Hi , I am wondering if anybody could advise me on what snare drums are suitable for ceili bands, size , brand ect. Any information would be appreciated.
Regards Denfur
I’m thinking standard snare size. 14", maybe 5 or 6" deep. That is, not small enough to sound like a coconut or cookie jar, not deep enough to sound like and 80’s power balad snare drum. And obviously not a steel or brass drum or anything, just plain old wood. Maple would be standard, I suppose. Six ply would probably give the best balance. The rest all comes down to the choice of drum head, tuning and the drummer. Just enough of the attack to get a solid rhythm, and enough snare to keep the flow of the tune going, and not to cut through the melody and interupt it.
Hi Denfur,
I use a 14" 12 lug Slingerland concert snare chrome over wood, that is about 9" deep, but frankly just about any snare will do fine if tuned right. I strive for a crisp, clean sound without a lot of overtones so the rolls, taps, etc. sound nice and crisp. On my snare that meant using 24 strand snares and new heads top/bottom. A 5 1/2" to 7 1/2" deep, 13 or 14" snare, wood would be my 1st choice but I happened upon this 12 lug Slingerland and fell in love with it so I went for it. I’d look for a 8 or 10 lug minimum. Whatever you get you can get tuning help from your local drum store.
Best,
Deisman