Robert Poling Jr Exactly! I spoke with Todd Trent from Ludwig about 20 years ago and he said that Alex uses 1 layer of duct tape on the underside of the batter head, and cranks it up table top tight.
This is 100% correct & yes, it's exactly how he has Always managed to keep his exact tuning & attack & the brown sound his unique AVH sound! I'm sorry but it just takes a great ear & a bit of experimenting & research & his perfect snare sound can be recreated on many different snares & brands!
I love all of your videos especially the cooking videos and the Taco Tico videos. Had no idea you were a drummer until today. Love it! Keep them coming.
Alex van Halen is one of the very best drummers in the World love his latin/jazz Groove in his live solos van Halen are Rock Royalty innovators/geniuses period!
Pure drum geekery at its best! Love it bro...kinda guy I want to hang out with! Thanks for the details and not being a poser...just drum talk! Tell me the wife has yelled over the snare scratches on the wood table! Towel helps that...
The song that best illustrates the unique, hard edged AVH snare sound is "Ill Wait". For years no one could explain it. Not my drummer, not my studio sound engineer. Now it's explained. Thanks! John Douglas also says the sound comes from Alex himself. Makes sense. Interesting kit rundown by Douglas here : th-cam.com/video/dosskPJY0is/w-d-xo.html
His snare drum almost sounds like a 14" tom, I think he either muffles the "snare wire" or keeps the resonant head tight, to choke the snare. He hits a rim shot almost every time. I used to know a guy who worshipped Alex and attempted every thing he could, to get his blue sparkle Ludwig set to sound like Al. He became a great drummer in the process!
The green finish really popped in the gig clips.... nice. I’m sure you know this but Bun E. Carlos has some interesting videos of his Ludwig collection.
Nice video. To grind or not to grind, that is the question! I bought my lm402 back in 1979. It's pitted but still sounds great. After seeing your video, I'm very tempted to modify my snare. I'm just worried it might devalue it. 🤔
I thought there would be tons of videos of this. Recreating, removing pitting, customizing, stripping chrome off Supra..... etc type of videos. What a bummer that I’ve seen only 2 videos including yours, on this topic. Well. I’m going to have to make one.
AVH tunes his snare lower? I don't think so. Modern Drummer (10/1983): You mentioned before that you like a live snare sound. How do you achieve that? AVH: I like to have mine tuned a little higher than the average person. The best person I can use as an example is Bonham. His snare is tuned pretty high.
I’m not a drummer, I’m a singer guitarist, but I always loved Alex’s snare sound as well. Unfortunately, at least to my ear, I thought the drum you overhauled as well as the 2nd drum sounded nothing like Alex’s. I actually thought the 3rd & 4th drum you played sounded more like his than the first 2. Maybe it’s all about tuning & context. Alex’s snares have that distinctive sound in all VH records, so like you, he probably gets that sound no matter what setup he uses. I always just thought it was cuz his heads were too tight, but I’m not a drummer, so what do I know? Still enjoyed the vid though
Hard to believe the same snare is selling for over $4,000 on reverb. What a total rip off. Nice video. Pretty cool to do LaBamba with R. Valens' sisters.
You will be able to buy AVH Supra for around $999 pretty soon. You can already find them $1600. I might be a taker at $999. I have no idea why they thought sell basically a Acrolite shell with copper hardware for $3000. Watch the build vid by Ludy. It’s kinda a joke. Just like a $12,000 snare that AK will make you for $5000. ????? Come back down to earth Ludwig.
actually, I'm fairly certain AVH tunes the batter head extremely tight; like a table top. I always thought he used a standard clear ambassador reso head; not a ambassador snare side head. That's how the mid-range "clank" sound is achieved. Nice video.
For the last 6 years hes been using the controlled sound x on top. He never used ambassadors on top. AVH hits his snares with a rim shot muffle. Any snare would sound like an AVH snare if AVH hit it.
So,,,... your saying AVH gets his snare sound by playing constant rimshots??!? LmaO!! Its all in the tuning he perfected for that custom sound. Not from constant rimshots
Loved Alex’s warm hollow snare pop. reminds me beating on a hollow log.
Yes indeed. Perhaps see my comment above. 😜
The Slingerland sounded more like Alex Van Halen than the other Ludwig Drums lol but also depends on the mic and whatever is ran through the PA
Alex gets his muffled snare sound by taping the head, either underneath or directly on top.
Robert Poling Jr Exactly! I spoke with Todd Trent from Ludwig about 20 years ago and he said that Alex uses 1 layer of duct tape on the underside of the batter head, and cranks it up table top tight.
Dude that was two decades ago. He dosnt do that anymore.
@@tommybalogh6232 Okay Dude. And yes that’s how he got his brown sound and still gets that sound. Sorry to ruin your comment fanboy. Dude.
This is 100% correct & yes, it's exactly how he has Always managed to keep his exact tuning & attack & the brown sound his unique AVH sound! I'm sorry but it just takes a great ear & a bit of experimenting & research & his perfect snare sound can be recreated on many different snares & brands!
Great video I was lucky enough to buy a Van Halen signature snare is actually arriving on Wednesday
Awesome sauce! Let me know how you like it. I think the only substantial difference will be the copper coated hardware, which looks really cool!
SO LUCKY!
What kind of brush did you use on the angle grinder?
Rick Beato recently did a deep dive on the AVH snare sound on his channel. Worth checking out.
Link?
@@averageiowaguy th-cam.com/video/crDns9teyzk/w-d-xo.html
I like you're playing sounded really good, good recording to I could tell the difference.
I love all of your videos especially the cooking videos and the Taco Tico videos. Had no idea you were a drummer until today. Love it! Keep them coming.
I also heard that AVH would also use a clear tom batter head as the snare side head.
Please share what kind of grinding paper used. Ive seen other videos where the results are very dodgy. Must be depending on the tools you have used. 😊
Alex van Halen is one of the very best drummers in the World love his latin/jazz Groove in his live solos van Halen are Rock Royalty innovators/geniuses period!
Pure drum geekery at its best! Love it bro...kinda guy I want to hang out with! Thanks for the details and not being a poser...just drum talk! Tell me the wife has yelled over the snare scratches on the wood table! Towel helps that...
hey fellow drummer..you have some nice snares..congrats.right now I am loving my acrolite but I am saving for a supra. keep drumming
Great video! Iowa Represent!
Great video 😊 what kind of grit/sanding paper did you use on the angle grinder?
The song that best illustrates the unique, hard edged AVH snare sound is "Ill Wait". For years no one could explain it. Not my drummer, not my studio sound engineer. Now it's explained. Thanks! John Douglas also says the sound comes from Alex himself. Makes sense. Interesting kit rundown by Douglas here : th-cam.com/video/dosskPJY0is/w-d-xo.html
AVH gets the darkest snare tone I've ever heard in music.
His snare drum almost sounds like a 14" tom, I think he either muffles the "snare wire" or keeps the resonant head tight, to choke the snare. He hits a rim shot almost every time. I used to know a guy who worshipped Alex and attempted every thing he could, to get his blue sparkle Ludwig set to sound like Al. He became a great drummer in the process!
The first snare hit on "Love comes walking in" is intense. It has an attack with a sweet tone, legendary.
I really like your video 👍 I remember reading back in the mid 80s that he used tape on both heads which gives it that deadened crack.
Thank you for the great tutorial
Always know its Alex from that snare crack. Backbone of VH is just that simple. Its all in the hands.
All of my jazz tone poems and one-off pieces from this one and later are using the 2017 AVH snare: th-cam.com/video/VTzawr1wGWM/w-d-xo.html
Is that Don playing sax?
Howdy! What grit sanding pad did you use to accomplish the task?
I enjoyed this video, Kyle!
Thanks!
The green finish really popped in the gig clips.... nice. I’m sure you know this but Bun E. Carlos has some interesting videos of his Ludwig collection.
I'll have to check it out. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Nice video. To grind or not to grind, that is the question! I bought my lm402 back in 1979. It's pitted but still sounds great. After seeing your video, I'm very tempted to modify my snare. I'm just worried it might devalue it. 🤔
It's not gonna affect the sound at all. If your going to sell it one day then i suggest you dont do it.
Nice vid!
How did i end up here?🤔
I thought there would be tons of videos of this. Recreating, removing pitting, customizing, stripping chrome off Supra..... etc type of videos. What a bummer that I’ve seen only 2 videos including yours, on this topic. Well. I’m going to have to make one.
Hope it works out for you!
Those 42 and 32 snares from Puresound aren't long enough. IMO
Thanks for watching and commenting. Do you have a suggestion for a better company? Thanks in advance, AIG
You didn't miss it. The second one was a limited to only certain people
AVH tunes his snare lower? I don't think so.
Modern Drummer (10/1983): You mentioned before that you like a live snare sound. How do you achieve that?
AVH: I like to have mine tuned a little higher than the average person. The best person I can use as an example is Bonham. His snare is tuned pretty high.
I’m not a drummer, I’m a singer guitarist, but I always loved Alex’s snare sound as well. Unfortunately, at least to my ear, I thought the drum you overhauled as well as the 2nd drum sounded nothing like Alex’s. I actually thought the 3rd & 4th drum you played sounded more like his than the first 2. Maybe it’s all about tuning & context. Alex’s snares have that distinctive sound in all VH records, so like you, he probably gets that sound no matter what setup he uses. I always just thought it was cuz his heads were too tight, but I’m not a drummer, so what do I know? Still enjoyed the vid though
Hard to believe the same snare is selling for over $4,000 on reverb. What a total rip off. Nice video. Pretty cool to do LaBamba with R. Valens' sisters.
You will be able to buy AVH Supra for around $999 pretty soon. You can already find them $1600. I might be a taker at $999. I have no idea why they thought sell basically a Acrolite shell with copper hardware for $3000. Watch the build vid by Ludy. It’s kinda a joke. Just like a $12,000 snare that AK will make you for $5000. ????? Come back down to earth Ludwig.
No offense, but IHO, all your snares sounded identical. Love your collection though!
actually, I'm fairly certain AVH tunes the batter head extremely tight; like a table top. I always thought he used a standard clear ambassador reso head; not a ambassador snare side head. That's how the mid-range "clank" sound is achieved. Nice video.
Where did you hear that from ? about the snare side ?
clevelandrum yes he does 👏.. also the bottom head should be tuned high
For the last 6 years hes been using the controlled sound x on top. He never used ambassadors on top. AVH hits his snares with a rim shot muffle. Any snare would sound like an AVH snare if AVH hit it.
@@tommybalogh6232 I said I think he used an ambassador tom head on the bottom.
@@BadRonald1 can't remember, but I tried it, and it worked. Gotta use large sticks and rim shots, but nobody can hit a drum like AVH.
Hit the rim.
There. I saved you 20 minutes.
So,,,... your saying AVH gets his snare sound by playing constant rimshots??!? LmaO!! Its all in the tuning he perfected for that custom sound. Not from constant rimshots
FAIL. all you need is a duck tape.
What type of brush did you use on the angle grinder?