Am I a crank for thinking that 10 lug snares have less tension per rod - so will be more prone to detuning than 8 luggers?Cheap snaredrums that caused you to rethink your view on equiptment..vs high dollar drums that made you lose some faith in overly engineered exotic woods and metals.
I think that there can be some real sleepers out there when it comes to cheap snares, and there can be some real duds that cost a small fortune. However, what I have found with the more expensive snares that I own is that they have a lot of range and sound great in just about every room. They also sound great whether you are sitting behind them, out in front listening to them, or from the sound booth EQ'ing them.
I also think it takes a while to figure out what you want as a player. I know what I thought sounded good 25 years ago has definitely changed. Unfortunately, I'm not exactly in love with any cheap equipment, but all of my gear is paid for and insured, and I get to enjoy it pretty frequently. I'm a very blessed man.
Here are my snares I play the most:
Black Beauty - 14 x 8
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Black Beauty 14 x 6.5
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Pork Pie 14 x 6.5 (Walnut and Cherry)
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It’s hard to go wrong with a BB. They’re worth the money.
I remember Gadd talking about doing Aja, he had just gotten a BB, and he ended up hating it and used a Supra. I thought he was crazy at first, but now I get it. The Supra is way more his speed imho.Some pro legends regularly play ordinary drums. Steve Gadd for example.
My thing is dynamic response. Does the drum respond to my hands in a way that represents what i want to hear ?
Agreed.Generally, you only get what you pay for. Robotics and machinery have levelled the playing field a great deal but that only goes so far.
No, it's because it might be 10-20% better and that small percentage advantage is worth it to some people. What I find with the best 'expensive' drums is that they deliver in multiple situations, often difficult situations, whereas a cheap drum might need a perfect situation.For those that buy $1000 snare drums, it's not that it sounds 2x as good as a $500 snare, it's just appreciation for the work that goes into making such an instrument.