Small collection of Snare drums

Ok, so, thanks to all of your great advices, I have narrowed my search to few Snares, which are the next purchases:
1) Summit Drums 15"X8" solid Walnut, will be used as a Floor Tom as well.
2) Wood Shell, Beech, Sonor Benny Greb.
3) Copper, Tama Star Reserve Hammered Copper.
4) Aluminium: For sure, Dunnet 2N 5.5", maybe Tama Starphonic Aluminium or another Hammered Tama Star Reserve in aluminium, but some of you told me that the difference between the two is not worth the extra cash for the star reserve. Especially that I really like the look and features of the Starphonic.
5) One Cherry or Rosewood, or both, not decided yet.

And one Bronze, between these ones:
BRONZE SNARES CHOICES:
1) DUNNET 2N George Borlai
2) Ludwig Bronze Hammered or not
3) Joyfull Noise Bronze
4) Pearl Phosphore Bronze
5) Indie Bronze

So, question 1:
1) Which one would you choose between these 5 bronze snares and why?

And question 2:
2) Should I must have a Yamaha Snare? Like any of the new Recordings Custom, brass maybe or Birch in 14"X8"?

Let me know
 
Last edited:
Bump, anyone?
 
Full disclosure. I have only played one of the above Bronze snares, so my info will not be worth much to you as I can't compare. ( Ive owned a good many snares and now have 3 metal and 3 wood and now I know what I like) . But to give you some info - here goes . Hopefully others will chime in. I have owned 2 Ludwig Bronze snares. The first a 6.5 x 14 non hammered. Bought it off a drummer friend and just loved it - it had real "meat to the bones" so to speak ( I'm not good at articulating drum sounds) . I don't like snare with too much ring but this just had a nice balance of ring but not too much. It did have a die cat hoops on it which helped I think. I sold it back to my friend as he wanted it back and the friend ship was far more important. However, I immediately found another, a 5 x 14 hammered Bronze. Again, just love it. It just has the same qualities, it has a presence in the music but not too brash. ( we play 50's 60's classic rock in small/medium venues ) It's a keeper. If it got lost tommorrow I would immediately buy another! If you end up with the Ludwig Bronze you will not be dissapointed. Again, apologies as I haven't given you a comparison as such.
 
I don't know dude.

People/Drummers/Marketers/Companies like to put a huge emphasis on drum shell types.

To me it reads like you're over thinking the heck out of this.

Just listen to shell types on YouTube. Buy something made out of that if you like it. Brands mean jack. Don't buy into brands and marketing. Just hear what you like and get it.

Drum manufacturers, drummers, etc love to make drums out to be some mystical craft with voodoo and magic. Phark that... It is a simple formula. Marketing makes this excruciatingly mystical. It grinds my gears the BS.
The pure marketing BS that exist in this instrument astounds me.
 
Last edited:
I don't know dude.

People/Drummers/Marketers/Companies like to put a huge emphasis on drum shell types.

To me it reads like you're over thinking the heck out of this.

Just listen to shell types on YouTube. Buy something made out of that if you like it. Brands mean jack. Don't buy into brands and marketing. Just hear what you like and get it.

Drum manufacturers, drummers, etc love to make drums out to be some mystical craft with voodoo and magic. Phark that... It is a simple formula. Marketing makes this excruciatingly mystical. It grinds my gears the BS.
The pure marketing BS that exist in this instrument astounds me.
Yes, I know, someone told me that in the last time here I think too, the question about the Yamaha was because I was found of a Recording custom sound in the 80's and now, not sure I'm crazy about a birch shell. Ok, snare and drums are not the same it on Bronze, they all seems to be very nice, so, hence the question about which one you prefer. I bought my current snares with my ears first and I really want to continue but for exemple, everyone is telling me to get a Black Beauty but I was never a big fan of it, it sounds good but I have way more whooo factor with the 3 snares I have currently. Anyway, thanks a lot for your input.
 
I decided to use this thread instead of creating a free floating thread. If any of you forum members read this I'm as serious as I've ever been. I just accidentally happened along a Pearl free floating kind of display on youtube and I'm near flabbergasted. I didn't just flip out over ONE..they ALL blew me away to the point where everything I own became junk. I'm still beside myself. These are holy grail drums from the 3.5x14 to the 8. I can't even decide!. The 3.5x14 stainless is beyond words...for ME Pearl just obliterated every snaredrum I've heard in 15 years. I could go on all day. I'm near ecstatic and in unbelief. Holy ****!.And this is without headphones which NEVER happens. Please..someone pour me a shot. Louis Palmer did the review called Pearl free floater snaredrum comparison.
 
Last edited:
I decided to use this thread instead of creating a free floating thread. If any of you forum members read this I'm as serious as I've ever been. I just accidentally happened along a Pearl free floating kind of display on youtube and I'm near flabbergasted. I didn't just flip out over ONE..they ALL blew me away to the point where everything I own became junk. I'm still beside myself. These are holy grail drums from the 3.5x14 to the 8. I can't even decide!. The 3.5x14 stainless is beyond words...for ME Pearl just obliterated every snaredrum I've heard in 15 years. I could go on all day. I'm near ecstatic and in unbelief. Holy ****!.And this is without headphones which NEVER happens. Please..someone pour me a shot. Louis Palmer did the review called Pearl free floater snaredrum comparison.
unlimited shell choices too like cast bell bronze maybe, damnit i might just do it.
 
I have a 6.5” Pearl Phosphor Bronze Sensitone.
I love the look of the arch lugs (ARL), the throw is the SR-150 which is a Gladlock style throw as opposed to the SR-017 side throws.

They are very warm and fundamentally low in pitch, almost bellowing.
I keep it at medium low tuning, it can crank as well, but I have shells that sonically sound better at higher tuning.


While I love it, it has a place in my collection, it’s not one of my favorites for sound it looks killer though!

I decided to use this thread instead of creating a free floating thread. If any of you forum members read this I'm as serious as I've ever been. I just accidentally happened along a Pearl free floating kind of display on youtube and I'm near flabbergasted. I didn't just flip out over ONE..they ALL blew me away to the point where everything I own became junk. I'm still beside myself. These are holy grail drums from the 3.5x14 to the 8. I can't even decide!. The 3.5x14 stainless is beyond words...for ME Pearl just obliterated every snaredrum I've heard in 15 years. I could go on all day. I'm near ecstatic and in unbelief. Holy ****!.And this is without headphones which NEVER happens. Please..someone pour me a shot. Louis Palmer did the review called Pearl free floater snaredrum comparison.
You got that right!

I love my free floating system.
I have the 6.5” version of a Pearl brass and a red Crystal Beat acrylic shell.

The brass I have it cranked high, and there are hardly any overtones, sounds like a marching snare.

As far as eliminating the overtones, this system by way of parallel strainer and the free floating lugs, dry out my brass shell in a way that makes it very crisp and articulate.
 
Ok, so, just received the pictures of the Inde drums that I bought yesterday. I always wanted a Cherry shell, well, not always but it was one of the choice I made for wood Shell. I have ordered also from Summit drums a 15"X8" Walnut snare that will also be used as a 15" Floor Tom, like the Tama Star Reserve 15"X8". So, as Summit was making nice Cherry shell, I was thinking to buy a second from him but I was disappointed to realized that Inde drums not selling his lugs, he was keeping them for his snare. So, when I learnt that this one was made by Summit for Inde for the Chicago Drum Show, I Jumped on it.
I now have, Plain Maple, Solid Sendan, both Tama Star Reserve, Walnut in the making, Cherry shell, and the next one will be the Benny Greg Beech and done for wood Shell.
thumbnail.jpegthumbnail (1).jpegthumbnail (2).jpegthumbnail (3).jpeg
 
Ok, so, not here yet but, while I was looking online for a Starphonic Aluminium, on the good advices from CBPhoto, I found one in Mappa Burl and learnt that it was coming from European Poplar. Ok, in fact, it's a 6 Ply Maple and one ply Mappa Burl. I hesitated a bit but A you had told me that two same wood or metal could really sound different, and because they were an offer on it and last time, I had missed a good one on a Joyful noise, finally, I jump on it after spending one hour listening to files on line.
So, it has been shipped, here is the pictures that were on eBay:
s-l1600.jpgs-l1600 (1).jpgs-l1600 (2).jpgs-l1600 (3).jpgs-l1600 (4).jpgs-l1600 (5).jpgs-l1600 (6).jpg

s-l1600 (7).jpgs-l1600 (8).jpg
s-l1600 (10).jpgI would have never realized how nice and warm and orangey Mappa Burl could be and I think this one has a great contrast compared to some I have seen online.
So, NOW FINALLY, I will be following cbphoto's advices which is to: BUY A 6 SPOTS Snare RACK !!! Or you will be drowning into the rabbit hole with buying too many Snares.
Well, I'm glad I have some that are 5" and 5.75" so, I could put 4 maybe on each and I have already 4 Snares on the kit, so, even if I had said in starting this thread that I will be good with 6 Max, I'm already at 6 wood!!!
1) Tama Star Reserve Plain Maple 14X5"
2) Tama Star Reserve Solid Sendan 14x6.5"
3) INDé Drums/ Summit Shell, Cherry Wood, 14X6.5"
4) Summit Drums Walnut 15X8" (modeled on the Tama Star Reserve 15X8 that CBPhoto had had some time ago)
5) Tama Starphonic Maple Mappa Burl 14X6"
6) Sonor Benny Greb Signature 2.0 Beech 13X5.75" (Ordered, Layaway, not fully paid yet)

And 2 metal only:
1) Tama, old one, chrome on Steel 14X6.5" but wrapped with the same wrap as the Tama 1973 kit, basic sound, quite dull with the wrap.
2) Sonor Benny Greb Signature 2.0 Brass.
Then, one Copper, one aluminium, one Bronze and maybe a second brass or Alu and I will be good!!!
 
Last edited:
And that’s a small collection of snares. Here I am thinking I’m going to stick with the one I have and forget about any others ;)
 
Nice! Don't worry, you can fit 8 snares on those racks. So buy more! :D

View attachment 120618
Well, great news, if I leave 4 snare on the kit, the 15" snare being a Floor Tom as well, I could have 12 in total!!?? So, I'm planning my 6th snare with the Benny Greg Beech, I won't consider the basic Tama Steel that I have e a snare I would like to keep so, as I will have 2 metal, the Berny Greg Brass and the Dunnet Aluminium, I could have 4 more metal, one Copper, One Bronze and maybe another ??? Well, I will have to check who is filling this awesome rack and with what then!!...
 
I had to remove all the cymbals and snares on the kit to put a step ladder and hang on the ceiling the cloud I had bought from Primacoustic. And I realized that I had never taken a picture of the 3 snares, so, bad photo with a basic tablet but at least, you know where some are on the kit.
And the Summit drums 15X8" will go on the right, between the 13" rack Tom and the 16" floor Tom.
IMG_20220705_180355.jpg
 
Ok, so, the Summit Drum 15"X8" came today, I still have to pick up the Mapex Black Panther 30Th anniversary Walnut and I will be close to my 10 snares, a little bit more effort for the 15 pieces:

So, in Bold and underline, the snares I already have, both in wood and in metal. I still think I'm more a wood guy but I came to really appreciate good metal snares like the Dunnet and the Sonor.

And in "Italics", the Snare I have planned to buy which could change as well as I had not planned to buy a Mapex but I looked at them and discovered that Mapex could do very nice snares. I might buy the Shadow as it's a Birch/Wanut with a super nice Rosewood Veener and it made the list only a few days ago, I have no Birch same and the Veener on this snare is beautiful.

IX) SNARES
Wood Snares
1) Snare Tama Star Reserve Solid Maple 14" X 5" MAPLE (Wood 1)
2) Snare Tama Star Reserve Solid Sendan 14" X 6.5"
SENDAN (Mahogany Family, Wood 2)
3) Snare INDé Drums Single Ply Cherry 14" X 6.5" CHERRY (Wood 3)
4) Snare Tama Starphonic Maple Mappa Burl 14" X 6" MAPLE (Wood 4)
5) Snare Summit Drums Single Ply Walnut, 15" X 8", WALNUT (Wood 5)

6) Snare Mapex Black Panther 30th Anniversary 14" X 6.5" WALNUT (Wood 6)
7) Snare Mapex Black Panther Shadow 14" X 6.5", BIRCH / WALNUT /ROSEWOOD (Wood 7)

8) Snare Sonor Benny Greb Signature Beech 13" X 5.75", BEECH (Wood 8), YES, fore Sure!
9) Snare Summit Drums Single Ply 14" X 6.25", Purpleheart (Wood 9), YES for sure


Metal Snares
10) Snare Tama Chrome Over Steel, 14" X 6", STEEL (Metal 1, but wrapped and very basic sound, I might not counted it as one piece in the collection and steel is really too pingy for me)
11) Snare Sonor Benny Greb Signature V2 13" X 5.75" BRASS (Metal 2)
12) Snare Dunnet 2N Aluminium 14" X 6.5", ALUMINIUM (Metal 3)

13) Snare Tama Copper hammered 14" X 6.5", COPPER (Metal 4) YES, for sure
14 Snare Pearl Sensitone Phosphor Bronze, 5.5 or 6.5 BRONZE (Metal 5)
15) Snare Tama Brass Hammered 14" X 5.5" BRASS (Metal 6)

Total, 15 Snares in Fine

6 Metal: 1 Chrome Over Steel, 1 Brass, 1 Aluminium,
1 Copper, 1 Hammered Brass and 1 Bronze.
As of today: 3 Metal

9 Wood: 1 Maple Single Ply, 1 Sendan (Mahogany same Family) Single Ply, 1 Maple Mappa Burl, 1 Cherry Single Ply, 1 Walnut Single Ply, 1 Walnut multi-Ply, 1 Birch/Walnut/Rosewood,
1 Beech Multi-Ply and 1 Purpleheart.
As of today: 7 Wood

TOTAL as of today: 9 SNARES


Snares to come:
2 Wood: Beech Benny Greb & Summit Purpleheart
3 Metal: Copper Tama Star Reserve Hammered, Brass Tama Star Reserve Hammered & Pearl Bronze.

So, total would be 9 Wood, 6 Metal. Maybe one more Aluminium (Tama Starphonic), one more copper (Tama Starphonic) and one more Wood (Rosewood N&C).
 
Last edited:
And the Summit Snare pictures, before the shipping and in my garden today:
IMG_4270.JPGIMG_4271.JPGIMG_4272.JPGIMG_4273.JPGIMG_4274.JPGIMG_4275.JPGIMG_4276.JPGIMG_4277.JPGIMG_4278.JPGIMG_4279.JPG
 
IMG_4282.JPGIMG_4392.JPGIMG_4393.JPGIMG_4394.JPGIMG_4395.JPG
 
So, for wood, I have:
1) Maple, Tama Star Reserve 5.0. Will stay with me for sure.
2) Mahogany, I have Tama Star Reverse Sendan (Mahogany Family), same, so nice.
3) For Bubinga, I will have the Tama Star reserve 15X8 because it will be used as a second Floor Tom (I have only a 16. but I think a 14¨will be too close to my 13¨. It's my next Purchase.

So, Question 1:
What kind of other tone I should get to have a decent collection of different Wood Snares? Rosewood? Cherry? Oak? Even a pure Bubinga like the Tama Star Bubinga? Or am I good with Wood and should focus on Metal? For your info, I like warm tone and I think I`m more a wood guy than metal one but I have no Metal snare so, cannot compare that much.
You should probably consider Walnut or Cherry, which would give you something between your Maple and your Mahogany on the scale of warmth. You could also explore other exotic tonewoods -- Wenge, Padauk, Rosewood, Canarywood, etc., but most of them are going to be less warm.

You might also want to think about one or two solid-shell drums (stave or steambent) which are very different from the acoustic qualities of plywood shells. Tons more wood tone and character.

EDIT -- Oops, wasn't following the dates of posts. Looks like you have the walnut thing covered. :)
 
OK so, as covered in my previous post about Mapex Snares, I just found some great ones, one is Mapex 30th anniversary Walnut 14X6.5, 8.1 mm, 8 ply and one is Mapex Shadow, Birch/Walnut/Outer ply Rosewood veneer, same size, 14X6.5", 6.85 mm, 7 ply with the outer ply.
They are awesome, the Walnut was super easy to tune, I had to fight a bit more the seating of the bottom head on the Shadow but they sound super good.
image.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpeg
 
Back
Top