If you can only have one Snare drum….

I’m gonna go with my 1970’s Prem 2000 because for the first decade of playing it was my only snare and I used it to back cabaret artists, a female pop singer, metal bands, a punk band, and numerous hard rock bands… 😀 (y)

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My friend who sold me my kit has several of these, different sizes. He had 75 Snares!!!! And finally decided to sell them, old vintage Rogers too, vintage BB and Supra etc... He started to sell them one years ago to put the cash towards his mortgage...He's at 15 now and might be able to finish at 10 he says... But at an average of 400/500, 60 snares, that was 24.000/30.000 $ in his collection.... And my wife who is telling me that with my 4 snares, I'm crazy to want 2 or 3 more...I had to tell her that CB photo, the guy in drummerworld, told me that "you must have a 6 snares stand rack to know when to stop and that it's a 6 snares Max!!!"
She said: "Jeezzz, if CB photo said that, I'm ok then!!!"
 
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Up until beginning of this year, my only snare was an older Tama Metalworks 14x6.5. In the meantime, I purchased a Tama Starphonic 40th Anniversary Stainless Steel with a 3/5mm cast steel shell and really love it. Given how rare this one is and how good it sounds, I don't think I could ever let it go, it's my main snare now and the old Metalworks is collecting dust as a spare in the shelf.

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I'll let you know, I just ordered this guy from Japan, 6.5x14 Canopus BB....was lucky to find one since I had be searching (now discontinued) and luckily the Canopus shop was refurbishing one so I got one at a great price.

So obviously I could have gone with with a Ludwig black beauty, even as a Ludwig fan a couple of reasons why I didn't. First, eight lugs (chrome plated brass small lugs) and no center bead which I believe lowers the pitch a bit. And I really like the wire strand that they matched it with it which is I think is definitely better than Ludwig's stock so I feel it's a fatter sounds that I'm looking for which the samples were a bit fatter to my ear. They used 70s BBs at their inspiration which from what I'm finding are a bit lower in pitch as well. Plus they have other appointments like their flange height, bolt tight washers and their quality has always been top notch from my experience plus matches my RFMs as a single family.

Or maybe I will hate it and will replace pic with my 'other' #1 at the moment.


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Can now confirm my #1 with the Canopus BB 6.5

Low, wet and warm is what I was looking for and what I got, even cranking keeps a darker fundamental compared black beauties I’m hearing …not doubt the small 8 brass lugs are singing the shell and not choking it higher (and no center bead). Their 30 strand sounds great and I like throw off better than a p88. And the other aforementioned details were, as expected, very nice. Much like other BBs, the snare can do it all and very well. Would love to hear it against an alloy classic, another fav for dark/warm metal.

Here is #1 with #2

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That’s a tough one to decide. I’m selling 2 off, maybe a 3rd, and 3 are coming in. As for keeping just one, it’d be the Tama Simon Phillips 40th Anniversary snare.
 
Sonor Artist Amboina for me, easy choice. I wouldn't buy it for the looks especially, and it is expensive, but man I love the sound and feel of it, and I play almost everything with it.

I bought the Jost Nickel signature model some time ago, and I love it as well, but still I have difficulty to get it out to gigs, rehearsals and all because the Amboina tends to be in its way 😅
 

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Sonor Artist Amboina for me, easy choice. I wouldn't buy it for the looks especially, and it is expensive, but man I love the sound and feel of it, and I play almost everything with it.

I bought the Jost Nickel signature model some time ago, and I love it as well, but still I have difficulty to get it out to gigs, rehearsals and all because the Amboina tends to be in its way 😅
Sounds like the perfect opportunity for a side snare :)
 
I decided to change my response . I still love my N&C Walnut SS snare , but the drum that truly does everything I could want and looks fantastic to boot is my 5” Ludwig engraved Black Besuty with brass hardware . I just used it this past Saturday at a gig and it always amazes me how suitable it is for everything I play .
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For the kit, the newest Colaiuta sig. It has a bit of everything in it and thus will generally work in most situations.

For orchestra, my 5" BB with die cast hoops.

I'll always bring a second option though, because you never really know what works best in certain rooms.
 
For the kit, the newest Colaiuta sig. It has a bit of everything in it and thus will generally work in most situations.

For orchestra, my 5" BB with die cast hoops.

I'll always bring a second option though, because you never really know what works best in certain rooms.
Interesting, I have rarely taken along a backup snare. If my main snare can’t cut it I might be in trouble. But I do enjoy a side snare or two actually but that’s a lot of gear to haul around lol. Do you bring a second snare stand?
 
Interesting, I have rarely taken along a backup snare. If my main snare can’t cut it I might be in trouble. But I do enjoy a side snare or two actually but that’s a lot of gear to haul around lol. Do you bring a second snare stand?

Only if I expect to use both.

It's just been routine to always bring both wood and metal and if I don't know what I'll be doing I'll bring my single ply, as well.
 
Only if I expect to use both.

It's just been routine to always bring both wood and metal and if I don't know what I'll be doing I'll bring my single ply, as well.
Why are you gigging if you don't know what you're doing 🤣:unsure:🙃? Just kidding, I like options as well, but don't usually bring the kitchen sink. haha

So you might bring 3 snares to a gig? What size kit and what type of music?
 
Why are you gigging if you don't know what you're doing 🤣:unsure:🙃? Just kidding, I like options as well, but don't usually bring the kitchen sink. haha

So you might bring 3 snares to a gig? What size kit and what type of music?

It will depend a lot.

I don't play in a band. I'm mostly hired for single events that are rehearsed one or two days before the show. I just try things out.

How the kit looks depends. I don't need a big kit most of the time, but that sort of depends on how many styles are being covered and how I want to sound on them.

I did the whole club thing for years as a guitar player, but I've never done that as a drummer.
 
My 5" x 14", 8-lug Black Beauty with Pearl Fat Tone hoops.
The Fat Tone hoops are 1.6 mm instead of 2.3 but are double flanged. This really opens up the drum and with one moongel right over the Remo logo this thing sings and sits perfectly in the mix. It's also got 30 strand wires so the snare sound is, to my ears, perfect.
 
I can't tell you moons ago how many nights I stayed up half asleep trying to ninja my way through ebay to outbid the rascal on a 6.5x13 edge. Never happened..more than once. I believe everything I've ever heard about those drums.
 

This is one of my builds. This is a birch shell, plenty loud--I honestly thought I'd pick a metal snare for this, but I absolutely love the sound. It was heavily coated with tung oil, and I have to describe it as a woody acrolite sound. I have no muffling on it, perfect amount of res in my ears. I love it. I don't "think" I'm swayed because I built it. But I do enjoy the fact that I built it. :rolleyes: ;)
 
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