The Gretsch Brooklyn Chrome over Steel snare is wonderful. Easy to recommend!

yammyfan

Senior Member
I'm not much of a reviewer so my vocabulary is limited in that regard, but here are a few thoughts on the current model Brooklyn COS snare drum.

For starters, it's HEAVY. I have the 5.5 x 14 inch model and it must weigh close to 15 lbs. That's a good thing. The 2.0 mm steel shell is responsible for most of that weight, naturally. The 302 hoops are lovely and bridge the divide between triple flanged and die-cast hoops, saving a little bit of weight at the same time.

The construction of the drum is top-notch. The lightning throw-off is silky smooth and quite unique looking. I really like how the tension adjustment is part of the butt plate. The chrome plating is first-rate and the center knurl is a nice touch. I dare say it's a classy looking drum.

What really matters is the sound of course, and that's where the snare (pardon the pun) really shines.

I own a few steel snares and none of them have the bark that the Gretsch does. There's a really satisfying heft to the sound of the drum and the overtones it produces are wonderful and quite musical. I have mine tuned high but I'll bet it does low and middle tuning equally well.

The cross stick sound is to die for. That has been the most pleasant surprise so far. It's just a wonderful, cheerful, musical 'clonk' that should cut through live situations nicely.

The supplied heads are first-rate and happily for me, the Remo CS batter head is my go-to for all my snare drums. It's nice not to have to replace anything for once.

The snare wires are pretty standard 20 strand wires. The drum sounds great as is - nice and sensitive and responsive to the touch. I see no reason to change the wires unless you're after a really specific sound. I'm a generalist so they're fine for me.

All in all, it's easy to recommend the Brooklyn steel snare to anyone who's looking for a quality snare that won't break the bank.. The combination of the 2.0 mm shell, 30 degree bearing edges and 302 hoops make it sound sufficiently different enough to set it apart from other steel snares on the market.

Thanks for checking it out!

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I had one of these a while back, super nice snare!
 
Congrats. I've been wanting a Brooklyn snare, just to have the 302 hoops to swap around and see how my other two Gretsch snares sound With them.

The 302 hoops are not much lighter than cast, so partly why your snare is so heavy.
 
I'm not much of a reviewer so my vocabulary is limited in that regard, but here are a few thoughts on the current model Brooklyn COS snare drum.

For starters, it's HEAVY. I have the 5.5 x 14 inch model and it must weigh close to 15 lbs. That's a good thing if you ask me. The 2.0 mm steel shell is responsible for most of that weight, of course. The 302 hoops are lovely and bridge the divide between triple flanged and die-cast hoops nicely, saving a bit of weight at the same time.

The construction of the drum is top-notch. The lightning throw-off is silky smooth and quite unique looking. I really like how the tension adjustment is part of the butt plate, too. The chrome plating is first-rate and the center knurl is a nice touch. I dare say it's a classy looking drum.

What really matters is the sound of course, and that's where the drum (pardon the pun) really shines.

I own a few steel snares and none of them have the bark that the Gretsch does. There's a really satisfying heft to the sound of the drum and the overtones it produces are wonderful and quite musical. I have mine tuned fairly high but I'll bet it does low and middle tuning equally well.

The cross stick sound is to die for. That has been the most pleasant surprise so far. It's just a wonderful, cheerful, musical 'clonk' that should cut through live situations nicely.

The supplied heads are first-rate and happily for me, the Remo CS batter head is my go-to for all my snare drums. It's nice not to have to replace anything, for once.

The snare wires are pretty standard 20 strand wires. The drum sounds great as is - nice and sensitive and responsive to the touch. I see no reason to change the wires unless you're after a really specific sound. I'm a generalist so they're perfectly fine for me.

All in all, it's easy to recommend the Brooklyn steel snare to anyone who's looking for a quality snare that won't break the bank.. The combination of the 2.0 mm shell, 30 degree bearing edges and 302 hoops make it sound sufficiently different as to set it apart from other steel snares on the market.

Thanks for reading!

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It looks perfect with that set up - very sharp.

I was thinking about picking up a 13" to compliment my big ol' bronze USA.

Thanks for the review - everything looks CLEAN bro - you gotta get some sound files of that kit up!
 
All of the Gretsch USA metal snares I’ve played have a real heft to the sound when played center. Like you said, the overtones are musical. I had a Brooklyn Bell Brass that could loosen a guitarists fillings if I wailed on it. But it was also responsive enough for delicate work.

looks like you’ve been bitten by the Gretsch bug! Best not sit down behind any of the USA lines anytime soon. I’m a big Gretsch fan...to me, their drums have a certain mojo and musicality.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys.

I jammed with one of my bands last night and brought the new snare with me. It was predictably, a joy to play. We got pretty loud after a while and the Gretsch had no problem keeping up.

I have definitely been bitten by the Gretsch bug. I'm aiming to buy a new Brooklyn or USA Custom kit some time in the next 18 months. I'm loving the Renowns in the meantime. They're an absolute delight.
 
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I'm not much of a reviewer so my vocabulary is limited in that regard, but here are a few thoughts on the current model Brooklyn COS snare drum.

For starters, it's HEAVY. I have the 5.5 x 14 inch model and it must weigh close to 15 lbs. That's a good thing. The 2.0 mm steel shell is responsible for most of that weight, naturally. The 302 hoops are lovely and bridge the divide between triple flanged and die-cast hoops, saving a little bit of weight at the same time.

The construction of the drum is top-notch. The lightning throw-off is silky smooth and quite unique looking. I really like how the tension adjustment is part of the butt plate. The chrome plating is first-rate and the center knurl is a nice touch. I dare say it's a classy looking drum.

What really matters is the sound of course, and that's where the drum (pardon the pun) really shines.

I own a few steel snares and none of them have the bark that the Gretsch does. There's a really satisfying heft to the sound of the drum and the overtones it produces are wonderful and quite musical. I have mine tuned high but I'll bet it does low and middle tuning equally well.

The cross stick sound is to die for. That has been the most pleasant surprise so far. It's just a wonderful, cheerful, musical 'clonk' that should cut through live situations nicely.

The supplied heads are first-rate and happily for me, the Remo CS batter head is my go-to for all my snare drums. It's nice not to have to replace anything for once.

The snare wires are pretty standard 20 strand wires. The drum sounds great as is - nice and sensitive and responsive to the touch. I see no reason to change the wires unless you're after a really specific sound. I'm a generalist so they're fine for me.

All in all, it's easy to recommend the Brooklyn steel snare to anyone who's looking for a quality snare that won't break the bank.. The combination of the 2.0 mm shell, 30 degree bearing edges and 302 hoops make it sound sufficiently different enough to set it apart from other steel snares on the market.

Thanks for checking it out!
Did you have a chance to compare this snare to the brass Brooklyn snare?
 
Did you have a chance to compare this snare to the brass Brooklyn snare?
The Brooklyn steel was an impulse buy. I bought it without comparing it to anything else. I could tell it was something special when I held it in my hands though.

I have a DW brass snare but it's thinner at 1 mm vs the 2 mm of the Gretsch. The Brooklyn has a more pronounced ring than the DW but it is a gorgeously musical ring. It has to be heard to be believed.
 
I have the 10" version of this as a side snare and it's a firecracker! Got it for a steal at a local drum shop in Salt Lake City and use it more than I ever thought I would.
 
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