Canopus Zelkova Solid Snare 6.5"x14"

We just took in this marvelous 6.5"x14" Zelkova snare drum from the great folks at Canopus Drums.  Any one who has visited us can attest to the fact that we've had some pretty amazing, rare & high-end snare drums in our shop.  We can go on record saying that this is truly amongst the finest of them in sound, design, quality & beauty.  This drum is one solid section of tree trunk that is hollowed out from the center & given a very unique barrel shape that curves in at the top & bottom edges.  The sonic signature it produces is like nothing we've ever encountered; unique, articulate, powerful, sensitive, explosive & nothing short of amazing.

*Features diecast hoops.

*All orders may require a signature at time of delivery unless discussed prior to purchase.  

From the Canopus site:

CANOPUS & the Zelkova Snare Drum Project

The Zelkova hollowed snare drum is CANOPUS' flagship model.  In the primary development process, we first experimented with traditional drum crafting theory.  Originally we cut the drum's edge at an angle of 45 degrees on both the inside and outside of the drum's shell.  Our first try was insufficient in resonance and was rather dull in regards to the drum's sensitivity.

We continued to experiment with several different edge angles. Including 70 & 60/60 degrees.  After our trial & errors, we finally completed an unprecedented edge shaping process.  The end result is a hand crafted snare drum with maximum resonance & a delicate yet fat sound with sharp response. (see figure)

Our new edge shaping is very sharp. This overturns existing edge shaping theory. What we learned through comprehensive studies was in order to pull the best potential sound out of the drum, the edge shaping must be determined by the shell material, thickness & structure of the shell.  These lessons learned contributed to establish the framework for CANOPUS' development policy.  These encounters have shaped our attitude towards the drum crafting process. Accordingly, when we are engaged in our drum & accessory development projects, we doubt the widely accepted drum production theory from the fundamental level.

Why are most snare drums made of plywood?

In order to pull out the best natural resonance, it's essential that the vibrating object must consist of a single element.  In other words, a hollowed solid piece of wood is the ideal drum shell.  When you compare the beating sound of a piece of solid wood to a piece of plywood, the difference in sound quality is obvious.  A one piece snare drums is very fragile due to its construction.  To cover up these shortcomings, plywood shells are widely utilized.  By plying several pieces of wood together with glue, the drum shell is several times more durable than a one-piece shell.  Consequently, natural resonance is therefore impaired in exchange for durability.  Throughout the world, drum manufacturers have tried several approaches to combat the issue of a solid shell & durability.  A block method is one approach & is closer to a one-piece shell.  Another approach is to place a reinforcement hoop inside the bent piece of wood.  One-piece shells are the most ideal in terms of pulling out the intrinsic natural resonance.  Because of technical problems such as wood naturally settling & cracking which may occur several years after the drums production, only a few manufacturers are producing hollowed one-piece wood snare drums.

Why Is A Hollowed One-Piece Snare Drum Subject To Crack?

The cylindrical shape of a one-piece snare drum is inherently fragile. Therefore, we have adapted a new method: we have found the answer in “vectors.”  When force is applied vertically against a curved surface, it branches off.  The force runs along straight forward, while it runs through the curved surface, thereby causing a crack.  However, our original spherical shaped snare drum shell will disperse the given vertical force along the spherical surface.  Hence, we have achieved the desired outcome: a hollowed one-piece snare drum that is much stronger & more durable than the existing cylindrical surface of the present one-piece snare drums available.  We allow the wood to season naturally for 3 years and then treat the shell in a specially designed wood drier to reduce the moisture content down to 9 percent.  This drying procedure contributes to preventing shrinkage & cracking of the drum shell.

A new revolving height adjustable tubular lug :

The Zelkova snare drum, flagship model of Canopus which has enjoyed tremendous support since its introduction, has now unveiled a new revolving height adjustable tubular lug as a standard feature. The Zelkova snare drum features a hollowed one piece shell made from a stump of precious 200 year old Zelkova wood.  The wood is seasoned for three years & moisture content is regulated down to 9 percent in a specially designed wood drier .  However, this shell may still be affected by outside humidity, and may display a degree of contraction & expansion.  The diameter of the shell increases when the humidity is high, and decreases when humidity is low.  Since commonly used lugs have a swivel feature to accommodate the tension bolts, it wouldn’t matter if the drum shell expands or contracts. However, the Canopus tube lug has no swivel feature - it is a solid structure in order to enhance vibration cycle efficiency.  Sometimes, when expansion and contraction occurs on the shell, perfect alignment of the tension bolts and lugs may prove difficult.  A new revolving height adjustable tubular lug has been designed in order to solve this problem.  It has a mechanism which enables the user to adjust at the height of the lug by plus or minus 2mm by simply turning the center pole.

We do not put any grommets in the air hole of the Zelkova snare drums for the following reasons:

1. We would prefer not to put any kind of hardware on the Zelkova, so we eliminate any extraneous metal or wood to preserve the resonance of the drum.
2. The wood can shrink, causing the grommet to rattle. The shell expands and contracts in response to temperature and moisture. Canopus takes every precaution to minimize drum shell shrinkage. Even though we dry the Zelkova snare drum shell until the moisture content is at 9% & the Zelkova snare drums shell is made without a seam (it’s made from one, non-compromised piece of wood), there is a possibility that the shell could still shrink or expand due to the changes in air moisture.
3. Just look inside the air hole and you can appreciate the thickness of the single piece of wood.

 *All orders will require a signature at time of delivery unless discussed prior to purchase.