Vintage Snare Strainer Upgrade
A better strainer for your vintage snare - without drilling new holes
Plenty of vintage snare drums sound fantastic and are let down by the strainer. The INDe strainer is made to replace it. The mounting holes are slotted, so they adjust to your existing hole spacing, and you don't have to drill or modify the drum.
Why vintage strainers let you down
On a lot of older drums the shell and the heads are fine. The throw-off is the weak spot. On Ludwig for example, older P83-style mechanisms tend to loosen gradually during hard playing, so the wire tension you set before the first song isn't the tension you have at the end of the set.
What the INDe strainer does differently
The INDe Snare Strainer has a built-in "click" mechanism that holds the wire tension where you put it, even when you're really playing. It's slim, light and simple, and you can get it in chrome, brass or black nickel plating.
No new holes
The strainer has slotted mounting holes that adjust from 1 to 2.5 inches (2.54 to 6.35 cm) between the holes, with clearance for a centre bead. That covers a very wide range of snare drums, and it's what makes it possible to fit it to a vintage drum without drilling.
The strainer doesn't come with a butt plate. If your old one is worn or doesn't suit the new strainer, INDe makes two to go with it. The Universal Butt Plate has slotted holes from 1.1 to 2.8 inches (2.79 to 7.1 cm) and fits most drums with horizontally placed mounting holes. The 12 mm Vertical Butt Plate is for drums with the mounting holes one above the other.
The Ludwig Strainer Model Guide
Ludwig has used a lot of different strainers over the years. Here's a quick guide to the main ones, so you can see which one is probably sitting on your drum.
| Years | Strainer | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| 1923 to c. 1929 | Professional (later Pioneer) | The early strainer on the top models. It was later renamed Pioneer and moved to the cheaper lines. |
| 1925 to 1926 | Super-Ludwig | A completely different design, where each snare wire is adjusted individually with a screwdriver. It kept an even tension, also when the snares were off. Found on both wood and metal shells. |
| 1929 to 1937 | Super-Sensitive | Like the Super-Ludwig, but with extra snares under the batter head and an arm on the side. Dropped around 1937. |
| c. 1938 | Standard "three-point" | A new strainer on the Standard models. The old Professional moved to the 8x15 Concert model, while Pioneer stayed on the budget drums. |
| 1940 to 1941 | Standard, extended snare | Brackets on both sides, so the snares cover the full width of the bottom head. In 1941 came a strike plate with three positions: tight, loose or fully off. |
| 1942 to 1945 | Victory | During the war Ludwig went back to a very old strainer from the 1920s Tango models. |
| 1951 to 1953 | Leedy & Ludwig | A mix of parts from both companies: the Standard strainer on Broadway, Pioneer on New Era and Reliance, and a "Feather Touch" strainer on the knob tension drums. |
| 1956 to 1959 | "Classic" | Taken over from the W.F.L. days and used on the top models. |
| 1959 onwards | P-83 | Introduced on the new Supra-Phonic 400 and on the wood models. It stayed in use through the 1960s and 1970s with a slightly changed arm, and a version is still around today. This is the one most people have. |
| 1959 to 1963 | P-85 and P-84 (Pioneer) | The cheaper strainers. P-85 is the large one, P-84 the small one. P-85 was dropped in 1963. |
| 1961 to 1964 | Super-Sensitive (return) | In practice a Super-Ludwig without the extra snares. Around 1963 it got plastic parts. The aluminium Acrolite (1962 to 1963) used the P-83. |
Dates are approximate. Not sure what you have? Measure the hole spacing and check it against the ranges above.
Which one do you need?
- INDe - Snare Strainer: the strainer on its own, if you're keeping your existing butt plate.
- Strainer & Universal Butt Plate: the strainer plus a butt plate for horizontally placed holes.
- Strainer & 12mm Vertical Butt Plate: the strainer plus a butt plate for vertically placed holes.
- Mini Snare Strainer for Piccolo: for shallow drums. It has a T-slot for hole spacing up to 1.2 inches (30 mm) and fits drums as shallow as 3 inches.
Measure before you order
Measure the distance between the mounting holes on your strainer side and on your butt plate side before you order, and check it against the ranges above. If you're in doubt, get in touch before you buy.
About INDe Drums and CymbalONE
INDe Drums was founded by drummer and product designer Josh Allen, who also worked as a product designer at Ludwig. The hardware is made to solve real problems on real drums. CymbalONE is an official European dealer for INDe, and you can read more on the INDe Drums page.
Choose your model
Below you'll find the different models, either as a sole strainer or as a bundle with a butt plate. If you are looking for black or brass plated versions, simply select the model you want, and you will be able to select the finish on the product itself.
If you really want to deep dive into this topic, this is where you will learn the full story:
➡️ Ludwig strainers on vintagedrumhistory.com
