Not a new trend for me. I used to find it amusing when people on drum forums would argue about the merits of one drum over another. Statements such as, "Late 60s Suprahonics sound better than Supraphonics from the 1980s!" drove me nuts. Many times people were just repeating things that they read or heard elsewhere. This is what originally drove me to buy a bunch of snare drums, I wanted to hear differences for myself.
At one point I owned thirty four snare drums. I sold a bunch over time and at one point owned under ten, but the number slowly climbed and I own a bunch of drums again. I have not counted in a while, but I have a lot of snare drums. (Thirty-ish?) Yesterday I ordered another, a Gretsch USA Custom Solid Maple 6 1/2" X 14". I do keep them in rotation.
Gretsch USA Custom solid maple snare drum.jpg
Last edited by drummer5359; 07-12-2019 at 09:54 AM.
-Mike
"We don't stop playing because we grow old.
We grow old because we stop playing."
"I wish that my playing reminded people of Steve Gadd. But they seem to confuse me with his little known cousin... E."
"Snare drums happen."
Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.
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I had to pair down the number of snares in preparation for the move to Missouri. I sold off my Tama Warlord Masai snare (beautiful to look at, but I could never get a sound I loved out of it), and I have 2 Pearl Free Floating snares still on consignment at Mary's Music in Clarksville, TN. I can't make an accurate count because of all the boxes in the way, but I believe the number is currently about 5 or 6. I really enjoyed getting different snares to explore different sounds, but my go to snare (and the only one I've played in the last 5 years) is a 14X5.5 Mapex Black Panther Deep Forest Cherry. From the moment I got it, I knew it would always be my #1.
It looks just like this one:
Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.
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Hmmm . . . this thread made me realize that I now have five snare drums. And not one of them is a premier, high-priced, collectable snare drum. I played my first fifty years with only one snare at a time (either a Supra or an Acro), but somehow they've backed up on me without my having noticed. How does this happen? My rule has always been "one in, one out." And since I worked in a music store, I've had a string of very nice snare drums over the years. But - "one in . . ." etc..
All mine are so cheap that it really doesn't make sense to sell them. The Pacific maple is worthless except to complete my White Onyx kit. The imported 5-ply maple Slingerland simply came with a kit and has never been played. I have two NOS imported maple 3-ply Slingerlands that I'll keep because they have cast hoops and surprisingly nice build quality. And still new in the boxes, unplayed. That leaves the one that I do play and use on the ever-decreasing number of gigs I do: a Ludwig 7X13 Supralite that exhibits all the qualities that I've always wanted in a metal snare. So it stays. The others, I suppose, will simply continue to collect dust on their boxes until my heirs dump them on ebay for a song.
GeeDeeEmm
Last edited by gdmoore28; 07-10-2019 at 04:23 PM.
I just saw this thread again. It has been a long time since I've sat down and tried to write them all down. Honestly, I'm a little afraid to see the list myself.
Off the top of my head...
1958 Slingerland Radio King single ply maple
Early 60s Slingerland single ply maple Artist
Early 60s Slingerland three ply Artist
1970s Slingerland COB
Late 1970s Slingerland Buddy Rich TDR
1990s Slingerland Super Radio King (Single ply maple) Nashville era
2004 DW Single Ply Maple
2004 DW/Craviotto Single Ply Maple
2008 DW Ten and Six
2008 DW Edge
2009 DW Super Solid Single Ply Maple
2019 DW Super Sonic Single Ply Maple
1990s Noble & Cooley SS Maple
1960s Ludwig three ply piccolo
2000s Ludwig "Brass Edition" Supraphonic 5"
2009 Ludwig Black Beauty 5"
2009 Ludwig Supraphonic 5"
2014 Ludwig Black Beauty 6.5"
2019 Ludwig Copper Phonic 6.5
1966 Gretsch Round Badge 5.5" 6 ply
1968 Gretsch Max Roach Round Badge 6 ply
1968 Gretsch 4160 Round Badge COB
1970 Gretsch 4160 Stop Sign Badge COB
1979 Gretsch 4108 Stop Sign Badge Aluminum
2011 Gretsch Stanton Moore Signature 4.5" Single Ply Birdseye Maple
2018 Gretsch USA Custom 6.5" Bell Brass
2019 Gretsch USA Custom 6.5" Solid Maple
2019 Gretsch USA Custom 5" 6 ply
Spawn Acrylic with sand blasted flames
1960s Rogers COB Dynasonic
I know that I'm forgetting some, but this is a decent list.
I have a particular affinity for solid maple drums. I have them from various manufacturers, in varying depths, with different hoops and different bearing edges. I find the differences fascinating to sort out.
I am similarly intrigued by different flavors of brass shells from different manufacturers.
My apologies for being a snare geek. No one is perfect.
Last edited by drummer5359; 11-22-2019 at 08:13 PM.
-Mike
"We don't stop playing because we grow old.
We grow old because we stop playing."
"I wish that my playing reminded people of Steve Gadd. But they seem to confuse me with his little known cousin... E."
"Snare drums happen."
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