In a band's song, I find it very annoying if the snare rings a lot like on the RHCP album Stadium Arcadium, most Lamb Of God and Dream Theater songs and of course, the infamous St. Anger by Metallica. I also hate cardboard-box snares, like on some early Motorhead songs. My idea of a good snare sound is one that you don't notice, therefore it won't grate or get on your nerves. The best snare sound I've heard recently is on the Iron Maiden album The Number Of The Beast. You?
Umphrey's McGee's album Anchor Drops has some sweet sounding snares. Wide-open tuning on songs like 13 days, walletsworth, robot world
or on their album the Bottom Half the track Great American has a great sounding snare.
My idea of a good snare sound is one that fits the tone of the song it's in. I'm not a fan of the 70's Eagles/Steely Dan cardboard-box tone; it doesn't bug me as much in the snare sound as it does when the toms sound like plastic trash cans played on the bottom... Some of my favorite snare sounds are on "The Reality Of My Surroundings" by Fishbone, "Siamese Dream" by Smashing Pumpkins, any Bonham, Copeland... obviously I don't care about whether it rings or how much. On Our Lady Peace's first album, there's some VERY ringy snare sounds, but it fits the mood.
I agree with the Bonham remarks above. The official answer being "any snare that John Bonham hit".
Another favorite is Steve Gorman's snare, especially on the live album with Jimmy Page. What a crack! If anyone out there knows what heads, tuning, etc. were done to accomplish this sound, please pass it along.
I believe the "Brown Sound" was a referrence to Eddie Van Halen's guitar tone...not Alex's snare tone. He used to keep his amp and guitar settings a secret.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.