Decisions, Decisions, Decisions... Choosing a Snare and maybe more - Part II

**skills** · 05-15-2016, 08:47 AM

Hi everyone, I still can't decide what snare to buy.
The Luddy is not a Participant in the contest anymore, a little bit too much ring.
I found two methods, to buy one (1) expensive snare for all styles of music or to buy two (2) less pricy snares.

Possibility 1:
Buying an expensive but good quality snare.

Snares to choose from:

1.) DW Collectors Maple 14x5" or 14x6" :

I just like it's dry sound.

2.) DW Collectors Black Nickel over Brass 14x5,5" or 14x6,5

It's way ringier but it seems to be very versatile.

3.) Sonor Prolite Brass 14x5 or 14x6

Not as ringy as the NOB.

DW Collectors Maple Pro and Cons:

+ great dry sound.
+ Craftmanship
+ features
+ Look

- the Price
- some say it wouldn't tune very good and non-versatile.

DW Collectors NOB Pro and Cons:

+ Sound
+ Craftmanship (in most cases)
+ Look
+ Features

- overtones
- Price

Sonor Prolite Brass Pro and Cons:

+ Sound
+ Look
+ Features

- Price
- Cases of unplayable Snares known.

Pro and Cons of the Possibility:

+ great sounding and great quality snare
- it maybe covers not all music styles I want to play with.
- no money left for other things*

Possibility 2:
Buying two less pricy snares:

Steel:
Gretsch Taylor Hawkins Sig Snare 14x6,5"

Wood:
Mapex Black Panther Cherry Bomb 13x5,5"
Mapex Black Panther Black Widow Snare 14x5,5"
Tama Starclassic Maple Snare 14x5,5"

The Gretsch has good Craftmanship and is already chosen if I really do that, so it's all about the wood snares.

Pro:
Sound.
Price.

Cons:
All BP's are known to have scars on the round wooden circle, head and rim laying on.

The Starclassic has actually no Cons.

The big Point on the second method is that I have extra money to spend in other parts of gear*.

The Styles I want to cover with are:
Metal, Rockstyles, Hiphop, Pop and Jazz (Sticks and Brushes).

*A few weeks ago I thought how cool it would be to have extra money for replacing gear I don't like.

Hi hat stand:

I currently use a Tama Iron Cobra 605 Series, to close the hats works (like known of Tama Pedals) very smooth but it has no plate, a leg is in the air and there's no possibility to get it on the floor + there's no option to make the spring a very little tighter so the hats stay closed if I want them to be.

Model of choose:

Tama Iron Cobra 805 Velo Glide or DW 5000 (too expensive at moment)

Pedal:
I have a Pearl Eliminator 2000B Single Pedal and its to chunky and I have an issue with the spring, I have to tighten it very hard if I want my footboard to hold Position, when I play its to hard for my taste.

Model of Choose:

Tama Rolling Glide or DW 5002 Double Pedal but what I can afford is probably only a Single Pedal.

I'm not good with my foot at all but I find playing a Double Pedal sounds very cool and is more versatile cause you can play it as both, Single and Double.

So, back to Snares:

What is more recommendable - buying one expensive snare for all styles or two less pricy snares for the styles and having extra money + what of them wood snares should I get for the above mentioned styles?

**noreastbob** · 05-15-2016, 10:24 AM

Your list of criteria kind of buried me but I got the gist. Personally I think you should have as high quality main snare as you can afford. My main is a dw Exotic Edge. At medium tension and half a moon gel right at the rim It is nice and dry played at the center of the head and somewhat ringy off center. If I want mega ring I can remove the gel and play off center. Remember ring is sometimes desirable. It may sound a bit obnoxious to you from the throne but out front it can make for great character and interesting sounds.
Later on you'll get more snares anyway so get what you really want for your fundamental.

**skills** · 05-15-2016, 11:24 AM

Originally Posted by noreastbob

Your list of criteria kind of buried me but I got the gist. Personally I think you should have as high quality main snare as you can afford. My main is a dw Exotic Edge. At medium tension and half a moon gel right at the rim It is nice and dry played at the center of the head and somewhat ringy off center. If I want mega ring I can remove the gel and play off center. Remember ring is sometimes desirable. It may sound a bit obnoxious to you from the throne but out front it can make for great character and interesting sounds.
Later on you'll get more snares anyway so get what you really want for your fundamental.

Before I replied you I was busy using a Translation App to get the meaning of "buried" (although it seems to be common), "gist" and "obnoxious" but I got the Rest.

Budget is after saving not a Problem I'll theoretically be able to spend 840.-€ but I couldn't afford a edge.

**SunDog** · 05-15-2016, 12:59 PM

I own a 14x6 DW maple Collectors and 14x8 DW BNOB. Both are just outstanding. I used the maple as my working snare for fifteen years, playing a variety of styles. Got the "have to have one" thing this past year and bought the nickle over brass and I absolutely love that beast. You really can't go wrong with either, but I cast my vote for the 14x6.5 DW BNOB. It's a little ringy, but in a nice way, and it sounds insanely good.

**rickthedrummer** · 05-15-2016, 10:11 PM

Popsicle stick, cut to size, works perfectly to suppress ring.

Outside of my 1st set of drums, which were Kents with a wood snare, I have used nothing but metal snares. Black Beauty SS's or Supras, and a DynaSonic on the set of Rogers in our rehearsal studio.

It makes no change in the sound of the drum other than stop the ring.

**skills** · 05-16-2016, 01:04 AM

Originally Posted by rickthedrummer

Popsicle stick, cut to size, works perfectly to suppress ring.

Outside of my 1st set of drums, which were Kents with a wood snare, I have used nothing but metal snares. Black Beauty SS's or Supras, and a DynaSonic on the set of Rogers in our rehearsal studio.

It makes no change in the sound of the drum other than stop the ring.

Popsicle stick? What's that?

**rickthedrummer** · 05-16-2016, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by skills

Popsicle stick? What's that?