best snare for under $100

  • Thread starter Thread starter daav
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daav

daav

Flailing up a storm.
Just kidding, but since that is the tone of half the threads on this board, I thought it would be fun.

I am actually looking for a replacement snare for my stock sonor snare that came with my entry level (Force 2001 i believe) set. I've had no real experience with drum equipment, just the set i own and the snare is horrible. It is all ringy and has no real crack to it. I have worked to tune it, and will continue to try yo get better at tuning, but let's assume i am on the look out for a good bang-for-your-buck snare. Since i paid less than $300 for the kit, I'd like to keep the snare option under $200 if possible.

I want something with lots of crack and a little boom (is that the right word? ), that cuts through nicely. Tone will pretty much be heavy rock (not metal, more like Stooges, Murder City Devils, detroit cobras if you know them, hard driving driving beats). I do however like to play some funk stuff with lots of ghost hits and such too. But in a pinch i will trade subtle groove for heavy crack.

Any suggestions? samples?

Thanks
daav
 
I bought the Yamaha 13" Musashi snare a while ago and I love it. It has a wide tuning range and tons of crack throughout. We played a pretty large venue show and a lot of my drummer friends said that my snare was by far the most cutting, clean sounding snare of the show, and we were opening for a pretty well known national act. I haven't had the opportunity to record it yet, however, but so far I'm pretty much in love with it. You should be able to get it from guitar center for about $200. It has a pretty warm tone to it, its made out of japanese oak and its loud as hell.
 
I have a Pearl 13" Piccolo snare. Its $120, very versatile. I've tuned it to so many different styles and the sound sits nicely in them all so far. Everyone thats heard it has made nice comments about it.

It'll crack you in the face if you treat it right :D
 
My next snare is going to be a Yamaha piccolo, probably. I'm using a big metal Tama snare right now.
 
It's probably the most cliched "What snare drum should I get on the cheap" but the Pearl Chad Smith Signature snare is one of the best snare drums out there, forget under so and so amount, it's just a huge bonus that it happens to be really cheap.

Also, I remember a company that used to sell like a 3 pack of snares for 99 bucks. I seem to recall a lot of people saying, for the price, you really couldn't go wrong. I can't remember the company though.
 
Well musicians friend carries the Pulse picollo snare for 30 bucks. You can also get a decent all maple snare off of ebay for under 100 dollars, it will be an off brand but I have one, and it sounds good.
I have found that most snares just need good heads and good tuning to rock.
I also have an old CB snare that sounds awesome with a clear pinstripe on top and an ambassador on the bottom.
Finding one for under 100 dollars should be real easy.
 
FunkDaddy said:
It's probably the most cliched "What snare drum should I get on the cheap" but the Pearl Chad Smith Signature snare is one of the best snare drums out there, forget under so and so amount, it's just a huge bonus that it happens to be really cheap.

Also, I remember a company that used to sell like a 3 pack of snares for 99 bucks. I seem to recall a lot of people saying, for the price, you really couldn't go wrong. I can't remember the company though.
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god i love that chad smith snare...
such a great sound, but i cant afford one... :(
 
Go on ebay and look for a Ludwig Acrolite. They will be less than $100. A 5 inch Supraphonic will be even cooler for less than $150.
 
FunkDaddy said:
Also, I remember a company that used to sell like a 3 pack of snares for 99 bucks. I seem to recall a lot of people saying, for the price, you really couldn't go wrong. I can't remember the company though.
Click to expand...

That would be MusicYo, selling Asian-made drums with the Slingerland badge. You could get 3 steel, 3 brass, or 3 copper snares IIRC. Or a pack that had one of each.

And I ditto the Supra/Acro recommendation. I got a slightly beat up Supra on eBay for $80. Changed the heads, added some 42 strand snares, and I haven't looked back since. I got rid of a piccolo snare, a 6.5x14 Pearl brass free-floater, and a Tama Imperialstar with die-casts since picking up the Supra. I simply haven't needed anything else :D
 
OK, I'll bite, what makes one 14 x 5 steel snare different from the next 14 x 5 steel snare?
 
ermghoti said:
OK, I'll bite, what makes one 14 x 5 steel snare different from the next 14 x 5 steel snare?
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number of lugs, quality of edges, size/depth of snare beds...
 
Fair enough. Would there be a marked difference between a Chad Smith and a Supraphonic? I have heard the Supra reviews enough to plan on buying one, but the Pearl is cosmetically sexier, and a little easier to find.
 
ermghoti said:
Fair enough. Would there be a marked difference between a Chad Smith and a Supraphonic? I have heard the Supra reviews enough to plan on buying one, but the Pearl is cosmetically sexier, and a little easier to find.
Click to expand...

Chad's snare is steel, the Supraphonic is aluminum. To my ears, steel shells like the Chad Smith tend to be a little more "pingy", if that makes sense :-) The Supra gives (again, to my ears) a little more warmth and body.
 
Freethinker said:
Well musicians friend carries the Pulse picollo snare for 30 bucks. You can also get a decent all maple snare off of ebay for under 100 dollars, it will be an off brand but I have one, and it sounds good.
I have found that most snares just need good heads and good tuning to rock.
I also have an old CB snare that sounds awesome with a clear pinstripe on top and an ambassador on the bottom.
Finding one for under 100 dollars should be real easy.
Click to expand...

I'd read that the Pulse snare just sounded like a normal 14" snare, not really very piccolo-like.
 
ermghoti said:
Fair enough. Would there be a marked difference between a Chad Smith and a Supraphonic? I have heard the Supra reviews enough to plan on buying one, but the Pearl is cosmetically sexier, and a little easier to find.
Click to expand...
The supraphonic will be warmer sounding. They are not that hard to find, they are the most recorded snare ever. An Acrolite is the same shell with 8 lugs (instead of 10) and no chrome plating. (which gets pitted over time)
 
This thread has turned out to be very helpful, thanks all.

Starting shopping soon...


Daav
 
zacanger said:
I'd read that the Pulse snare just sounded like a normal 14" snare, not really very piccolo-like.
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im suprised it sounds like anything for $30!!! :eek:
 
random.hero said:
im suprised it sounds like anything for $30!!! :eek:
Click to expand...

True, a $30 snare's a bargain whether it sounds like it's supposed to or not.
 
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