I recorded a few drum sessions in my bedroom many years ago, and there has always been something about those drums that I really liked but could never pinpoint what it was. So I went back and listened to just the drum tracks (8 mic'd drums).

I always thought it was the room (which I'm sure came into play), but now I realize it was the tuning of the drums.

The drummer (Tim Dubay; brilliant drummer) was playing a nice groove as usual, but it's the drum tuning and playing-that-tuning that I think is what I was (or wasn't) hearing all along. The snare is adding a lot harmonically on it's own. Though you never really notice it in the final mix, it's still there.
*Drums are solo'd and then with the song in link below.
I wonder if the snare ring is what (now) Musicstudent heard when he played those harmonics on guitar.
(some of it gets lost in the compression to wma)
images:
1-drum setup for this recording
2-Tim and Barry at work (at Barry's place)

http://masteringmatters.com/stuff/DubayDrums.wma

/in retrospect I'm surprised the wife is still with me

Great points, and yes, I agree. The importance of having tuned drums can never be underestimated. Those ones sure sound great!