Big Black Brass

drummerjims

Senior Member
So I took my wife out shopping today and convinced her to go to Guitar Center with me. While I was there I saw they had a Ludwig Epic Brick 7x14 snare. I have been wanting a deeper snare but gave it no thought. I left Guitar Center and took her to Old Navy when she looked at me and said "you really want that snare don't you?" I shook my head yes, she gave me the ok, and we went back. I asked the guy if I could try it out I tuned it up played it and hated it. It wasn't my sound so I figured why not try out more snare and compare them While I am here. I tried out quite a few snares in different price ranges and I kept coming back to two of them the Pork Pie Big Black Brass 6.5x14 and the Pork Pie birch mahogany 6.5x14. I'm not sure what it was but these snares beat out some that cost 3 to 4 times the price. So I took these two snares over to a drum set that was tuned terrible and tried them out side by side on two different snare stands. Overall the Big Black Brass won my heart however side by side even being the same dimensions I could run both of these snares on my kit at the same time, they complement each other well.

I plan to give a better review after I get to play it with the kit. I live in an apartment complex so I will either have to wait for my band to practice or for all of the neighbors to be gone at the same time. But I will let you know.

I am incredibly excited about this snare. I never buy anything if I don't like it more than what I have. Heck I have been using the same snare now for 4 years because I can't find anything I like better (5x14 maple CLE Custom). But man to be made in Taiwan these snares are the real deal and at a great price. I was prepared to spend more on other snares but this one fit the bill without break the bank.

Moral of the story. Even if you plan to go to a music store without spending any money plan to spend some because if you have money to spend you will.
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took her to Old Navy when she looked at me and said "you really want that snare don't you?" I shook my head yes, she gave me the ok,

Moral of the story. Even if you plan to go to a music store without spending any money plan to spend some because if you have money to spend you will.

Forget that moral ...Here's the takeaway for me: I'm going to start taking my wife to Old Navy on a regular basis!

That's a beautiful drum! I never liked the idea/look of tube lugs on Ludwigs (preferring the Imperial lugs), but on the BOB they look perfect. I too, won't buy any variant of something I already have that isn't an improvement either for instance, I can't justify buying anything similar to my 1973 LM402 even with the "pitting". Now, a black brass drum with tubes - I'm wanting one. If only I knew it would be as easy as Old Navy shopping with the Mrs....

Looking forward to your review, I like your point of view.
 
Looking forward to the review, The BoB was the first snare I purchased after buying my first kit. It's definitely a great, well, better than great snare especially due to the cost.

Glad you found something you really like.
 
Forget that moral ...Here's the takeaway for me: I'm going to start taking my wife to Old Navy on a regular basis!

That's a beautiful drum! I never liked the idea/look of tube lugs on Ludwigs (preferring the Imperial lugs), but on the BOB they look perfect. I too, won't buy any variant of something I already have that isn't an improvement either for instance, I can't justify buying anything similar to my 1973 LM402 even with the "pitting". Now, a black brass drum with tubes - I'm wanting one. If only I knew it would be as easy as Old Navy shopping with the Mrs....

Looking forward to your review, I like your point of view.

You really don't like the looks of tube lugs on Ludwig snares ? I beg to differ. :)
 

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Ok guys/ladies I haven't got to try my snare behind the kit yet but I have got to play with it on its own. I'm kind of in this weird situation. The stock head which is one of those Taiwan made Remo coated heads sounds great. But I put a Remo Vintage A on and it sounds awful no matter how I tuned the batter or reso. I pride myself in my tuning and this one has me questioning myself.
Obviously it is not a good head choice but my question to all of you who have this snare or play a similar snare (6.5x14 beaded brass) is:

1. what is your head choice? For me it has to be coated to use with brushes and I don't want to use one of the Genera dry heads because my brushes get caught in the holes. I just want to know what works well without using moon gels or anything else. I know it can sound good because the stock head sounds great.

2. does anyone know a head like the Taiwan made Remos maybe a coated Ludwig?

Its not a problem now because I have the stock head but I can see once that head is done for I may be screwed
 
Ok guys/ladies I haven't got to try my snare behind the kit yet but I have got to play with it on its own. I'm kind of in this weird situation. The stock head which is one of those Taiwan made Remo coated heads sounds great. But I put a Remo Vintage A on and it sounds awful no matter how I tuned the batter or reso. I pride myself in my tuning and this one has me questioning myself.
Obviously it is not a good head choice but my question to all of you who have this snare or play a similar snare (6.5x14 beaded brass) is:

1. what is your head choice? For me it has to be coated to use with brushes and I don't want to use one of the Genera dry heads because my brushes get caught in the holes. I just want to know what works well without using moon gels or anything else. I know it can sound good because the stock head sounds great.

2. does anyone know a head like the Taiwan made Remos maybe a coated Ludwig?

Its not a problem now because I have the stock head but I can see once that head is done for I may be screwed

Since I saw your first post in this thread, I decided to revisit BOB, and I was going to write a thread, but then I figured that would be subversive...so anyway here I am to talk about it in your thread.

I still have the stock head on there and it does sound quite good....when I change I'm going to go to my usual of a coated amb over hazy 300....I feel the drum lacks a hint of crispy with the stock head config and I know the coated amb is going to bring that back

I agree the stocker head does feel like a stock ludwig....same one that came on my Acrolite
 
Since I saw your first post in this thread, I decided to revisit BOB, and I was going to write a thread, but then I figured that would be subversive...so anyway here I am to talk about it in your thread.

I still have the stock head on there and it does sound quite good....when I change I'm going to go to my usual of a coated amb over hazy 300....I feel the drum lacks a hint of crispy with the stock head config and I know the coated amb is going to bring that back

I agree the stocker head does feel like a stock ludwig....same one that came on my Acrolite


I think I am going to try a plain coated ambassador on it over the hazy 300. But its Really weird that you say it lacks the crispy because this head is so crispy. And I definitely not calling you a liar. I have had these heads on other drums before and they have ranged from awful to great(this one) you would think they would be a little more uniform but I guess not. But this vintage ambassador I have just sounds boingy. It sounds great on my other snare and my floor tom but just not the BOB. I guess I am going to experiment. I have never owned a metal snare. I have played them and always liked the brass ones but I haven't got to really play around with them.
 
I think I am going to try a plain coated ambassador on it over the hazy 300. But its Really weird that you say it lacks the crispy because this head is so crispy. And I definitely not calling you a liar. I have had these heads on other drums before and they have ranged from awful to great(this one) you would think they would be a little more uniform but I guess not. But this vintage ambassador I have just sounds boingy. It sounds great on my other snare and my floor tom but just not the BOB. I guess I am going to experiment. I have never owned a metal snare. I have played them and always liked the brass ones but I haven't got to really play around with them.

Eh, I don't think you are calling me a liar. No worries!

Well, I really do think the stock setup sounds good. I've been using BOB for the last two days and that is about three hours worth. I took down my Tama Lars and put the BOB up yesterday. I had already replaced the heads on the Lars to the coated amb over hazy 300 and that drum just sings....I went to BOB and it compares very favorably in stock config....the other thing is I don't think I want to try to make all my snares sound the same.

What I hear and feel on the stock bob...and the stock pearl paice...is a thud sort of tone and more dense sort of feel. I postulate that it is because the stock heads may be a bit thicker, but it still,sounds good. I don't mean to intimate that it does not sound good in stock mode.

The other thing on bob is the snare tension....I try to ensure that I am not choking the drum or raising the pitch by having the snares too tight. I also feel that if the snare is a little north of crispy from my vantage point, then as it flies off the kit out front it is going to be just about right.

I would try the coated amb over 300 like were are discussing....get the snare side torqued up pretty good and be a bit festidious on batter side about getting a good equal tension at a mid to just north of mid overtone pitch...

I'd be happy to send some sound files back and forth to see how we compare....but we would really have to set the micing placement parameters. In this case I would suggest a single mic placed just outside the front of the kit about 6' up....not a record recording setup but more a setup to get a feel for the sound of the drum tone in a "natural" setting.
 
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The BOB is a nice sounding snare. Nice pick up!

The coated import heads do seem like Ludwig USA heads, but, the one that came on my Supralite seems a bit thicker than a regular Ludwig Heavy. The snare side head had the crimped hoops too (Remo does offer that too), but the film is like a Hazy Amb, but it was a "Ludwig" head.

The coated import ("Ludwig") batter seems almost as thick as the X14 I put on to try out (again) on another snare (the usual coated top dot is probably going to win though).
The Vintage Ambassador is a 2 ply head (7 & 3), which would make it not seem as crisp. With the Diplomat 7 mil top film with it's shorter sound to begin with, and a 3 mil underside, it doesn't take much slop between plies to deaden it's sound up.
Kinda thuddy, or boingy on some drums, I could see that.
When I tried a Vin A I didn't like it either. Other friends said they sound good after they break in, but who wants to wait for that?
 
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