only look and sound as good as the skills you posess and the time you devote to the project.  I can say however, that the two "custom" snares that I have built I will likely never part with (13x6.5 segmented burl maple; 14x7 keller).  If you already have good shop skills and the money, it can be very rewarding. If not, it can be a very expensive learning experience.  If you have the time, money, skills, patience and some vision, go for it.
Cheers, Bob

[Blackie]

Alright. I think I'm gonna wait on building one until after I get my new kit. I have to save for that first.

Thanks guys

[Mark Counts]

One more thing, if you use tube lugs then you will need to be exact on drilling holes.  This is the main reason I had my drum builder do the drilling for me.  He can drill it, help you order parts and he gets a discount on parts that you can't get.  Then send it to you and let you assemble it or he can do it all.  Atleast that was the option I had with my drum builder.  I liked the finish he used so I let him do it all. Here is his web page if you want to check out some pricing. http://www.wittpercussion.com/. Also, you might inquire with James Walker.
I want to build or have a 3 x 13 snare built for me for an accent snare.  I may have someone else do this one.
                           Nutty

[Timekeep69]

Alot of it depends on what kind of finish your thinking. If you want a wrapped finish, different wraps are different prices from $35 a sheet for Gloss white to $94 a sheet for glass glitter.

Just so you know that since your only making a snare, you can buy smaller pieces of wrap from drummaker, you don't have to buy an entire sheet.

Strainers vary in price as well from $15 to $80.

You've already got the most expensive lug in mind.

If you go high end, you can expect to spend $250-$300. If you go low end you can do it for under $200.

[Mark Counts]

Alot of it depends on what kind of finish your thinking. If you want a wrapped finish, different wraps are different prices from $35 a sheet for Gloss white to $94 a sheet for glass glitter.

Just so you know that since your only making a snare, you can buy smaller pieces of wrap from drummaker, you don't have to buy an entire sheet.

Strainers vary in price as well from $15 to $80.

You've already got the most expensive lug in mind.

If you go high end, you can expect to spend $250-$300. If you go low end you can do it for under $200.

Great advice Timekeeper69,
The type of wood may also have an effect on his cost.  I don't think he could buy a piece of Lake Superior Wood for that but I could be wrong?
                                           Nutty

[Timekeep69]

Good luck finding lake superior wood. If he can find it, it'll probably be raw pieces that he'll have to have made into a shell. That alone could cost quite a bit. He could probably have JTP make a stave shell out of it but I don't know what the cost of an endeavor like that would be.

[Mark Counts]

Good luck finding lake superior wood. If he can find it, it'll probably be raw pieces that he'll have to have made into a shell. That alone could cost quite a bit. He could probably have JTP make a stave shell out of it but I don't know what the cost of an endeavor like that would be.

Mine was finished in August.  Best sounding snare I have ever played.  Unfortunantly, I will not tell how much.  He would have to contact Ian Witt and price it himself if it is still available? Ian told me he could get more. This was Lake Superior Red Flame Birch.
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/5987/flame001uv0.jpg
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/2039/flame002jm9.jpg
And here is the finished product ;):

                Nutty

[Timekeep69]

Yeah, those are some BEAUTIFUL drums. You don't have to tell me how much youpaid for it, I know how much they're going for.

Congrats on your purchase, I'm jealous! :D

I'm just ordered a quilted oak snare shell to make for myself. I'll post pics when it's done.

[Mark Counts]

Yeah, those are some BEAUTIFUL drums. You don't have to tell me how much youpaid for it, I know how much they're going for.

Congrats on your purchase, I'm jealous! :D

I'm just ordered a quilted oak snare shell to make for myself. I'll post pics when it's done.

Oak should be a really dense wood. Really tight crack. I would bet it would sound awesome?
You can't hardly drive a nail through it. Timekeep69, compare it to a Vistalite snare? Let us know?  I would bet it sounds as tight as a Poly snare but with more tone? Is it a single  ply?                               
                                Nutty

[Timekeep69]

It's a stave shell.

I already have a 5x14 oak stave shell (It's for sale if anyone's interested). It's loud and has an amazing crack to it.

The shell I just bought is quilted so I'm going to do a natural finish with brass hardware. It'll look classy.

[Todd Norris]

It's a stave shell.

I already have a 5x14 oak stave shell (It's for sale if anyone's interested). It's loud and has an amazing crack to it.

The shell I just bought is quilted so I'm going to do a natural finish with brass hardware. It'll look classy.

Classy drum for a classy guy!  Can't wait to check it out.  Are you making the shell yourself?  Your comment makes it sound like you bought the shell.  Or is that just that you bought the wood to make the shell. 

Anyway, my partner and I intend to make a lot of stave shells when we get our company off the ground.  We're still working on that "top secret" thing and it will be several more months before we can go public with it.  However, we may have some good updates by New Years... 8)

[Timekeep69]

I bought the shell from JTP Percussion. They make great shells. If you get into making stave shells, let me know, I'd love to have a local connection.

[Todd Norris]

I bought the shell from JTP Percussion. They make great shells. If you get into making stave shells, let me know, I'd love to have a local connection.

I've heard nothing but great things about JTP. 

You got it!