Yamaha Peter Erskine 14x4 snare

mabhz

Senior Member
Hi all!

I've got my eyes on a good condition Yamaha Snare 14x4 Peter Erskine model.

It's overall in good condition, but some rust is already setting in on the lugs.

What can you guys tell me about this snare? I love Peter's sound on both Time Keeping DVD's, but I was wondering if this particular model got any story of its own, any special "charm". Seems like a collectors item, is it?

I would like to know if the rust would be a major issue, something to discharge the purchase, and also what would be the average price of one of these.

Something between the U$650~850 dollars range would be too much to pay for it?

It's a online purchase, so I can't test or hear it.

Any comments will be appreciated!

Thanks!!

Marcelo
 
I don't know anything about drum pricing in your area. I can tell you that here in the US, I would be very hard pressed to pay that kind of money for a drum who's parts were beginning to rust. Folks are asking a lot of money now for most of the Yamaha signature snares now they are all discontinued. I wouldn't even pay $800 if it was brand new. For me, its still a 6 ply birch shell, no matter how rare. For me to pay $800 for a snare, it would need to be something very special. Something like a custom stave shell in an exotic wood species.

I can't knock the snare because I've never played that model. But the price is a 'no' for me.
 
Thank you very much for your reply!

Prices here in my country are not good for comparative purposes, because you have the exchange rate, which is high now, and the import tax, which is 60%+40% (YES, it doubles the price!).

The main issue to me is that I have always LOVED small piccolo snares, and they are rarely sold here, except for very cheap models, like Pearl Firecracker, and that I always loved Peter Erskine snare sound, even today, with his piccolo DW snare.

You see, I like a very high and dry snare sound, almost without any harmonic, and I think I can get that with the model in question. My other favorite choice would be David Garibaldi's piccolo metal snare, but I believe that being a metal one, it must "rings" a lot more and would give me tons of harmonic. I don't like deep fat backbeat snare sounds, I prefer a high cracking staccato one, like a razor blade slap in the face! Laughs.

My biggest concern now is the rust....

You mention the 6ply she'll. you consider it a low quality snare then?? I thought that being a special model, it would have top quality!!!

But I can't think of any similar good quality picollo snare avalianle today for a lower price, is it?
 
I prefaced my comments by saying that I don't know about drum pricing in your area, so that effects any advice I can give you. If prices are double what they are in the US, then I suppose $650-$850 could be a reasonable price for the Erskine.

My point about the drum, is not that I feel it is low quality. I'm a Yamaha Guy (been playing Recording Customs since 1982) and the Yamaha signature snares are generally very nice. My point was if you ask me to compare the price here in the US, the $800 range would be too high for me. I realize that it has a sophisticated snare mechanism, but the shell is still a ply shell. Not that that is a bad thing, its just I wouldn't pay $800 for a snare with a ply shell in general. For me, if I was going to buy an $800 snare here in the US, it would have to be something other than a ply shell. I referenced a stave shell snare in an exotic wood. A stave shell is built from solid pieces of wood and has much less glue and much less pressure pressure applied to it than a ply shell. So, for example, that's the kind of thing I'd be looking for if I was going to spend $800 on a snare.

I have bought many ply snares. I own 5 of them right now, but they were all $100 to $375, and they are all very nice: Yamaha Recording Custom, (2) DW's, Mapex Black Panther Walnut and Yamaha Musashi Oak.
 
I don't like rusty gear. It tells me it was either manufactured poorly, or was taken care of poorly.
Either way, it's a PITA, unless you've already got replacement parts for it.
Even at double the price, you're looking at 325-425 (USD).

If this link works for you, here's 3 that have sold recently: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...ne+yamaha+snare&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc
I wouldn't get it. But then again, I'm in an area where there's lots of other good stuff to pick from.

One other thing - metal snares don't necessarily have more ring than wood snares. And lots of things can affect the amount of ring that you do get out of any particular snare.
I've found that metal snares do have more of a 'crack' sound though.
 
Without seeing pictures of the drum in question it's kind of hard to give advice... I will say this...this particular Peter Erskine signature snare was the first signature snare that Yamaha produced, there were 700 of these snares made and the date range for production was the late 80's to early 90's...
 
Thanks for all the comments!!

Wildbill, I could not get the link you posted to show the 3 sold on eBay, only got in displayed currently on auction.
 
Ya - might be US only. It showed (Peter Erskine):

Yamaha Peter Erskine Limited Edition 4x12 Maple Snare Drum - sold for $251.50

Yamaha MSD-10PE Peter Erskine Signature Model 4 x 10 Japan - sold for $199.99
and
Yamaha Peter Erskine Signature 10"X4"Maple Snare Drum - sold for $310

Not exactly what you're looking at, but that's all that shows up on the ebay sold list around here.
 
A drum that sounds like what you describe and can be had for less is the Pearl Free Floating 3.5 x 14 snare with a maple shell. I owned the brass model at one point. It was a fine drum was the best sounding piccolo I have played. I liked the fact that it was 14" and not 13" as most piccolos are. It was more versatile because of that. I sold it because I just didn't have gigs where that sound was needed. If I played in a Tower of Power type band it would have been perfect.

Here's one

You may be able to find these in better shape and at a lower cost.

HTH

Jim
 
Ya - might be US only. It showed (Peter Erskine):

Yamaha Peter Erskine Limited Edition 4x12 Maple Snare Drum - sold for $251.50

Yamaha MSD-10PE Peter Erskine Signature Model 4 x 10 Japan - sold for $199.99
and
Yamaha Peter Erskine Signature 10"X4"Maple Snare Drum - sold for $310

Not exactly what you're looking at, but that's all that shows up on the ebay sold list around here.

Hey wildbill...those two signature snares are later Peter Erskine signature "side" snares ...great snares nonetheless, but different than the one the OP is asking about....the main difference other than size is the two you mentioned are maple, whereas the earlier 14" snare is birch...BTW, I've owned all three and still own the 10" & 12"...
 
I knew they weren't the same as what he was looking at, but wasn't sure of the difference.
They don't have any sold listings of that exact one.
Thanks for clearing that up.

.
 
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Will keep an eye on that one for mabhz. I don't think he can see the links where he's at.

It's a 1989 drum, up for $745, currently with 6 days 14 hours to go. No bids yet.

Very nice looking drum.
 
ShedboyXX brought up a good choice. You see the Pearl Free floaters on Fleabay all of the time. They're great drums and you can switch out the shells if you want a different sound. I've got a free floater frame and several shells and it's great having the versatility. The fact that they're common helps hold the price down. The Pearl "J. R. Robinson" snare is another good one to consider. It's 4 x 14" snare with die cast hoops. Those things sound geat!
 
I second this. I have a brass 3½" Free floater and I use it a lot. Surprisingly versatile, clean and crisp. Great sounding drum. It even sounds good tuned low. Not just for funk!
 
Marcello,
I have this Erskine 4x14 Birch snare. It is a great and very versatile drum, I am a huge fan of 4" snares! I think Peter is still using a 4" drum, and I've seen many other top jazz and rock guys using 4" drums as well. So that also tells me (confirms) it's a pretty versatile size. Back in the day 4" drums were used a great deal in LA studios as well.

However, I'll mention a few things. The original lugs on these drums was one of the most stupid design of lugs that I have ever seen. The were single point machined brass lugs, that when tensioned (from the tension rod holding the rim and head) would pull away from the shell (just a HORRIBLE design!) They seemed to be unfinished, so I am not surprised they would be susceptible to some rust.

These HORRIBLE lugs were later redesigned to the gold single point lugs with a little pin that held the lug in place, as seen on the older Maple Custom drums, and other drums that Yamaha made around that time. But I don't think they were ever used on the Erskine drums.

As soon as I got this drum, Yamaha replaced the lugs for me (at the time they had small chrome two sided lugs that were used on other drums that fit the hole spacing perfectly.) Yamaha was great with the replacements, but note this was close to 20+ years ago.

So with all of that being said, this is a very cool drum. The strainer is a parallel type that has a cool adjustment where you can adjust some cams to adjust the snare angle. However, if anything on the strainer broke, I doubt any parts would be available as a replacement. I don't think Yamaha ever used this strainer on another drum. The strainer is bulky, so a good fitting case is a bit of an issue, but is possible. All that being said, I like the strainer a lot, and have never had problems with it.

The aluminum die cast rims help with cross sticks and rim shots. I think the edges are a little more rounded than other Yamaha snares (made at the time) and those rounded edges also help with the fatness of this drum when it's tuned down. And by the way, the drum sounds fantastic tuned down, or up. I love birch much more than maple, so it isn't a wonder that I dig this drum.

This is the only "signature" drum I own, and personally I could care less about "signature" drums. I can't speak to the cost (because that's your decision,) the availability, the "possible" collectors worth, the increased price (all due to the recent changes at Yamaha.) But from a snare drum junkie (currently about 30 on the SD shelf,) I really dig this drum, and use it often.

Hope that helped, any questions, feel free to PM me!
Good luck,
MSG
 
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