The Supra returns ;)

Bo Eder

Platinum Member
I've been playing the Pearl drums exclusively for the last four months or so, utilizing an SSC 6.5x14 snare with the Reference Pures, and a 5.5 Vision birch with my VBL bop kit, and out of looking lonely in the corner, I put my 5x14 Supra with the bop kit, and my 6.5x14 '79 Supra with the Reference Pures.

It was sort of like that Claritin commercial where before the drug, you're in a headcold fog, and with the drug the fog clears and everything is crystal clear. It just put a smile on my face. It also made me think, I could get any high-end snare drum, Brady, Noble & Cooley, Guru, Craviotto, whatever,.....and I'd eventually veer back towards home and the Supras.
I even owned the venerated Black Beauty (a 5x14 back then) and eventually went back to the good ol' Ludalloy Supra too.

I'm wondering if there's something wrong with me. How can one's brain get so connected to one snare drum that he eventually returns to it over and over? It probably doesn't help that I've been listening to Supraphonic snares all my life I suppose - and it was probably mostly Hal Blaine's, Gary Chester's, or Earl Palmer's - since those guys would've played for all the hits made from the 60s through the late 80s. I went to see Marco Minneman with the Aristocrats and although he played a beautiful DW kit, his main snare was a Supraphonic (a little DW snare was off to the side). The Supra is reminding me of the old monster movie "IT conquered the world" or something like that.

It's so nice to have all these choices in snares. Too bad I don't use them.
 
I know what you mean.

I recently went back to using my 14x5 Supra for pretty much everything. It had been my 3rd string back up snare, but after pampering it with a new head and new snare wires (tried Puresound 16strand...lovely sound) I enjoy it more than the previous main snare, a Pearl 14x6.5 brass shell Steve Ferrone signature snare.

Those Supras definitely have some kind of mojo to them.
 
Maybe due to being the most recorded snare its in our subconscience from hearing it so much.. or maybe I'm over thinking it and its just a great frickin drum!!!

but speaking of the 5.5 Pearl Vision, I picked one up at GC on sale new for $77 last month and was pretty amazed you could get a brand new snare for that price that sounded that good.. makes a great back-up..
 
I think about this whenever the subject of drum sounds comes up. When a certain drum sound—or any instrument's sound—has been used for decades, it becomes ingrained in our DNA as listeners. Whether or not you can improve that sound is subjective. With modern technology, it is doubtful that we would ever build a piano today if one had never been invented. But it is the sound of music for centuries, and so we will continue to make them and play them.

Once you fall in love with those sounds, it's hard to quit them.
 
I'll second the Sensitone -- they are really great drums. The fact that I'm thinking of trading mine out is no reflection on the quality of the instrument, especially for the price. If I had a 14" x 6.5", I'd be keeping it.
 
I'll second the Sensitone -- they are really great drums. The fact that I'm thinking of trading mine out is no reflection on the quality of the instrument, especially for the price. If I had a 14" x 6.5", I'd be keeping it.

I'm sure the Sensitone is a great drum - I'm impressed with the Pearl stuff, too. But if it was designed to give you the supra sound, and I just explained I have both a 5" (from the 90s) and a 6.5" (from the 70s)....are you asking me to clone the sound I already have (in spades)? Or is the Sensitone outrageously different in a good way?
 
We just know you've become a shill for Pearl ;) might as well embrace it!
 
I'm sure the Sensitone is a great drum - I'm impressed with the Pearl stuff, too. But if it was designed to give you the supra sound, and I just explained I have both a 5" (from the 90s) and a 6.5" (from the 70s)....are you asking me to clone the sound I already have (in spades)? Or is the Sensitone outrageously different in a good way?

No idea about the Sensitone, I was just stirring the pot. I sold my Starclassic Aluminum because it was so similar to my Supra. A tad drier but I like the Supra ever so slightly more. The Tama was built better but in the end it's the sound wins out.
 
We just know you've become a shill for Pearl ;) might as well embrace it!

Ba dum psssh! True ;) The things I do like about the Pearl are those carbon fiber snares. I saw those at NAMM and they looked cool, and sounded pretty cool as well. It's doubtful I'd be able to afford them, especially if I'd just end up back at my Supras ;)
 
No idea about the Sensitone, I was just stirring the pot. I sold my Starclassic Aluminum because it was so similar to my Supra. A tad drier but I like the Supra ever so slightly more. The Tama was built better but in the end it's the sound wins out.

Yeah, with me it is the sound, and also the maintenance costs. I can field-strip a Supra and replace parts because those parts are always available somewhere. The only other strainer I saw available as a replacement was a Pearl one, and the holes matched the P-85 strainer too! So if I had to do that, I could.

A buddy of mine got the Dave Weckl snare with the two strainer design-thingy, and when it broke, Yamaha also discontinued the drum. He's been playing it with a faulty broken strainer for almost five years now!
 
A buddy of mine got the Dave Weckl snare with the two strainer design-thingy, and when it broke, Yamaha also discontinued the drum. He's been playing it with a faulty broken strainer for almost five years now!

When I saw Dave in clinic a few months ago he was still using that snare and he demonstrated its capabilities. The difference in sound between the two sets of wires was quite remarkable. He uses one for sensitivity and the other for fatness. He characterized it as adding a sort of "reverb". If it's discontinued that's too bad 'cause it's a really cool snare drum.
 
When I saw Dave in clinic a few months ago he was still using that snare and he demonstrated its capabilities. The difference in sound between the two sets of wires was quite remarkable. He uses one for sensitivity and the other for fatness. He characterized it as adding a sort of "reverb". If it's discontinued that's too bad 'cause it's a really cool snare drum.

Maybe I quoted that wrong. I'm not sure if it's discontinued. Maybe my buddy just can't afford to replace it - he did say it was a pretty expensive strainer piece.
 
Maybe I quoted that wrong. I'm not sure if it's discontinued. Maybe my buddy just can't afford to replace it - he did say it was a pretty expensive strainer piece.

I believe all of the Yamaha signature snares have been discontinued for some time now.

That's unfortunate because they had some pretty cool snares; Dave Weckl's, Roy Haynes' copper snare, Steve Jordan's old-school thin (3 ply I think) 13x6.5 maple snare, Anton Fig's snare with the wood hoops, etc.
 
I believe all of the Yamaha signature snares have been discontinued for some time now.

That's unfortunate because they had some pretty cool snares; Dave Weckl's, Roy Haynes' copper snare, Steve Jordan's old-school thin (3 ply I think) 13x6.5 maple snare, Anton Fig's snare with the wood hoops, etc.

A little OT, but yeah, they're all discontinued, to coincide with the departure of Sakae and the move to the Chinese factory.
 
I have five Supra's, 5 and 6.5 COB, 5 and 6.5 Ludalloy and a smooth 6.5 Bronze in my collection of fifty plus snares. The Supra's get the most time in the stand. Just something about the sound...
I also have a Stainless Steel 6.5x14 Sensitone and a 5.5x13 Brass Sensitone, which are very nice but I like my Supra's more.
 
Bo, I just went through the same thing..............my 5" supra has been sitting on the shelf for the past year, last week I took it out and man, it's like running into an old friend...........................don't know why I ever put it on the shelf.

I was at a gig yesterday..............I had it and my 6.5 x 14 Black Beauty.................asked the leader which one he preferred and he went with the supra...............maybe it is because that is "The" snare sound most of us grew up with.
 
I listen to all kinds of metal snares, and there are many great sounding drums. Supras keep rising to the top of the heap, along with Acrolites.
 
I listen to all kinds of metal snares, and there are many great sounding drums. Supras keep rising to the top of the heap, along with Acrolites.

I had a black galaxy Acrolite too a few years ago and loved it. But I let it go when I realized that I was getting the Supra sound out of it, and already owned two Supras. Acros are very solid and another highly recommended drum.
 
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