replacing my snare

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mikeeyo

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Hey all,

heres the deal.. im going to be replacing my snare drum within the month and i need some advice on good drums out there.
ive not got the biggest budget but at the same time i want to get a half-decent drum so i wont have to invest in another one in the not too distant future. I know it depends on what sound you are looking for etc. but has anyone got any suggestions?

Thanks in advance :)
 
indeed, what kind of sound.

BTW, i have been a closet drummer for nearly 20 years. i currently have a nice but modest kit, a couple of snares, and a small assortment of cymbals. i am by no means an authority on drum equipment. however, i have tried quite a few things, and played with or recorded several different drummers with a decent cross-section of pro-am equipment. IOW, i know what *i* like.

for a steel shelled example, i think the joey jordinson snare from pearl is killer. it is unfortunate that it has slipknot logos all over it, unfortunate indeed. but drummers arent pretentious, right?
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for brass, the ludwig black beauty is a classic. i particularly like the 5x14.
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wood drums can be all over the place sound-wise, and like all drum shells, this is largely attributed to the wood type. there can be pretty great variance between even two otherwise identical drums. you will just have to play them. the yamaha steve jordan made quite an impression on me.
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a cheap and cool drum is the steel pearl piccolo. i have one of these in 3x13, and it kills for aggressive stuff. not a lot of body, but it cuts like crazy, and is pretty sensitive.
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best advice: take a couple of hours to visit a store with a reasonable selection. remember that the drum mightve been tuned by a 13 year old girl (bring a tuning key).

a
 
If budget is an issue, perhaps an older Ludwig Acrolite. They only have 8 lugs though, but vintage ones can be had very cost effectively on Ebay. I got one for my son made in 1967 mint for $130 with the (useless) old case and snare stand.

Next, perhaps a Rogers dynasonic. The older ones are COB and are also a good value.

The Ludwig Supraphonic is kind of the definitive snare drum. The older COB are sought after items.

My personal top o'the line is the Noble and Cooley. Mine is 8 x14 but it's real nice and crisp, very thin shell. I tried snare drums for months before finding this one.

Frankly, if you have good sounding snares, new heads and know how to tune a 10 lug drum, there is not alot of drums that cannot sound good.
 
If the snare you have now is wood, you'd expand your palette best by adding a metal.
...Or vice-versa.

Best bang for buck metal (that I've purchased) is Tama Metalworks; 6.5 x 14, ten lug, & nice bag for $200.
 
true, older used drums can represent a great value. my main snare is a maple slingerland from around 1975. nothing fancy, really, but it has sweet tone and feels good at the tensions i like. i have a set of aftermarket cast hoops that i installed for awhile, but i think i prefer the fatter tone of the stock flanged ones.

the truth is, there are probably a lot of drums that would work well for me. i am not pretentious, and i dont care if it is a $100 drum or made in china so long as it tunes cleanly, sounds good, and stays tuned and sounding good with minimal maintenance. it is amazing to me how many drums have poor tuning capabilities, even brand-new ones. that is why it is important to play it, or at least buy from a retailer with a liberal return policy.

a

also, i agree about the tama metalworks. nice snare.
 
Pork Pie makes good stuff and they are reasonably priced. I have the BOB snare and it rocks.

Mapex Black Panther snares are really good too and they are not too expensive.

+1 on the older Acrolites and Supraphonics. You really can't go wrong with those. Great tuning ranges and they can provide many different sounds.

I was at a GC the other day and played the Yamaha Steve Jordan (mentioned in the previous post) .... uh ... I need one of those. By the way if anyone has one they want to get rid of/trade for something please let me know. :)
 
+1 on black panther.

I own a 14" Black Panther Birds Eye Maple and a 13" Phospher Bronze...
best snares I've ever recorded.. my maple gets recorded the most and the bronze is just sexy (and loud)
 
+1 on Ludwig and Mapex Black Panthers, and the Jordan/Jordison signatures.

However, JWR1's advice only really applies past a certain price range (eBay steals etc. excepted), as PP and dragon-esque drums will NEVER sound good.
 
Snare Drum Search

Welcome to the never-ending and life long quest for snare drums.
So much depends on where you'll be playing, inside vs. outside.

I used a Ludwig Acrolite for years; with the right head combinations, it's very adaptive. Medium top tuning coated head/ bottom head cranked tight.

I would also suggest a Ludwig Black Beauty or a Slingerland Radio King.
Tuning with the right head combinations is everything. Forget about how it sounds in the mix - how it sounds from the listener's perspective.
Don't get hung-up on 'maple'. Many drummers prefer a quality birch shell. It's different, and usually 25-35% cheaper than maple shells.

A good used snare is still better than a new cheap one. Hit the flea markets and garage sales. I've be wary of wood hoops, and anything from Yamaha - nice sound; but weak shells. Pearl--well they just sound like a cow crapping on an oatmeal box. (But they market well)
When you think you've found something; have someone else play it from soft and slowly get louder. Listen for the character.
Also remember that some of these off brand and 'customs' may not be around to give you support.
I personnaly play a DW 6.5" copper- characteristics of wood and metal. (and affordable)(I have 3 teenagers--$$ is important) There's no such thing as the 'perfect snare'.

All said it depends on where you'll play and style of music.
The DW site is great for learning about different woods and bearing edges.

Have fun!
 
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