Archetype Series - Snare Drum Overview

1/4" Thin Solid Stave Shell

The foundation for the drum is the a 1/4" thin drum shell with 1/2" thick reinforcement rings that are carved out of the actual staves. So the re-rings are not glued in, they are part of the shell. The thin shell wall allows the drum to be open and resonant with a very large tuning range and retains its full bodies punch no matter how high you tune it.. And because the shell is solid stave, the sensitivity, responsiveness, projection, and tone are all as good as it gets.

Polyester Mirror Gloss and Satin Finish

Archetype snares and ktis are available in two types of finishes, our Mirror Gloss finish and Satin. The high gloss finish you see is not a "lacquer" finish, it is actually a polyester finish. True lacquer finishes are quite soft and can damage very easily. We use polyester for several reasons. It is very hard, so it is much more durable than lacquer, and the mirror gloss shine that it produces can't be beat. Admittedly this stuff is extremely expensive and difficult to work with but HD is all about the best, which meant polyester was the only way to go for our gloss finishes. Our satin finish gives the drums a classy vintage vibe and is also not made with traditional lacquer. It is made from a much more durable finishing product, but we can't give away the secret of exactly what it is.

S-Hoops

Every Archetype snare is equipped with the S-Hoop on the top and bottom. S-Hoops bring the best aspects of flanged hoops and die-cast hoops together. They are rolled steel, like flanged hoops, so they are naturally resonant and allow the drum to remain very open and full bodied. They are also rigid like a die-cast hoop, so they generate loud cracking rim shots and cross sticks, but don't weigh down and choke the drum like a die-cast hoop would. Many major brands are trying to mimic the S-Hoop with their own versions, and for good reason, but the S-Hoop still remains the best.

HD Solid Aluminum Distance Adjustable Chrome Lugs

The HD lug is a small single point lug. The lug body is machined from solid aluminum, as opposed to being cast from steel as most lugs are. The idea behind this lug design was to create a lug that would cause as little hindrance to the shells resonance as possible. The solid aluminum body allows vibrations to pass through the lugs very easily, resulting in an overall more resonant drum. They are also very light weight, so the shell is not weighed down allowing the drum to resonate more freely. And they only require one small hole to be drilled into the shell for mounting. Also, each lug is plated with decorative chrome that looks great and adds strength and protection to the aluminum body. The threaded insert also floats in the lug body allowing it to be adjusted toward or away from the shell while remaining parallel to the shell body. This ensures perfect tension rod alignment regardless of head seating.

R7 Three Postion Throw

Dunnett snare strainers have the reputation for being the best performing and best looking strainers on the market. The new Dunnett R7 three position throw lives up to the reputation. The 3 position swing lever enables 3 different snare sounds with just the flick of the lever, and in our opinion is the classiest looking throw on the market. It is also features a quick release function that allows you to change the snare side head without having to de-tension your snare wires.

Dual Adjustable Wires

The FatCat Dual Adjustable Wires enable you to acheive just about any snare sound you want without having to change wires. This 24 strand carbon wire snare unit allows you to adjust the center 12 wires independently from the outer 12 wires. This makes it possible to tighten all of the wires with the strainer adjustment to get a tight snap sound, and then slightly loosen the middle 12 wires so snare remains sensitive to ghost notes and light rolls. You can finally have a tight sounding and sensitive snare sound at the same time!

Vintage 30 degree Round-Over Edges

Each Archetype Snare drum has the timeless vintage 30 round-over bearing edge. The 30 degree inner cut gives the drum attack and crack, while the small round-over counter cut gives the drum a warm tone while allowing the drum to remain very open and resonant.

Sleeved Washers

SLEEVED WASHERS are a Hendrix Drums product that has exploded in popularity over the past year. They may be small but they make a big difference. They eliminate all metal on metal contact between the hoop and tension rods, produce smoother and more accurate tuning, enable lower tuning without any “rod rattle”, protect the chrome on hoops and rods, and reduce backing out of tension rods so the drum stays in tune for longer. SLEEVED WASHERS come as standard on all Archetype Series drums.