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Thread: What Snare Drum Should I Buy?!

  1. #1

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    Default What Snare Drum Should I Buy?!

    Hi all,

    It's time I bought a new snare but I'm absolutely clueless which one to buy as there are so many. What do you all use and what can you recommend?

    I'm looking for something versatile, robust, fat cracking backbeat, but also suitable for more subtle music like jazz, funk, serving ghosts notes etc.

    TIA

  2. #2

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    Default Re: What Snare Drum Should I Buy?!

    I usually buy what sounds good to me and what I can afford. I've been playing a maple 6.5x14 Pearl Masters snare I paid $225.00 since 2008. I've had a couple others a DW Edge Neil Peart Signature that my wife bought me. She paid $1025.00 for it new when it first came out. I hated it. The Pearl sounds better. I ended up trading it in for a Ludwig classic maple kit 26 kick 13 ,16, 18, toms. I've also had a PDP 20 ply snare , and a crush acrylic snare. Both sounded good but not as good as the Pearl. Had to come back and edit: when I got that ludwig kit I bought a Pearl Ian Paice signature snare to go with it, that snare sounded great also , it was a metal snare so it wasn't as warm as my maple but it still sounded great. Trust your ears.
    Last edited by NPYYZ; 08-13-2018 at 08:00 AM.

  3. #3

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    I have and use Pearl Masters 14x6.5 and has mentioned has a very warm sound to it. Myself like the metal sound better. like NPYYZ says let your ears decide.

  4. #4

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    That's a tough one to answer. Like NPYYZ mentions, it has to be a drum that sound good to you. Based on your description of use, might be best to stick with wood. Two of my favorites would be my Pearl Masterworks in Rosewood and my Mapex Cherry Bomb.

  5. #5

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    Default Re: What Snare Drum Should I Buy?!

    Quote Originally Posted by __--byonin--__ View Post
    Hi all,

    It's time I bought a new snare but I'm absolutely clueless which one to buy as there are so many. What do you all use and what can you recommend?

    I'm looking for something versatile, robust, fat cracking backbeat, but also suitable for more subtle music like jazz, funk, serving ghosts notes etc.

    TIA
    1st) A snare drum is a snare drum, is a snare drum. Point being is that they all are going to sound like (surprise) a snare drum. All that you want from a snare drum is going to come down to tuning and your technique.

    I have used nothing but metal snares since I was 15 and got my 1st set of Ludwigs with a Supraphonic. I have used metal snares in my jazz improv band in college, in my R&R days (which is probably 98% of my gigging days) and in a trio where I played 95% of the songs with brushes on a Black Beauty Super Sensitive.

    Bottom line is this: For decades drummers had 1 set of drums and made due with that 1 set regardless of what music they were playing. Get the snare drum that you want and work on technique.
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by NPYYZ View Post
    I usually buy what sounds good to me and what I can afford. I've been playing a maple 6.5x14 Pearl Masters snare I paid $225.00 since 2008. I've had a couple others a DW Edge Neil Peart Signature that my wife bought me. She paid $1025.00 for it new when it first came out. I hated it. The Pearl sounds better. I ended up trading it in for a Ludwig classic maple kit 26 kick 13 ,16, 18, toms. I've also had a PDP 20 ply snare , and a crush acrylic snare. Both sounded good but not as good as the Pearl. Had to come back and edit: when I got that ludwig kit I bought a Pearl Ian Paice signature snare to go with it, that snare sounded great also , it was a metal snare so it wasn't as warm as my maple but it still sounded great. Trust your ears.
    I went into a drum store today and checked out a Pearl Master Premium Legend. Felt and sounded so good. AM quite tempted with that.

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by rickthedrummer View Post
    1st) A snare drum is a snare drum, is a snare drum. Point being is that they all are going to sound like (surprise) a snare drum. All that you want from a snare drum is going to come down to tuning and your technique.

    I have used nothing but metal snares since I was 15 and got my 1st set of Ludwigs with a Supraphonic. I have used metal snares in my jazz improv band in college, in my R&R days (which is probably 98% of my gigging days) and in a trio where I played 95% of the songs with brushes on a Black Beauty Super Sensitive.

    Bottom line is this: For decades drummers had 1 set of drums and made due with that 1 set regardless of what music they were playing. Get the snare drum that you want and work on technique.
    Wise words yet again from you, Rich. It's something we avoid as drummers; trusting our ears and going for shine, glitter and brands. I came across a Pearl Master Premium Legend today and it felt and sounded amazing. I'm only hesitate and waiting longer to see what better comes around the corner (and apparently a lot of people snub off Pearl snares?!).

    I agree though there's a fundamental sonic difference and feel between low-end and high-end snares.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by inthpktplayer View Post
    That's a tough one to answer. Like NPYYZ mentions, it has to be a drum that sound good to you. Based on your description of use, might be best to stick with wood. Two of my favorites would be my Pearl Masterworks in Rosewood and my Mapex Cherry Bomb.
    It's seeming more that way. Personal preference.

  9. #9

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    Default Re: What Snare Drum Should I Buy?!

    "(and apparently a lot of people snub off Pearl snares?!)".

    I've never owned a Pearl snare, but I would assume that they make good snare drums.

    "I agree though there's a fundamental sonic difference and feel between low-end and high-end snares"

    I'm not so sure about that. I have been a Ludwig man for most of my life (although I have owned a Rogers and Slingerland drums, and right now I do have a set of Pearls)

    I have a Supralite and a Acrolite which are low end Ludwig snares, and a Black Magic and Black Beauty Super Sensitive, which are more expensive snares. I also have a DynaSonic and a Black Panther, but I'm not counting them right now.

    If I tuned the Ludwig snares from the Supralite to the Black Beauty SS, the cheapest to the most expensive, and put the 4 of them on a stage where they couldn't be seen and set them in a order like Acrolite, Black Beauty, Supralite and finally, Black Magic. I would bet money that not too many people (if any) could say for sure, which is which. It's when we can see them, then play them, that we hear this magical difference that tells us that the Black Beauty MUST sound better than the Supralite because 1 can buy a Supralite for about $100 brand new, and a BB costs anywhere from (the last time I looked) $500 to $900 if 1 wants the hand hammered BB, which, in reality, sounds the same as a un-hand hammered BB, but if you put a hammered 1 next to a un-hammered 1 in a music store, of course the hammered 1 sounds so much better because it costs $200 more.

    A guy on you tube took a cheap set of drums and a high end set of drums, tuned them, then played them, and they both sounded good.

    Bottom line: We hear what we want to hear. The expensive 1 MUST sound better than the cheaper 1 because........................................... .................well,............. because it's more expensive.
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

  10. #10

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    Get what you want. . . . . .then share it with us.

  11. #11

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    Ludwig Acrolite.

  12. #12

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    play them all

    cheap arse nasty all the way up to can't afford a second mortgage snares, then you will know.

  13. #13

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    1st) Don't listen to the whole thing, just the sound of the snare. It was done on a Acrolite. If I said it was done on a Black Beauty or a Black Magic, would you really know the difference.

    I'm with Olimpass, get a Acrolite, it's a great all around snare.
    YOU MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU KNOW.

    YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE DEVIL YOU DON'T KNOW.

    VAE VICTIS

    ONCE YOU HIT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU BECOME PERMANENTLY UNIMPRESSED BY A LOT OF CRAP.

    I HIT THAT AGE 20 YEARS AGO.

    IF DOGS CAN'T GO TO HEAVEN, I WANT TO GO WHERE THEY GO

    WILL ROGERS

  14. #14

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    Default Re: What Snare Drum Should I Buy?!

    Quote Originally Posted by rickthedrummer View Post


    1st) Don't listen to the whole thing, just the sound of the snare. It was done on a Acrolite. If I said it was done on a Black Beauty or a Black Magic, would you really know the difference.

    I'm with Olimpass, get a Acrolite, it's a great all around snare.
    Out of all the snares I have I don't have an aluminum snare and out of all the FANCY aluminum snares out there I think myself, Acrolite snare! can't go wrong!

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