I read that you can use a weedeater line or tennis racket line to replace TDR snare gut, but nobody explained how to crimp the ends. I first searched fishing tackle and found nothing that worked. Then I thought of wire crimping and discovered that crimp terminators work great!
Weedeater lines are available in various diameters. I found that .065 inch diameter fits just right. There are round lines and hex-shaped lines (with edges for cutting.) Use the rounded lines.
You’ll need a crimping tool, and the wire crimp sizes are designated in AWG, which stands for “American Wire Gauge.” A crimp size of AWG 14 is .064 inches, but I had no trouble sliding the .065 line through.
There is a plastic insulator on the terminator that slides off; you don’t need it. Once you crimp the end of your line with the crimping tool, you can easily snip off the head with a wire cutter. The connector ends can be different types, like oval or circular rings or open “U” shapes. It doesn’t matter for this use. IMPORTANT: Use a wire crimping tool, not pliers!
I suppose you could hit the crimped weed line end with a lighter to fuse/melt them together, but I don’t think it is necessary. I recently replaced some missing gut with a weedeater line on an old TDR, and it sounds great! (TDR’s have a clean, sweet, and punchy tone.)
There are drum parts and service shops that will sell you new snare gut to replace the originals. You may still have to find a way to crimp the ends. Using a weedeater line is an inexpensive short term fix.
Final note NEVER put Kevlar heads on a TDR!!! You’ll bust the lugs.
See the images below for an AWG wire gauge chart, examples of wire ends, and photos of a TDR with weedeater line used as a replacement snare guts.
2 comments:
Totally off topic -- though I have seen the impact of putting kevlar on old drums. In the 80s I played in a pipeband. The prior drummers had tried to put kevlar heads on the earlier generaton of pipeband drums, the shells had collapsed.
What I am interested in is an article that Todd Bishop cited back in 2011. It was an article that you had written about several approaches to sticking. Todd Bishop identifies a "Natural Approach" with a righthand lead; a strict altrnating approach; a semi-alternating approach and the rudimental approach.
His piece has links to you piece, whch seem to have expired?
I'm just discovering Edward Straight, and would be interested in your insights.
Thanks!!
Ken Taylor
Hello Ken, thank you for interest in my article about sticking methods. I decided it needed to be rewritten and took it down to work on it. Will re-post again soon.
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