So what is it with the cheaper snare drums?

Fluffster said:
i have the stock snare that came with my very cheap kit and it sounds just fine.... as long as i dont know what im missing the temptation of upgrading to another snare wont bother me. and il have more money for better and more important things. like alcohol.
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"Don't Never" forget.... at one time "drums" were not "for the wealthy"
To go "back to that time" I know is next to impossible but here's a few ways

Slingerland, Rogers, Ludwig, Gretsch , Premier and Sonor. Stop there. Turn the clock back to 1965-1970.

Pick within those parameters (Brand and Time period) and you'll likely end up with a Brass snare for around $200
and/or a Set for $800-$1000

You have to ignore (temporarily) all that's new and look back to that time period and search
 
I'm generally not a fan of steel snare drums either, and for what they do offer, my Tama Mastercraft from 1980-ish that I posted here checks all the boxes, so I've sold all my others. That said, although none were of the expensive variety, the previous ones all served me well- wide and versatile tuning range, stayed in tune, and gave me no issues- early 90s Pearl Export 6.5x14 (with a Tama Rockstar throw on it, that did eventually get wonky), Yamaha SD-246 (same size)- the one with "STEEL" on the badge, and even the Tama Stagestar (1st gen, nearly 20 years ago) 5x13 with 6 lugs. They all functioned and sounded as pro as more expensive drums. The only one that never sounded good enough to be versatile was the Tama Rockstar 6.5x14 that I mentioned recently elsewhere here on DW, that always had the Van Halen "I'll Wait" tone (which I liked, but made the drum a 1-trick pony), but it never made me struggle. In my band's current rehearsal space (garage), I'm currently using a refurbished (by me) generic 6-lug steel stencil drum, because, garage :LOL:, and I even got that to tune up to a medium-high tension, and it's holding (maybe due to the increased tension required per lug to get it there, and I did replace all the rusty swivel nuts).

All that said, I'm sure there are some cheapo drums out there with chintzed-out specs that aren't any good except as beginners' targets. Obviously I can't speak on others' experiences.
 
I have Two Steel snares: a 1984 Tama Imperialstar Powerline and a brand new Supralite. Both 6.5 x 14. They are both fantastic snares, but do sound different. the Imperialstar has massive amounts of Overtone , but i know how to tune it so the overtones are smooth, not warbled. Rather than try to crush it with muffling, i use it as a Timbale and it is great that way.The Supralite is drier than the Imperialstar so i use it for a variety of sounds. It's more versatile, and has a thinner Shell so i can Tune it Higher if i want or Medium. I don't like it at a low Tuning.
 
Fluffster said:
i have the stock snare that came with my very cheap kit and it sounds just fine.... as long as i dont know what im missing the temptation of upgrading to another snare wont bother me. and il have more money for better and more important things. like alcohol.
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True that . My Maple Superstar classic Snare sounds great, especially at High Tunings. 5 x 14 size.Good Evans heads, Puresound wires and knowing how to tune can make almost any Drum sound good. I have a crummy Mapex Maple snare that i had to replace the Hoops on as well but the shell is great and it sounds really good now. I paid $125 for it like 5 years ago. I spent an extra $100 on it and now it sounds like a great snare.
 
tris66 said:
My point was to refute the 'cheap=bad" supposition. If you want to argue studio tricks I can make an equal argument that all snares are junk because they get samples stacked over them on a daily basis. I don't care what the studio players carry around. My point again is the difference in sound between an inexpensive drum and an expensive drum built from the same materials is smaller than most people might think. If there is any difference.
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Yup! go on Youtube and there are some Blind comparisons between $1500 snares and $100 Snares and PROS cant tell which is which
 
Chris Whitten said:
Most cheap snares are made of steel or some other very cheap alloy. I have never liked that sound. It doesn't matter to me if Ronn Dunnett or Craviotto are selling a $1000 steel snare, I'm not buying it, I'll stick to a material I DO like the sound of.
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Good Point, If you don't like the material you are ever going to like the sound at all, no matter what it cost.
 
jda said:
around 6 years ago I took a small $70 chance on one of these:

reverb.com

Vintage MAPEX Venus Series Steel Snare Drum 14" x 6" | Reverb

This vintage snare drum by Mapex is in very good condition. The Venus Series Steel Snare Drum has a diameter of 14 inches and a depth of 6 inches, making it the perfect addition to any drum set. The drum is made of high-quality steel, ensuring that it produces a crisp and clear sound. Whether you...
reverb.com reverb.com

Tube lugs, 6.5 deep, 8 lugs, Mapex reputation to detail..


Lasted I think 11 minutes with me. A non-musical tone
it didn't possess that "human vocal quality" I look for (need) a better drum seems to have..it was to be polite industrial if that's a musical term at all.

After that not interested- there is an old Script badge Pearl across the street from me in an odds and ends shop. I'm not going to repeat the experience. Crossed off my list- but in drums- you do you- there's no rules until someone expands the rules- and that could be you

syirqznropsj1xkvlxk1.jpg
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I have this exact drum and like it a lot, even used it in the studio on a track and it delivered. I'm scared to throw the snares off due to the chintzy mechanism, but nice little thwack, even if it's made out of old sardine cans by inmates from an asylum.


Dan
 
I liked the way it looked But I was Dreaming; didn't fit my style; glad you have one.
 
I’ve used cheap metal drums that were fine. And encountered some that were not so fine.

Same with more expensive drums.

but an interesting thread.

I wonder if the cheaper drums are builtto the same tolerances as more expensive drums.

A little slop in the diameter, depth, snare beds, etc. could compromise the sound, no?

Or provide some inexplicable magic!
 
Life's too short for crappy snares........

A Pearl Export snare got me through a lot of bar and party gigs in college with liberal amounts of dampening, tape etc. but right now, if that snare was deeper than 6.5" it would serve as a second trash can in my studio next to a Rockstar DX 13" tom (they make great office trash cans).

There is a vast difference between "cheap" and "reasonably priced". While I love my N&C Alloy Classic, on this current album I am working on, the Ludwig Universal Brass has been used on more songs than anything else and that drum is fairly inexpensive and sounds amazing under a mic at multiple tuning ranges. I have 1 gel on it and on a few songs the producer/engineer put next to nothing for EQ on it.

IMHO, it is "possible" to have a cheap metal snare that sounds surprisingly good in multiple tuning ranges but the odds are stacked much more in your favor with a quality drum to perform across the tuning ranges with multiple types of heads......better more consistent metal shell, better hardware quality etc.
 
Reading the posts, I see two situations - gigs and recording sessions. A cheap snare can do gigs but a more expensive snare is better suited for the demands of a recording sessions.

I have a question for those who have have been involved in recording. Is Aluminum the material that can cover almost all situations (gigs and recording sessions)? I recently posted this clip in another thread. Of course this is the personal opinion of two people. I was amazed that how they were both excited and praised the cheap Ludwig Blackrolite LM404 for recording! "You will never ruin a song if you put Acrolite on it"!!

 
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I am one of those drummers with an expensive steel snare. In my opinion it’s sounds great, it inspires me to play and it sounds good in pretty much any context across low-high head tension, wires loose or tight, with or without dampening, through a continuum of dynamics. In contrast most cheap steel snares have just one or maybe two sweet spots. It’s absolutely possible to use a basic drum live or in the studio and get a good sound, but It has no flexibility and often takes work to get there.

In summary a good steel snare saves you time and actually means you stop thinking/ worrying about gear and start thinking music.840E5466-A8D1-4A51-8F4A-A180A324466D.jpeg
 
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I like steel shelled snares. I have owned a few although I do not own one now. Peace and goodwill.
 
striker said:
Reading the posts, I see two situations - gigs and recording sessions. A cheap snare can do gigs but a more expensive snare is better suited for the demands of a recording sessions.

I have a question for those who have have been involved in recording. Is Aluminum the material that can cover almost all situations (gigs and recording sessions)? I recently posted this clip in another thread. Of course this is the personal opinion of two people. I was amazed that how they were both excited and praised the cheap Ludwig Blackrolite LM404 for recording! "You will never ruin a song if you put Acrolite on it"!!

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I honestly prefer brass if I had to choose only one metal snare it would be along the lines of a Black Beauty/Universal Brass. I have the Universal Brass that as I mentioned previously I have been recording with extensively. I also have a brass 1980s Pearl Free Floater that records wonderfully and I have a N&C Alloy that also has a place under a mic.

But in the internet debate question of "if I had to only have one metal snare" it would be a brass Ludwig and for me 14x8".......many will say 6.5" which is another fantastic choice.
 
River19 said:
I honestly prefer brass if I had to choose only one metal snare it would be along the lines of a Black Beauty/Universal Brass. I have the Universal Brass that as I mentioned previously I have been recording with extensively. I also have a brass 1980s Pearl Free Floater that records wonderfully and I have a N&C Alloy that also has a place under a mic.

But in the internet debate question of "if I had to only have one metal snare" it would be a brass Ludwig and for me 14x8".......many will say 6.5" which is another fantastic choice.
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Me, too. I love the sound of brass snares (Black Beauty, Dynasonic, etc.).

I have a 6.5" Steel Pearl Free-floater that cuts through anything, but it isn't harsh. The bandmates can't take it at rehearsal, so I only use it at gigs. Wasn't cheap, though. Would love to get a hold of the brass shell for it.
 
I use wood snares 99% of the time.
There is no 'best' snare drum. There are many snare drums that sound good, are versatile, and are a pleasure to own. Most of those snares are mid-priced. You don't need a $200 snare or a $2000 snare. Look for drums in the middle price range that a lot of other players recommend.
 
As a child growing up in the 90s, every kit (by that I mean every Pearl Export because no other kit existed in schools or rehearsal rooms right until I finished uni in 05) had a crappy metal snare. Only sound they did well was muddy nothingness. They'd choke at the mere hint of high tuning.

Worldmax are the undisputed kings of the budget metal snare (since acros went astronomically expensive.) The Black Hawg Brass punches above its weight big time. As I always say the Black Hawg is the same snare as the Ludwig Universal/Black Magic, Pork Pie Bob but you're not paying extra for a badge.

Don't cheap out on snares whatever they're made from kids!
 
I bought a Ludwig Black Magic 14 x 6,5 a decade ago, a great snare for the money.
I replaced the black hoops and tension rods with chrome ones for looks and it has been my go to snare for (pop/classic rock) gigs.

BTW: isn't the Worldmax version called the Black Dawg? :confused:
 
jda said:
Slingerland, Rogers, Ludwig, Gretsch , Premier and Sonor. Stop there. Turn the clock back to 1965-1970.

Pick within those parameters
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Ok, lemme see here....I'll take 3 ply Slinger-Leedy bass and toms (I always like the Leedy Beavertail), Rogers chrome steel Dyna-Sonic snare drum, Ludwig Jazz Festival snare drum, Gretsch Floating Action bass drum pedal, Super Zyn cymbals from Premier and the internal bass drum muffler seen in the 1966 Sonor drum catalogue.

...that'll work.
 
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