Mikey Dangerous
Senior Member
Hello all,
Ever since I started recording a new album with my band, I've been contemplating getting a new snare. These are the two snares I currently have:
1) Yamaha 14" X 4" Brass w/ PureSound Equalizer 16's, Coated Emp on batter and clear Amb. snare-side on reso
2) Tama 14" X 6.5" Birdseye Maple (basically an Artstar II snare) w/ PureSound Custom 20's, Coated Emp.X on batter and clear Amb. snare-side on reso
I love them both, especially the Yammie cuz it's tight, punchy, and has a ton of CRACK. Only problem is that it's shallow at only 4" deep and I found it lacked body on the recordings. We play heavy alternative style by the way. The Tama maple has lots of body but it's a bit fatter/wetter than I like and doesn't have the dryness and crack I like in a snare (especially compared to my brass). I tightened the batter head and snares on the Tama maple which did make it a bit drier and tighter and I think that a different batter head (Genera Dry or Powerstroke 3 or something like that) would also help to tighten it's sound because the Emp. X is super thick and has the reverse dot to boot. If so, this will achieve my goals in a snare sound with both body and crack.
I'm debating getting a 14" X 5.5" Birch snare though because I know that birch is naturally tighter sounding than maple. Also, I'm a huge fan of Yamaha Drums and the proud owner of a BCA in Vintage Natural finish. If I did get a snare, my first choice would be the BCA snare so as to get the matching snare for my kit. I was quoted $485 (Canadian $) for this snare and a 3-6 month wait. That was the best price - the next best quote was $599 and the same wait time.
My question is, do you think it's worth it to get the new snare? Even though I may not "need" it, part of me would love to have the matching snare to my kit. Also, I've noticed that most drummers prefer maple over birch in the snare department. While I know its a sound preference, what is it about the sound that drives most drummers to choose maple snares over birch snares? Are there other wood or metal options I should consider? Any snares in particular that stand out to any of you that you'd recommend given my preferences?
I should also mention that trying out the BCA snare prior to making my decision is not an option as I can't find one store that has one in stock.
Thanks in advance friends!!
Ever since I started recording a new album with my band, I've been contemplating getting a new snare. These are the two snares I currently have:
1) Yamaha 14" X 4" Brass w/ PureSound Equalizer 16's, Coated Emp on batter and clear Amb. snare-side on reso
2) Tama 14" X 6.5" Birdseye Maple (basically an Artstar II snare) w/ PureSound Custom 20's, Coated Emp.X on batter and clear Amb. snare-side on reso
I love them both, especially the Yammie cuz it's tight, punchy, and has a ton of CRACK. Only problem is that it's shallow at only 4" deep and I found it lacked body on the recordings. We play heavy alternative style by the way. The Tama maple has lots of body but it's a bit fatter/wetter than I like and doesn't have the dryness and crack I like in a snare (especially compared to my brass). I tightened the batter head and snares on the Tama maple which did make it a bit drier and tighter and I think that a different batter head (Genera Dry or Powerstroke 3 or something like that) would also help to tighten it's sound because the Emp. X is super thick and has the reverse dot to boot. If so, this will achieve my goals in a snare sound with both body and crack.
I'm debating getting a 14" X 5.5" Birch snare though because I know that birch is naturally tighter sounding than maple. Also, I'm a huge fan of Yamaha Drums and the proud owner of a BCA in Vintage Natural finish. If I did get a snare, my first choice would be the BCA snare so as to get the matching snare for my kit. I was quoted $485 (Canadian $) for this snare and a 3-6 month wait. That was the best price - the next best quote was $599 and the same wait time.
My question is, do you think it's worth it to get the new snare? Even though I may not "need" it, part of me would love to have the matching snare to my kit. Also, I've noticed that most drummers prefer maple over birch in the snare department. While I know its a sound preference, what is it about the sound that drives most drummers to choose maple snares over birch snares? Are there other wood or metal options I should consider? Any snares in particular that stand out to any of you that you'd recommend given my preferences?
I should also mention that trying out the BCA snare prior to making my decision is not an option as I can't find one store that has one in stock.
Thanks in advance friends!!