Why Choose Free-Floating Snare Drums?
Free-floating snare drums eliminate all hardware contact with the shell, This allows it to resonate freely and produce a richer, more expressive tone. Beacuase of the improved projection, and greater sensitivity, a floating snare responds better to your playing while giving stable sound at the same time.
No panic on stage.
A simpler system with fewer conflicting overtones, excellent tuning stability, and the freedom to swap shells without modifying them. Even simpler is changing the heads; just take off the top head, remove the drum shell, and you can swap out the bottom head from the inside. No need to remove the snare wires. You can literally change your heads during a show.
Proven track record
Over the last year, I have played many gigs with ‘Blind Alley‘ with the snare I made to fit my Sonor SQ2 set, which you can see here. Finished with real wood veneer made from Golden Madrone. It is the most reliable snare I played over the 44 years of playing the drums, and every hit produced the perfect sound.
Drum conversions.
I was never afraid or against converting an instrument I owned, and I want to encourage you to have the same mindset. There are only a few items in the world that you would not want to tamper with after all. None of the drum sets that are around can be compared to a Stradivarius violin, can it? As you can see in the picture here, I have converted my 10 and 12-inch toms with the Z Drums easy tune tube lugs.
The upgrade of the toms is significant in terms of sound and reduced weight. The two smallest toms now sound bigger than the two largest of my set.
The Z‑Drums free-Floating System
Our Z‑Drums chassis suspends the shell without drilling or hardware contact. This modular system allows you to:
Swap shells in minutes
Experiment with different woods
Maintain perfect tuning stability
Upgrade your snare without modification
It’s the most flexible snare system for drummers who love exploring new sounds.
Handcrafted Stave-Shell for free-floating snare drums
Every Z Drums snare begins with a solid stave shell. Stave construction is a stable and easier way of making a solid wood drum instead of a factory-made shell that is basically plywood. Each shell is made of hand-picked wood, and the staves are matched before glueing. This gives the drum more character, and you will know you have a special item in your hands.
Moving away from thin shells
That using thin shells is better for drums is a misconception. A thicker shell is more stable in changing environments, and it has better projection than thinner shells. You will have more control over the sound you desire because a thicker shell allows for more flexibility in the bearing edges. For example, you can now choose baseball-bat bearing edges that have a small flat area for the head to sit on. This will dampen the overtones and will elliminate the use of tape, gel, or dampening rings in order for you to get the sound you want.
Build Your Custom Free-Floating Snare
You don’t have to order from my shop what is already available, because I can build the perfect snare that complements your own set perfectly.
Choose your shell, wood type, finish, and configuration. Whether you’re after the warmth and clearity of maple, the bite of ash, or the darkness of walnut, every build starts with the Z-Drums free-floating ring system.
Every Z-Drums snare is unique;
you will own the only one in the whole world.
Built to your preferences.
Built for sound, not just looks.
Order today and you could have your snare in less than 2 weeks.
Finishes & Custom Options.
The wooden shell is finished with natural hardwax or a water-based French polish to protect the wood while keeping it acoustically alive.
Shells can be coloured using water-based stains, applied by airbrush
The outer metal ring can be powder-coated or finished with automotive paint
The tube lugs are custom-made and can be prayed in the same colour as the ring.
Upgrade your snare.
With the Z Drums singel point tube lugs with easy tune system for perfect pitch, you can upgrade your snare that you already own.
Technical Details.
Compatible shell sizes: 14×5.5″, 14×6″, 14×6.5″ and 14×7″
Any shell thickness and wood type can be used
Snare wires remain in place during head changes
Shell can be removed independently of the heads
Every snare is a one-of-a-kind instrument
— and a true collector’s piece.
The snare comes with a Hardcase© case where indicated.
FAQ
A free-floating snare is a drum where no hardware is attached directly to the wooden shell. All lugs and hardware are mounted to a separate structure, allowing the shell to resonate freely like a true acoustic body.
The result is a clearer, more focused sound with fewer conflicting overtones and much easier tuning.
Every piece of metal bolted to a shell introduces its own overtones. On a conventional snare, each lug affects the sound slightly differently, which creates a complex and often unstable frequency signature.
By removing all hardware from the shell, that complexity disappears. The shell is allowed to vibrate naturally, producing a purer and more controlled sound.
The Z-Drums ring is a solid metal chassis that carries all the hardware. The wooden shell sits inside this ring without being drilled or touched by any metal parts.
This system allows:
Free shell resonance
Excellent tuning stability
Easy shell swapping
Simple upgrades without modifying the shell
It’s the foundation of the fully free-floating Z-Drums snare.
The Stealth line looks like a conventional snare drum but offers the option to use it as a free-floating system.
It uses modified, centre-based tube lugs that minimise shell contact and allow you to choose between conventional and floating operation — sometimes with just a turn of a key.
In a floating system, tension from the lugs is shared between the hoop and both heads. This naturally reduces many of the overtones that make a drum sound out of tune or unstable.
Even when used in conventional mode, the centre-based lugs reduce shell contact and help simplify the drum’s frequency response.
Yes. The converted Stealth tube lugs can be fitted to many existing snares, allowing you to reduce shell contact or convert the drum to a floating system without significantly changing its appearance.
Stave shells are thicker and stronger than ply shells. They offer excellent resonance, stability, and consistency, which makes tuning easier and more reliable.
The thickness also allows hardware bolts to be countersunk, keeping the inside of the shell smooth and unobstructed for better airflow and sound.
All wood is sustainably sourced.
Each wood has its own character:
Ash – Bright, punchy, and cutting
Red Oak – Full-bodied with strong mids
Cherry – Warm, smooth, and musical
Maple – Balanced and versatile
Spalted Maple – Similar to maple with added complexity
Beech – Focused, dry, and articulate
Alder – Warm with quick decay and a vintage feel
Only non-xic, water-based finishes are used, including hardwax oil and traditional French polish. These protect the wood while keeping it acoustically alive.
Shells can also be coloured with water-based stains applied by airbrush.
Yes.
The outer ring can be powder-coated or finished with automotive paint
Tube lugs can be sprayed to match the ring colour
Subtle or bold — it’s up to you.
Very easy.
Because all hardware is mounted to the outer ring, both top and bottom heads can be changed without removing the snare wires. The shell can be lifted out independently, making maintenance quick and simple.
Many players find that tuning is easier and more stable, and that the drum actually settles in while playing.
The hardware system supports:
14×5.5"
14×6"
14×6.5"
14×7"
All shell thicknesses and wood types can be used.
Most custom snares are built and ready to ship in less than two weeks.
No.
Every snare is built individually and is one of a kind. The wood, grain, shell, and finish all contribute to a unique instrument.
No, only where indicated a Hardcase© case is supplied.
Yes.
This approach comes from years of playing, listening, and questioning why snares are built the way they are. The goal isn’t to be different — it’s to make a snare drum that behaves like an acoustic instrument and makes sense to tune and play.
Easy Head Changes & Effortless Tuning.
Because all hardware is mounted to the outer ring, changing heads is incredibly simple.
Both top and bottom heads can be replaced without removing the snare wires. The shell can be lifted out, the bottom head swapped, and everything reassembled in minutes.
Tuning is effortless. When the heads are tuned in sync with the shell, the drum opens up and sounds big, full, and controlled. And yes — the tuning actually improves while playing.
Pascal Zrour - drummer and drum builder
I’ve loved drums for as long as I can remember. From hearing drum corps as a kid to spending years playing, listening, and questioning why snare drums are built the way they are.
After experiencing how complex — and often uninspiring — conventional snares can be, I started looking for a simpler, more acoustic approach. Inspired by how instruments like acoustic guitars resonate, I began removing hardware from the shell and letting the wood do the work.
What came out of that process is Z-Drums: free-floating snare drums built by a drummer who cares deeply about sound, simplicity, and instruments that actually make sense. …read on