PorkPieGuy
Platinum Member
Maybe it's time for an upgrade? Maybe you should try other material: aluminum, brass....maple? Yes, I'm talking about spending more money than you probably want to spend, but it couldn't hurt to look around at some of the more expensive offerings. I got my hands on that DW Performance snare that was 14x8, steel, and that drum sounded great right out of the box. Of course, at $350, it should sound pretty decent. Pearl's Ian Paice model is a 6.5x14 steel drum too that sounds really good - but at a higher price point. At a certain point I learned that these "starter" snares were just not going to cut it, so I kept myself in the 5x14 Acrolite and above range. I basically eliminated ever being able to blame the gear if anybody didn't like what I was doing
Oh, I play out with a Pearl Master's MCX 14 x 5.5 snare. It sounds fantastic. That Tama Rockstar snare has been sitting on the shelf for years.
Within the next year or so, I plan on getting another Ludwig kit (possibly doing an order), and I'd like to have a Ludwig snare to go with the kit. I may be going for an Heirloom when the time comes. For now, I'm doing pretty good though. Here's a pic of my minimal set-up with my Classic Maples and Pearl snare: