DW True-Tone 14 in Snare Wires, 20 Strands

• 14 in size, the main snare of most kits
• 20 strands, the lightest of the three counts offered in 14 in
• Brass end plates
• Neutral behaviour: no excess hiss, no mushy response
• 30 and 42 strands also exist in 14 in if you want to go further

This count sits between a drum that cracks without responding to dynamics and a drum with so much snare contact that every stroke smears. It is also the starting point from which the manufacturer builds its range, up to thirty and then forty-two strands.

For a drummer who does not yet know what they want to change, this is the baseline to know. You can only judge that a dense set chokes, or that a light set lacks body, once you have heard the neutral point.

Fitting a new set of the same density is not a neutral move. The strands of an old set have each stretched at their own pace, and the drum has lost its response bit by bit, too slowly to notice.

The day the new set goes on, most drummers rediscover nuances they thought the head or the shell had taken away. It is the cheapest fix on the kit, and often the most audible.

Snare wire tension is not set at the throw-off: it is prepared with the cords, with the throw-off disengaged. You want a set that touches the head everywhere without being crushed, and then the throw-off provides the playing tension.

A cord that is too short makes the throw-off work at the end of its travel, and the snares no longer fully release when you disengage it. It is the most common installation mistake.

• A 14 in snare, the main drum of the kit
• Replacing a tired factory set
• Versatile kit played in several styles
• First overhaul of a second-hand drum

The most common 14 in snare wires from other manufacturers:

What size snare wires do I need for a 14 in snare?

A 14 in set. The size follows the drum's diameter, and it is the snare bed cut into the shell that determines the usable length.

Are twenty strands enough?

It is the lightest of the three counts offered in 14 in, not an incomplete set. You move up in density if you want more response to soft strokes, not because twenty would fall short.

Do new snare wires really change the sound?

Yes, especially compared with a worn set. Stretched strands stop lying evenly, and that is what a replacement corrects.

Why do my snare wires buzz when I hit a tom?

The snare-side head reacts to nearby frequencies. A well-centred, properly tensioned set reduces the effect, but a tom tuned too close to the snare will always keep it going.