I guess I just don't like...

Stroman

Diamond Member
...brass snare drums. Well, not most of them, anyway.

I have a Pork Pie Big Black, which is universally loved as a poor man's Black Beauty. And I can get to sound entirely usable. In fact, I have used it quite a lot. However, I have never loved it like I thought I would.

So, I have been listening to as many brass snares lately as I can, and I find it just isn't my favorite. I guess I prefer aluminum for a metal snare, but mostly I like wood.

Anyone else experience something like this, where you find you just don't enjoy what most other people seem to really like?
 
Are we talking sheet brass? Cast brass would be be a different animal. I played a 6.5x14 Ludwig hammered bronze as my main axe for 14 years. I loved it but a lot of people thought it was harsh at times so I stripped off the lacquer clear coat and buried it in my garden for a year. Mellowed it out a bit. Did the same to my 22" '86 extra heavy Sabian ride and my '86 Sabian flat hats. Personally I like any drum that's pleasing to play and sounds musical. Of course I'm partial to our solid walnut drums.
 
When you can make good snare drums from materials as unrelated as brass, wood and concrete - one might even suspect that whatever it is that makes a snaredrum good - it might not be the material.
(Throws fizzing bomb into saloon and gallops away in a cloud of dust...)
 
Are we talking sheet brass? Cast brass would be be a different animal. I played a 6.5x14 Ludwig hammered bronze as my main axe for 14 years. I loved it but a lot of people thought it was harsh at times so I stripped off the lacquer clear coat and buried it in my garden for a year. Mellowed it out a bit. Did the same to my 22" '86 extra heavy Sabian ride and my '86 Sabian flat hats. Personally I like any drum that's pleasing to play and sounds musical. Of course I'm partial to our solid walnut drums.
Yeah, I guess most of the snares I'm thinking of are sheet brass. Cast drums seem like different animals, for sure.

When you can make good snare drums from materials as unrelated as brass, wood and concrete - one might even suspect that whatever it is that makes a snaredrum good - it might not be the material.
(Throws fizzing bomb into saloon and gallops away in a cloud of dust...)
*Runs over and grabs bomb, yanks out the fuse*

"Come back here, ye rascally varmint!"

Construction is certainly a factor. For example, one old Slingerland COB snare was one of the few I've liked. For whatever reason, it didn't have that characteristic "boink" that I've come to dislike in brass snares. I thought about picking it up, but snoozed and loozed. It certainly wasn't the most expensive drum I've tried, but it sounded solid and round without honk or boink.
 
I don't like Remo PS3s (or the Evans equivalent). I've heard other drummers get good sounds out of them but when I put it on my kick, it's either too low and clicky, or too high and ringy--I can't find the goldilocks tuning. There also seems to be a big volume drop compared to the Remo Emperors I've been putting on it, which is my preference. A felt strip on the batter and ambassador resonant head suffices for muffling, although sometimes I lean a pillow against the batter head for a bit more. I'm thinking of trying out a Remo black dot for a bit more focus though.

Consider me in agreement about brass shells.
 
So, I have been listening to as many brass snares lately as I can, and I find it just isn't my favorite. I guess I prefer aluminum for a metal snare, but mostly I like wood.
I don't think there IS a "one size fits all" snare. Quite the opposite, there are what ..... at least about 1,000 different snare drums available for purchase, and probably 5 times that, if you dive into snares that are no longer in production ???? So .... different strokes for different folks. I'm guessing I'm not a "brass" snare guy either. Had a 14x10 Ludwig Stainless Steel for a couple decades. Now I have a 14x5 Supra and a 14x5 Chad Smith signature, as my two main "metal" snares. And the snare that probably gets the most play time, is my 13x5 Omar Hakim signature, which is Mahogany.
 
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E-drums? I've tried those! I kind of like them as part of a hybrid kit, but don't prefer them as a main kit.
 
...brass snare drums. Well, not most of them, anyway.

I have a Pork Pie Big Black, which is universally loved as a poor man's Black Beauty. And I can get to sound entirely usable. In fact, I have used it quite a lot. However, I have never loved it like I thought I would.

So, I have been listening to as many brass snares lately as I can, and I find it just isn't my favorite. I guess I prefer aluminum for a metal snare, but mostly I like wood.

My favorite snares are my Ludwig BB's, but I can see how they wouldn't be for everyone. I think it's sort of cool when people don't love the same gear that I do! I like hearing what other people like because it helps me to remain open minded. It would be boring if everyone had the same tastes.

Anyone else experience something like this, where you find you just don't enjoy what most other people seem to really like?

Yes, there are TONS of drums, cymbals, etc. s that I don't enjoy that get a lot of love here. I usually keep my thoughts to myself when it comes to certain drums I don't like because people get really defensive really quickly. While there is a lot of gear I may find "meh," the other person may have saved for years in order to buy. I don't want to make anyone feel bad about their drum gear and potential shortcomings. Life is hard, and God forbid me make it harder on someone or give them doubts about their purchases.
 
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Drum wise, not too much I truly dislike except cajons and rods. I flirted with liking rods but I don’t.

I didn't like rods to start, but I have found some uses for them. I actually like the ones with plastic (fiberglass? IDK) rods. The wood ones can sound okay, but they break off too fast for me to love them.
 
Definitely don't like brass snare drums, generally speaking. I'm also not a fan of Yamaha drums (except the Club Customs), Tamas, or Mapex as most of them sound neutral and so similar there isn't even a noticeable difference. I like my drums to have a distinct sound - Ludwig Classic Maples and Gretsch USA Customs don't sound alike, for example.
 
I got my first ever brass snare just a few years ago. It's a Gretsch 14x5 COB G4160. It's my favorite snare and I use it most of the time. I have absolutely zero experience with any other brass snares so I don't know if I would like any others. Never played a BB. So I don't know if the Gretsch sounds different or typical of brass. Anyone know?
 
I got my first ever brass snare just a few years ago. It's a Gretsch 14x5 COB G4160. It's my favorite snare and I use it most of the time. I have absolutely zero experience with any other brass snares so I don't know if I would like any others. Never played a BB. So I don't know if the Gretsch sounds different or typical of brass. Anyone know?
That is one I've never tried! I wonder if it sounds more like the Slingerland? I'm sure thickness, snare beds, edges, and hoops all come into play.
 
...brass snare drums. Well, not most of them, anyway.

I have a Pork Pie Big Black, which is universally loved as a poor man's Black Beauty. And I can get to sound entirely usable. In fact, I have used it quite a lot. However, I have never loved it like I thought I would.

So, I have been listening to as many brass snares lately as I can, and I find it just isn't my favorite. I guess I prefer aluminum for a metal snare, but mostly I like wood.

Anyone else experience something like this, where you find you just don't enjoy what most other people seem to really like?
I've recently just had a major change in taste as far as snare drum metals are concerned.
After overdosing on Brass these past few years (NOB, Bell Brass) I've fallen in love with my Aluminum snares once again.
It's a sweet, crisp yet ballsy sounding drum.
Ludwig 6.5x14 10'lug Acrolite Reissue
DW Thiick Aluminum 6.5x14
DW Thin Aluminum 6.5x14 (2)
As for the magic powder, tried it once, felt wired and weird, and very stale the next day.
 
crashing on rides.. never have. So I buy rides to ride on, and crashes to crash on, and if I need a crash right off of a ride pattern that crash is sitting right next to the ride

I also don't like the crash sound of 99% of the "crash/ride" type cymbals that are out there

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stuffing my bass drum full of pillows, coats, cotton, small woodland creatures....

just gove me a Powerstroke 3 clear and a Ambassador reso with a port and I am good
 
On the drumming side, it would probably be electronic drums for me. I own a set but I can't stand the things. I turn down gigs if they're being used on the backline.

Also - I love a good brass snare - especially a cracking brass piccolo - shallow with some heavy die-cast hoops. *chef's kiss*
 
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