Pictures and blab about newest snare builds

•  Quilted Maple stave w/ oil finish, old Gretsch lugs, new trick strainer. This shell is about 1/2 inch thick, which is about as thin as I dare go. Fine and mellow sound. Currently my favorite gigging drum.

•  Southern Yellow Pine stave with clear finish, kent lugs, pearl strainer. This one surprised me with it's bright metallic sound. Love it for rim shots and lots of snare.

•  Mahogany stave with Gretsch Catalina lugs and strainer. Hoped for more but kind of boring. Probably a very narrow sweet spot that I just haven't found yet.

•  This is from last year but love these Kent conversions. Started as a 60's Kent 14 floor tom, cut down to 3 3/4 inches with either  maple or ash re-rings. Kent lugs with my usual leather gaskets. This one sports a brass air hole grommet thats really some plumbing part I found at Lowes . I installed an old muffler I had, really handy, why don't you see these anymore?

• Same as above but with a yellow stain. These drums sound good tuned anyway but love them tuned up abit. Not loud enough to cut through amped band mix without a mike. I like 8 lug snares but with the usual three arm snare stands, there's always a poor fit at one of the lugs, life's tough.