New snare options

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GoneinUS

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I am looking into getting a new snare. I want something fairly versatile. I have a Tama brass piccolo snare that I will be keeping, so I don’t really need the really high crack sound, as I have the covered. I have a Pearl Prestige Session birch/mahogany 6 piece kit (currently only using a 4 piece). It came with a steel snare, which I want to replace. I was looking into getting a Mapex Black Panther Maple snare 5.5x14. Anyone used these? What would be the difference between the traditional maple and the birdseye maple? Any other snares I should look into? Don’t really want to spend more than $400. Thanks.

Aaron
 
I am a big fan of Pearl free floaters. I have had every version that I know about. (I have a 9 inch maple now) They have a 5.5 in maple and brass, if you get one, you can just buy the other shell and pop it in.
 
Pearl free floater

I have a 5" copper that I'll sell for $250.
It's practically new!
I even have a s1000L concert stand that comes with it for
$50.brand new :)
 
Try a mid 1960s Ludwig Supraphonic 400. Our drummer picked up a late 1963 one for £21 on an on-line auction site. It is the best sounding snare drum that he has. He has a Chad Smith, Pearl Masters Maple Custom, a 5 x 14 brass, and 6 x 14 steel (sorry I don't know the make and models). It is also amazingly versatile. It seems to work very well with lots of different head tensions. Everything from jazz through funk and reggae to rock sounds good on it.

To me as a recording engineer it sounds exactly like a snare should. That may be because it is the most recorded snare drum of all time and therefore subconciously the sound is what my brain associates with a snare drum.

Pete.
 
conaway

I got a custom made birch snare from Conaway drums (www.conawaydrums.com), a 14x5. He uses Keller shells, like a lot of makers. It was $200. It would be hard to beat that price for a handmade, 10-lug snare. The quality is killer, and the sounds it gets are killer--especially in the hands of a good drummer. (I am not a good drummer).

Here's a sample of me on it.


Here are some samples of a good drummer on this snare (not me). These are all from the same 10 minute jam, note that he gets a lot wider range of tones from the snare.
http://www.astrondelta.com/astron/loops/
 
Peter Lancaster said:
Try a mid 1960s Ludwig Supraphonic 400. Our drummer picked up a late 1963 one for £21 on an on-line auction site. It is the best sounding snare drum that he has. He has a Chad Smith, Pearl Masters Maple Custom, a 5 x 14 brass, and 6 x 14 steel (sorry I don't know the make and models). It is also amazingly versatile. It seems to work very well with lots of different head tensions. Everything from jazz through funk and reggae to rock sounds good on it.

To me as a recording engineer it sounds exactly like a snare should. That may be because it is the most recorded snare drum of all time and therefore subconciously the sound is what my brain associates with a snare drum.

Pete.
Click to expand...



Supraphonic?
I don't understand!
Is that like Synphonic or Symphonic?(S.P.)????
 
Farview,
That Supraphonic on ebay is exactly like our drummer's one. Having no serial number makes it one of the first few thousand made in late 1963. The pitting on the shell is not too bad considering that chrome plating doesn't stick to aluminum alloy very well. Our drummer's one looks much worse. The look doesn't affect the sound so it doesn't matter. It's probably worth about $150, but if you search a bit you can find people selling them cheaply because they don't know what it is and it looks tatty. There are thousands out there.
Pete.
 
Peter Lancaster said:
Farview,
That Supraphonic on ebay is exactly like our drummer's one. Having no serial number makes it one of the first few thousand made in late 1963. The pitting on the shell is not too bad considering that chrome plating doesn't stick to aluminum alloy very well. Our drummer's one looks much worse. The look doesn't affect the sound so it doesn't matter. It's probably worth about $150, but if you search a bit you can find people selling them cheaply because they don't know what it is and it looks tatty. There are thousands out there.
Pete.
Click to expand...
I'm the one selling this one. It is a great snare, but I am thinning out the heard. Lately I have been using my Premier heavy rock 9 and my 8 inch maple free floater on everything and I have a 6 1/2 inch supraphonic that gets dragged out every so often.

Bdrum: The supraphonic is the name of a seiries of snares that are the most recorded snares ever. Just about everyone of note has one or has used one. John Bonham used a 6 1/2 inch deep one, just about anyone from that era used either the 5 1/2 or the 6 1/2 to record with, even if they were endorsed by someone else.
 
The best snare I ever heard was a Brady snare. I'm not sure how much you can find a used one. You might be able to find one in your budget.
 
Farview said:
I'm the one selling this one.
Click to expand...

Why the hell do you (and many many others on ebay) only ship to US?

/Live in Sweden (Europe)
 
Stefan Elmblad said:
Why the hell do you (and many many others on ebay) only ship to US?

/Live in Sweden (Europe)
Click to expand...
If you really want it, I will ship it to sweden. but you will have to pay for the actual shipping. Shipping overseas is just such a pain in the butt. If customs takes an interest, it will take 3 weeks for it to get where it is going. Meanwhile, I have to deal with e-mails asking questions that I can't answer. If you have a confirmed Paypal account I will ship to you. Email me through ebay.
 
The only difference between the bird's eye and standard maple is the wood grain pattern. They usually only use a birds eye ply on the outside layer for looks only.
 
Look out for import taxs. I sent something up to canada from the US and they wanted $150 at the line.
 
Well, I ended up buying 3 mics instead, so I have no money now. But paying actual shipping wouldn't be any problem, and swedish customs only charges on top if items are sent from a company, not individuals.
 
Thanks for considering it though. If I find any money laying around, I drop you a e-mail if you still got the snare.
 
Trying to sell this the week before Christmas is kind of stupid anyway.
 
i play death/hardcore metal whats a good snare for that?? i really like deicides sound and dying fetus...any suggestions?
 
Most death metal is all triggered. When you are playing that fast, it is hard to hit the drum with enough force to make it sound like anything. Same with the kicks.
But to answer your question, you want a shallow (less than 5.5 inches deep) dry sounding (one that doesn't ring) snare. The Ludwig supraphonics are good for that. ( they are a safe choice for almost anything, that is why they are so popular) I would also recomend a Pearl free floater with a maple shell. You might have to damp the head on the Pearl.
 
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