Ask anyone that owns a Black Beauty, the thing about them is that not only are they so versatile, they beat out the specialized drums at their own game.
UNIX......................
he's away for the weekend, at the chicago show...
Oh, thanks for the info! Because I'd heard so much about their customer service, so I knew something was up. That's good. Would you happen to have any info?
http://www.unixdrums.com/pricing.htm - Is it really only $200 for a BUBINGA SNARE?
I'm almost positive it's just for the snare shell, but I don't think it would be much more than $400 for a complete snare with little upgrades.
I would hope so...$400 is a super good deal, considering the Black Beauty is 600!
Where's Zambizzi when you need him?
The prices you are looking at are for the shells. You can get one assembled for well under $400.
There is not really anything special about the SJC, Shine drums out there. They are all keller shells. If want a custom snare head over to Ghostnote.net and get a builder that will work with you. There are lots of guys who build drums far greater then SJC, or Shine that will literally call you up each step of the way to make sure you get the snare of your dreams...
as mentioned earlier most of these guys including Unix are at the Chicago show, so you will need to wait to get a hold of them, but seriously check out the probuilders asylum so of that stuff will blow your mind...http://www.ghostnote.net/vbforum/forumdisplay.php?f=46
Try to find a builder that lives close to you, so you can talk to him in person about what you want. He will be able to guide you in choosing the right options on the snare you want.
Seriously? I'm not disagreeing with you, because you know better than me, but I just find that very hard to believe! I mean, with all those custom companies (Unix, Trick, SJC, Spaun, Battlefield, Pork Pie), you're saying that a Ludwig Black Beauty will be better than all of those?
In layman's terms,
YES.
Remember that you should buy the drum because of the sound alone, not because it's "custom" and you'll feel all giddy about owning something with a custom label thrown onto it.
That would be great, but I feel that might limit my options too much. I don't mind emailing or calling the builder...so far Unix looks very good, but I need to know how much the complete drum costs, not just the shell.
Wow, that's a really good point. I've never heard a Black Beauty in real life, so I'd have to watch videos and take your word for it.
Although then I don't get to feel giddy
well every snare of his will cost different depending on the size, wood type, hardware and finish.
He's going to ask you
-what kind of construction (ply, stave or segment he can make those three kinds)
-what kind of wood (if you want to reduce the cost and still have a great sounding drum, i would suggest choosing between these woods: Birch, Maple, Red Oak, Ash and Honduran Mahogany)
-what size
-what kind of bearing edge (either do a search on the properties of different bearing edges, or tell him the sound you are going for, he will probably suggest a roundover/45 edge)
-what strainer (either nickleworks, trick, or RCK.. do a search on them)
-what kind of snare wires (how many strands, etc...)
-what lugs (single point? tube lugs ? etc..)
-what kind of finish (burst, plain color, stain and either a mat finish or high gloss (high is more expensive than a mat finish)(this is the hard part because he can do anything)
anyways, just a few things you need to think about before ordering. I think these questions are also valid for other companies.
That being said, if you are buying a truly custom snare, then everything I said in my last post is voided. In that case, go ahead and get it. It can't hurt, can it?
(... And having a custom snare made just for you is pretty damn cool...)
Oh man, that's a big list...I don't even know if I could answer all those. That might be one reason why an already "decided" one would be better.
I know I want a 14x6.5", maybe 6" or 7".
The wood, I'm not sure, something that would give a big, full, punchy sound.
Strainer: Trick--I know these are some of the best.
Snare wires: Probably 40 Puresound, although I'm not really sure.
Bearing edge: No idea! Construction: Ditto!
Lugs: I like the look of tube lugs.
Yeah, it would be cool to have a custom snare for me, especially if it costs less, but I'm not really sure.
It turns out my parents said $400 is way too much for a snare (I shouldn't even say 600), so I'll definitely just get it with my own money...so far I have about $200 saved up.
And I'm really curious how much Unix charges for the complete snare and not just the shell--it says it comes with heads, a Trick throwoff, Puresound wires, and everything!
Do you really want a 40 strand snare? You won't get the full snare sound with that many snares. You'll get a snare-y (?) sound. With maybe a 12 or 16 strand you'll get to hear more of the fullness of the drum imo.
Maybe you should buy a snare thats already made and that you can tryout first, then in a couple of years when you've played more snares and really know what you're after you can get a custom snare to your specific needs.
I don't remember how long you've been playing, I think it must be over a year (or 2 ?)now ?
Your taste in sound will probably change in the next few years, maybe drastically, It would be a shame to buy a 400$ custom snare and then not like it anymore and have difficulties reselling it (custom drums have a lower resale value than a "known brand" run of the mill drum.