Best all-round lightweight snare

One metal snare i’ve liked in the past was the Rogers COB like the dynasonic or powertone.. sadly I sold my dynasonic.. as it was big and heavy.. but they have a nice shimmery tone to them .. hard to describe but a recognizable sound.
 
moxman said:
Along the lines of 'making drums easier to move'.. what is the best lightweight 14x6.x snare you've come across?
Looking for something for gigging small to large clubs that will cut and project with a lot of body and soul .. and sensitive enough to pick up ghost notes perfectly. Llight enough that it doesn't require a separate trip!
My 2 favorite snares are wood (birch or maple) 14" x 5 1/4 and 14 x 6 1/4" - but both are very heavy!
Not too picky about the depth but it has to be 14".
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I don't know man, I feel like you are hitting the bullseye on the wrong target. If you are worried about trips to the car, I'd look at lightening your hardware, a smaller kick, lighter cases, getting a roller cart, etc. Sacrificing a fantastic snare for just a few pounds doesn't make a lot of sense...to me anyways. I've played a lot of snare drums, and I've never picked on up and thought "Wow, this is really heavy!" or "Wow, this weighs next to nothing!" IMO, as long as you aren't hauling around a bell brass, I really don't think it will matter as much as the other stuff mentioned will.

But then again, I don't know anything.
 
I don't think you can find a better lightweight wood snare than a Sakae Trilogy. Thin plus with re-rings.

Metal, well by default an Acro for weight/cost/sound.
 
Anything aluminium.
I agree with PorkpieGuy.
A Supra weighs about 6 lbs and equivalent size wood snare is about 9 lbs. So you are saving only about 3 lbs on your snare change.
But if you switch from a double braced boom stand to a lighter straight stand you can save at least twice that weight just for one item.
Then consider how many stands you are carrying around and you can quickly discern the metal in your bag is the real problem.
 
PorkPieGuy said:
I've never picked one up and thought "Wow, this is really heavy!"
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I had my first practice with an 80's cover band last night and the guy had a gold Pearl picollo snare. When I picked it up I was shocked at how heavy it was compared to my 6.5" Supra.
 
Rattlin' Bones said:
Question - and I'm not being a jerk - but Ludwig invented the perfect aluminum snare like 50-60 years ago and still makes them, and you can buy them used in mint condition everywhere (or new for a bit $more), so why bother with anything else?
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Because fit & finish. 😉
 
PorkPieGuy said:
I feel like you are hitting the bullseye on the wrong target. If you are worried about trips to the car, I'd look at lightening your hardware, a smaller kick, lighter cases, getting a roller cart, etc
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Yes.. I agree 100%. I’ve re-considered. The snare isin’t such a big deal compared to the hardware. I think I was suffering from gear-acquiring-syndrome.. ‘if only I had this shiny new thing, life would be so much better!’. A cold shower and i think I’m better now!
 
Mr Farkle said:
... and strainer, if we're talking older Acro's.
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Mine is a 1967 with 0 zero nada issues with strainer. I bought a 1967 because my first snare when I was a kid was a new Acro back in 1967. And I never had an issue with that strainer, either. Mechanics have sure improved on strainers, but my old Acro strainer is 100% functional I sometimes use it at gigs no issues. It has original wires and original reso head, too. I think strainer issues on these are exaggerated.

Fit and finish issues? Not that I'm aware
 
Rattlin' Bones said:
Mine is a 1967 with 0 zero nada issues with strainer. I bought a 1967 because my first snare when I was a kid was a new Acro back in 1967. And I never had an issue with that strainer, either. Mechanics have sure improved on strainers, but my old Acro strainer is 100% functional I sometimes use it at gigs no issues. It has original wires and original reso head, too. I think strainer issues on these are exaggerated.

Fit and finish issues? Not that I'm aware
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My '78 Acro hasn't had any strainer problems, although I don't constantly turn it on and off every time I use it. Everything else on the drum works perfectly fine. I'm at the point where I use the Acro for most gigs, even though I have a gorgeous $1200 Sonor Designer Maple Light Snare (which I bought for way less 8 years ago used). The Sonor doesn't quite deliver the sound I need for most gigs like the Acro does. Plus the Acro is very light weight in comparison.
 
moxman said:
Yes.. I agree 100%. I’ve re-considered. The snare isin’t such a big deal compared to the hardware. I think I was suffering from gear-acquiring-syndrome.. ‘if only I had this shiny new thing, life would be so much better!’. A cold shower and i think I’m better now!
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Well, in case you are interested in decreasing weight, I'm going to write a review of the Gibraltar flat-base hardware after I gig with it a few times. I need to try some real-world testing, but I played them for the first time last night, and I'm really impressed so far.
 
Rattlin' Bones said:
Mine is a 1967 with 0 zero nada issues with strainer. I bought a 1967 because my first snare when I was a kid was a new Acro back in 1967. And I never had an issue with that strainer, either. Mechanics have sure improved on strainers, but my old Acro strainer is 100% functional I sometimes use it at gigs no issues. It has original wires and original reso head, too. I think strainer issues on these are exaggerated.

Fit and finish issues? Not that I'm aware
Click to expand...
The strainer on my 80’s version won’t engage at a higher tension unless I lift it from the bottom. The linkage is loose and binds up at the midway point. I rarely turn off the snares so not a big issue for me. Maybe someone knows of a fix for that issue?
 
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