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1956 WFL Marching snare conversion??

Posts: 158 Threads: 52

I had this in my other post, but I figured i'd just make it its own. I found a pretty nice wfl marching snare from 56'. 12x15, 8 lugs per side. I was wanting to convert this into a rack tom for the giant luddy kit im going to refinish. But would a marching work alright for a tom? I dont know much about them. Are the plys different? Are the bearing edges different? I asked the guy selling it about the plys, and he said it was hard to tell, but looked like 3 or 4...but that didnt sound right :P

Posted on 15 years ago
#1
Posts: 4009 Threads: 209

Well.......a WFL marching snare would be 3-ply (mahogany/poplar/mahogany) with maple reinforcement rings. It would make an OK rack tom, but not a great one. The issue would be the deep snare beds that are cut into the bottom bearing edge. The snare beds would make the thicker tom reso head harder to tune and may make for a weird buzz. You'd have to have the bottom bearing edge recut until the snare beds were gone.

Plus being mahogany and a 3-ply, would it be a good sonic match to the rest of the kit you are assembling? If the rest of your shells are 6-ply maple, then the WFL might sound more mid-rangey and dead in comparison the the rest of the drums. It would be a closer match if you were using the later maple(or mahogany)/poplar/maple 3-ply shells.......

Posted on 15 years ago
#2
Posts: 158 Threads: 52

Thats a bummer. But thanks a lot for helping out. I almost bought it :P Guess i'll keep searching.

Posted on 15 years ago
#3
Posts: 4009 Threads: 209

Don't get bummed out....marching TENOR drums make great big rack toms.....so if your searching the marching drum stuff try looking for a tenor drum......that would solve the issue with the snare beds....because they wouldn't have any to begin with.

Posted on 15 years ago
#4
Posts: 6287 Threads: 375

D-Rum ... I have a '69 Ludwig marching tenor drum which might be suitable ...it's either 13x15, or 12x15 .... I'm at my weekend job right now, so I would know for sure after 5pm on Sunday .... PM me if you like...

Kevin
Posted on 15 years ago
#5
Posts: 2628 Threads: 40

[COLOR="DarkRed"]I agree with LudDude but in reverse order....more that the shell was a thin-ply which would be combined with thicker ply shells which would be incongruous.

I have used marching snare shells for conversions to FT's quite often...10x14's, 12x15's, 12x16's...and have left the snare beds intact without there ever being a buzzing problem or resonant head tuning problem....although in theory, I can see why this would be a concern to some...[/COLOR]

www.2ndending.com
Posted on 15 years ago
#6
Posts: 158 Threads: 52

Hmmm..aren't marching tenors the ones cut off at the bottom at an angle?

Posted on 15 years ago
#7
Posts: 4009 Threads: 209

From D-Rum

Hmmm..aren't marching tenors the ones cut off at the bottom at an angle?

No not all of them.....those were usually considered marching quads.....they were mounted in sets of four and some did have the angle cuts......

Posted on 15 years ago
#8
Posts: 158 Threads: 52

Ahhh, ok. I dont think ever ever actually seen a marching tenor before then :P

Posted on 15 years ago
#9
Posts: 4009 Threads: 209

It would look like a snare, just without the snares.....:D

Posted on 15 years ago
#10
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