searching for a good snare

[Hi_Flyer]

on a budget, of course... thinking maybe a used Pearl free floater on ebay? I have heard some guys play these and they sound nice. I have been looking at the Pacific stuff too, how does that stuff sound? what is the quality like? its fairly inexpensive...

I definitely want a wood shell, probably maple as it seems most common...

thoughts? ideas? suggestions?

[BlackHawk2029]

pacific stuff is really good for the price. the 805 snares sound really nice, as do the the sxe series. I'd invest in a mapex black panther or a pork pie myself tough.

[Rimshot]

I own quite a number of snares, but my absolute favorite "go to" snare is my Yamaha birch with the wooden rims. 14" diam. and 8"deep. It provides a great resonant center hit for blues and is responsive enough for soft brushwork. I love the wooden rims for cross stick and it gives that distinct "knock" for rimshots.
I still use my old Slingerland snare from 1962 and I still love it but it is a softer sound.
I have a couple of custom snares that were made similar to my Yamaha but with 10 ply maple shells and wood rims. One is 14" x 14" and I use it to get the field drum feeling and I have another which is only 5" deep that I use for small rooms with acoustic unmic'ed instruments with my smaller vintage kit.
Even on sale, expect to spend $300 + for a good snare. Not that your other drums aren't important, but your snare gets so much use and is the thing that sets the character of your stickwork. It's gotta be a real good drum.

[BlackHawk2029]

well man i AM with rimshot on this one.... partially. This isnt always the case. all drums are different, even the same model in the same line from the same year. Go play a few, and pick one you like. While your snare defines your sound, you dont necessarily have to shell out a load of cash. I have a really nice snare that i built myself, which sounds awesome and amazing...... but my pride and joy cost me 30 dollars at a local music shop. just a crummy little stainless steel CB 14". low end CB at that. Sure i need a new batter hoop because mine's bent all to hell. oh well. i absolutely love the sound of my snare and i wouldnt let it go for anything. i'm planning on putting die-cast hoops on it, but other than that i'm leaving it alone. Sometimes you just have to wait it out a little and find yourself a gem in a pile of pebbles.

[gdavi1]

i love the mapex black panther
it doesn't matter how man drums i have bought i always sell them back and keep my black panther

[BlackHawk2029]

black panthers are great drums. there's always one set up at the jam night i attend weekly (there are usually 2-3 snares set up there, plus i bring my own) i believe the one there is a 5.5x13. really versatile snare, really sensitive as well.

[MidiPunk]

You can build your own pretty cheap, especially if you have an old snare that you can steal the hardware from: http://www.drummaker.com

[Greg_L]

I love my 14x5 Premium Brass Black Panther. That thing is awesome.

[xstatic]

I just got my hand hammered 6.5x14 Black Beauty in and it sounds like a champ, but certainly over the proposed budget Other than that, my Gretsch free floating snare has always sounded pretty darned nice, and does fit the budget and the desire for a maple snare The Black Panthers usually sound pretty nice like others mentioned as well Maybe go with metal though and hit sleeze bay for a Vistalite?

[hipskind]

Mapex Black Panthers are nice, and not too expensive. Ditto the PDP's (made solidly yet on-a-budget by DW). I'd say definitely check out the Pearl free-floater on ebay as well. You can get a pretty nice-sounding drum and not spend tons of money, but you should still plan on spending between $300 and $450 for one. Needless to say you want one that's in good shape (if used), with bearing edges that are sharp.

A company called WorldMax makes a line of snare drums called the Black Dawg, which is a takeoff on the Ludwig Black Beauty. I have one; they are around $300, and they sound wonderful! A great value. But I know you would rather go with a wood snare. I'm just throwing that out there.

Oh, one more thing: I'd also suggest (yeah, I know, another metal snare option) looking for a decent- to good-condition Ludwig LM400 chrome snare (if you're not familiar with it, you'll recognize it when you see a picture of it). It's the ubiquitous "chrome" Ludwig used by Bonham, Gadd and countless others. A true classic snare drum.

-Tom Hipskind

[JuliánFernández]

Tom, nice to see you here!

Hi_Flyer, you should listen to Tom Hipskind advice!
He´s a GREAT player and a really nice guy!

[hipskind]

LOL! Fancy seeing you here Julian!

Thanks for the nice words. You're too kind!