DW True Cast Snare

Pass.of.E.r.a.

Gold Member
Hey guys!

I was browsing on instagram and have seen Dave Elitch advertising the DW True Cast Snare a couple of times now.

To me it looks like it's based off the Ocheltree snares- cast, heavy, deep, bronze- but it's difficult to tell off the few clips I've seen,and I can't seem to find any more information on it. Does anyone know what this thing is all about?

Here's a link to the video:
I wonder how this will be different from the 3mm shells they already offer. I can't see this thing being cheap either.

-Jonathan
 
I think the difference is the new snares are cast (seamless), and the ones DW already made are rolled and welded. I'm guessing the shell specs would be the same as the old ones, but will be more expensive due to the process of casting shells.
Sonically there may a slight difference, but the added cost would be up to the purchaser to decide that.
 
I hadn't heard of these drums. Looks like they've got the cast bronze hoops, too, so I wonder how many tens of thousands of dollars they'll cost, and how they sound tuned lower than Dave's super tight sound here. It's definitely got a lot of potential.

and jeez, could he have hit that first crash any harder?
 
The 3mm shells they have been offering for the past couple of years are cast. I own a few. The brass drums run around $550.00 and the bronze about $820.00 . They also offer cast aluminum for about the same price as the brass, All are great drums and at a very reasonable price for a cast shell.

Recently they came out with a very limited run of cast bronze. Looks like a 5mm shell with machined lugs and hoops. 4 grand for those. LOL. I love DW snares but WTF are they thinking with that one. Possibly they will do a production run. Until then I'll be looking at A&F or VK.
 
I think this is the snare the OP is talking about. Pictured is a 8 inch. A 6.5 will also be offered. Only a dozen of each as I undertand it.
 

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The 3mm shells they have been offering for the past couple of years are cast. I own a few. The brass drums run around $550.00 and the bronze about $820.00 . They also offer cast aluminum for about the same price as the brass, All are great drums and at a very reasonable price for a cast shell.


I thought i read in a thread on here awhile back that they were rolled and not cast, my mistake. So now the difference is they have cast in the name?
 
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I thought i read in a thread on here awhile back that they were rolled and not cast, my mistake. So now the difference is they have cast in the name?

DW was slow updating their web site. I was involved in a discussion on another page about this and about a week later they updated the site,. I have four of the heavy shelled drums and they are cast. I have one of the thin shelled brass drums and it is rolled and welded. I don't think matters one way or the other. DW still shows some of the heavy shells as rolled on their site but the 3mm shells are cast. Of that family of drums the deepest one is 6.5 inches. The deep drum in the OP is an entirely different beast. The reference to" true cast' falls in line with their true hoops, true tone wires and other marketing lingo.

Hope that helps
 
I have a Spaun bell brass snare and a Tama hand hammered copper snare that are both 5.5x14, both have 3mm thick shells, both weigh 20+ pounds, and both are loud. Making the snare deeper doesn't make it louder, but it does change the tone.
Thick metal snares just have a tone that normal snares don't have, and it hard to put in words.
The snare in the video sounded too loud and I don't know if that was the mix, or is that snare just stupid loud.
 
I have a Spaun bell brass snare and a Tama hand hammered copper snare that are both 5.5x14, both have 3mm thick shells, both weigh 20+ pounds, and both are loud. Making the snare deeper doesn't make it louder, but it does change the tone.
Thick metal snares just have a tone that normal snares don't have, and it hard to put in words.
The snare in the video sounded too loud and I don't know if that was the mix, or is that snare just stupid loud.

I’ve got two cast copper snares, both 3 mm. The 6.5 is most definitely “louder” than the 4 inch. Specifically, it has a longer note, which most people perceive as louder, even if it’s not actually louder. But I agree, the shell does have a specific sound quality that other shells don’t. A very present, in-your-face quality, which does work well for some things. Not usually for the church gigs and musical theater stuff I play, unless I’m using brushes, but they really are great for brush work gigs.
 
4k and 5k.

and there is Oriollo, Lignum, Ocheltree and even second hand N&C/Zildjian and Tama.

I would love to own a matching DW model but not for 4k or 5k whilst the others mentioned earlier can be had for half or even less of this price range.
Yeah, Chicago Music Exchange confirmed $3,999
An 80s Tama Bell Brass sounds better than all of them, and can be found for half that!
Yeah, if I were gonna drop a ton on a cast shell, I’d go with a Tama or even Gretsch Phosphor Bronze which is $1,300
 
Bell bronze as a shell material has so many variables that can influence the sound. Starting from the alloy, its composition (amount of copper vs amount of tin), technology of casting (sand casting vs centrifugal casting), amount of porosity (in sand casted shells, mostly), shell thickness (generally, from 3mm to 5mm, and even up to 8mm or more), re-rings, edges, ...
Then, there are many drums marketed as 'bell bronze' while being actually aluminum bronze or brass, even some out of sheet metal, rolled and welded/brazed (!)

Some of my favorites so far:


 
I have no idea what anyone does with a cast shell that deep. There’s got to be an easier way to get that much volume than hauling around something that heavy
My guess is that most DW artists that can afford that monstrosity won't be hauling around their own drums. Haha.

Thanks everyone for chiming in! It'll be interesting to hear a proper demo of the drum to see how it compares to other cast bronze/brass on the market.

That Oriollo Bellmakers sound unreal. I can't believe how affordable that is for that kind of drum too.

-Jonathan
 
Bell bronze as a shell material has so many variables that can influence the sound. Starting from the alloy, its composition (amount of copper vs amount of tin), technology of casting (sand casting vs centrifugal casting), amount of porosity (in sand casted shells, mostly), shell thickness (generally, from 3mm to 5mm, and even up to 8mm or more), re-rings, edges, ...
Then, there are many drums marketed as 'bell bronze' while being actually aluminum bronze or brass, even some out of sheet metal, rolled and welded/brazed (!)

Some of my favorites so far:



Did you guys run out of sticks or something? Maybe if you used sticks that didn't look like they came out of a beaver dam the rim shots would sing out a little stronger, Just saying.....
 
Wow, that 6.5” Oriollo with the bell brass hoops is really something! Add that one to the list of wistful “someday” drums...
 
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