Good, but heavy
- Rating
- Posted by
- Roger Wilco
- Date Posted
- 08/10/2024
I used the previous iteration of this on a few different snare drums. The design is more or less the same; the original was stamped and felt as "modern vintage" as a new P85 does. The major issue I ran into was the hinge design--the small screws holding the bottom hinge together would always eventually unthread and fall out. Ludwig eventually released a "fixed" version which used a stronger thread lock but I had the same issues, so I eventually replaced everything with a P85. This version is beefier, and the hinge design uses a different screw mechanism which may be an improvement. The tension knob is one of my favorites and allows fairly subtle adjustments. My main issue is the strainer as a whole is either cast or thickly-plated, so the entire thing is much beefier and quite heavy. The throw-off feel is smooth but heavy, and it's just big enough where its position when disengaged is an obstacle to my knees. If you like vertical throw-offs like this and don't mind the weight--assuming the hinge design is truly improved--this is an attractive and functional strainer. For me, the weight, the overly thick plating, the beefy feel, and the physical presence of the level was enough for me to go back to a P85 on my vintage snares.