My review!
When I received my Guru In-Tense 7x14" English Ash & Ovangkol snare last week, I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into it!
First order of business was to set it up like my other snares in order to make a fair comparison. I decided to keep the wood hoops in order to retain the drum's identity, but I put my favorite SuperTough on the batter (and it already had my preferred Hazy 300 on the snare side.) Puresounds aren't my wires of choice, but close enough. In changing the batter, I got a nice whiff of English countryside air, sealed inside the vent-less drum when it was manufactured (maybe it was just the clear coat...)
This snare has a lot of presence to go along with the warmth & body due to its wood hoops, meticulously rounded edges, and 2-ply coated batter. Great meat in the middle, and sweet harmonics and airiness approaching the edge of the head. It's a
very expressive snare!
Well, so much for how it sounds
at home, I took it on a gig Thursday night for a real test. Sadly, the Dunnett quick-release butt plate kept releasing, and after 2 songs, I had to grab another snare. Turns out that the thicker hoops caused the strap to pull
outwardly the on the butt, disconnecting it. A quick re-threading of the strap reversed the leverage, and I took it on Friday's gig for a dose blues & rock.
Guru did not disappoint!
There's a nice snap when you catch the rim, balanced with a throaty, warm, beefy, breathy but articulate sound (if it was a cymbal, it might be called
complex.) In short, it's a terrific snare! The cross-stick is nice, although very understated, really more of a modest click than the woody 'clop' you'd think/hope would result from wood hoops. Also, this is not a
loud drum, although it was fine on the gig and I could lay into it a little more without being overpowering, and I didn't feel that it ever choked. I know that metal hoops would add attack (volume) but I think I'll leave it as-is. None of my other snares sound quite like this one, and it's not my intention to force it to be like them. It's already a winner for me, perhaps best suited for medium volume acoustic situations, and the studio would be ideal. But it shouldn't go on an arena tour, that would just be a waste of its talents.
I should add that this is a well-made and lovely drum, and it caught the eye of the other players on both gigs. It's surprisingly light, which no doubt contributes to its ability to breathe so well. It didn't take much of a beating while in Nashville, the head was pretty clean, although the denting on the hoops is quite evident if you feel or inspect the hoop. But that's the nature of the wooden beast, and doesn't really bother me. And no more problems with the butt plate coming off.
I'm glad I got the opportunity to buy this snare, which I might not have done if left to order it on my own. Thank you again Andy, it's really a wonderful drum!
Bermuda