Purchasing Snare! need help and advice!

retardedrummer

New member
Hey there. im thinking of purchasing a snare.
U know if u go to ebay, ppl really selling snares cheap. (even gd looking ones!) lol.

Anyway, can anyone advice me on which brand is prefered although yea the drum skin makes quite alot of diff.
Wood wise im really not sure. other than maple, what else is recommended?

How about brands like
1)PDP by DW(do they really suck as compared to DW?)
2)Mapex
3)Ludwig
4)Gretsch
5)Yamaha
6)DW
7)Pearl

I dont plan to get DW and yamaha cause they are too ex.

Anyone heard of the Pearl firecracker?
Im thinking 14"X5.5"
Or a side snare like 12"... yea. really need some help.
 
Think about what kind of sound are you looking for first. Using some songs with the snare tone that you like is one way of reference, even though most of those recordings are mixed/EQ-ed. From there, you can do some research on what snares are those. If you get the chance to, go around trying different types of snares as well.

Must find the sound that you'd like or you want to go for, before making any purchase. Especially so when you are purchasing online. Or else you might end up buying some snares with the sound that you totally don't dig at all.
 
snares are hard to find but once you find the perfect one with a sound you like, it'll be a keeper. wood-wise definitely go for oak or maple or even steel body - if you like the long sustain. brand-wise, like cymbals, there's no preferred brand to choose from. also skins are more important. i have a stock peavey snare that sounds pretty decent (not amazing, but playable) and all i did was change the batter head. i haven't had the time to change the reso head. but i like the sound so far. i also just bought the pearl firecracker snare a few days ago (they don't have 14" btw, only 10" and 12" - i got the 12" one). it's not the best sounding and it's quite a btich to tune. i'm still experimenting but i believe i can get a good sound out of it, just need time to try it out. so far i'm 40% to what i want. i play funk so i like the dry, tight, and poppy sound. and it's not a shallow snare so it can sound quite big. do read around on snares. they're a good investment because once you get one, most like you won't change it. you might add on like piccolos or secondary snares, but the primary snare should be one that you love. i'd recommend the Lugwig black beauty, though. Carter beauford uses it, and i love his snare sound. :D.
 
hmm thanks for ur input. but the sound i like isnt very rigid. im pretty flexible thats the thing. i play christian rock/rock. no jazz nor blues. so does that help?
But does brand affect the snare? like the quality control or something?
 
What are you looking for in a snare? From the stuff you play, I would say a fat backbeat, slightly dark, warm and being able to project?

Perhaps you could point us to a couple of drummers whose snares you dig, so at least we have a better idea what you're looking for?

You seem pretty sure that it's gonna be a wood snare. Why not metal? Hammered bronze or brass would be lovely.

You've gotta make up your mind and decide on what you need, not want. This, or this, or that. It would only make things harder for you. Get what you need first, then start building up your arsenal of snares. Like how you started upgrading your cymbals.
 
What are you looking for in a snare? From the stuff you play, I would say a fat backbeat, slightly dark, warm and being able to project?

Perhaps you could point us to a couple of drummers whose snares you dig, so at least we have a better idea what you're looking for?

You seem pretty sure that it's gonna be a wood snare. Why not metal? Hammered bronze or brass would be lovely.

You've gotta make up your mind and decide on what you need, not want. This, or this, or that. It would only make things harder for you. Get what you need first, then start building up your arsenal of snares. Like how you started upgrading your cymbals.

Hmm. i dont plan to buy alot of snares. just maximum three. but im keeping it to two. yea.
But right now i have a 14"X5.5"/5" arbiter snare. Think its maple..
And im not feeling my snare... i think tuned too tighlty. tmr i shall try making it less tight. if i dig the sound of my snare, i think ill get a 12" as a side snare. yea. any suggestions?

Anyway good point ill narrow down my options. Here are a few videos that i like the snare.

Video ONE:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l32qz-jeZ1s

Video TWO:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uda_Ve8hKuU&feature=channel

OKaye comparing the first video to the second video, i prefer the sound of the first video.

Video three: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDB8tfbmKjg&feature=channel

Video Four: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI-17Nzln3Y&feature=channel

I prefer Video Three to Video Four. TO me, video three has more funk to it. makes u wanna groove.
I think the yamaha snare is less tight compared to the lugwig.. Excuse me for the terms im using. this is what i feel abt it ah. yea...
From these i hope u can help me figure out the suitable snare?
 
i like the black beauty of the 4 vids honestly. it's got the nicest crack, just perfect and not too much overtones.

i would rate them as video 3, 2, 1, 4. according to order of favoritism.
 
Video three: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDB8tfbmKjg&feature=channel

Video Four: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI-17Nzln3Y&feature=channel

I prefer Video Three to Video Four. TO me, video three has more funk to it. makes u wanna groove.
I think the yamaha snare is less tight compared to the lugwig..

The Ludwig in video 3 sounds lovely!!
It sounds very different from the Yamaha (video 4) because one is a hammered brass while the other is a maple wood snare. I love the sweet resonance of the Ludwig hammered brass snare. Well, that's just my preference though. I love metal snares ever since I bought my Jimmy Chamberlin signature snare lol.

So from the looks of it, you might be leaning more towards hammered brass snares. Be on a lookout for similar ones then :)
 
The Ludwig in video 3 sounds lovely!!
It sounds very different from the Yamaha (video 4) because one is a hammered brass while the other is a maple wood snare. I love the sweet resonance of the Ludwig hammered brass snare. Well, that's just my preference though. I love metal snares ever since I bought my Jimmy Chamberlin signature snare lol.

So from the looks of it, you might be leaning more towards hammered brass snares. Be on a lookout for similar ones then :)

Okaye so i should look out for hammered brass snares? how does it look? metal-ish right? hmm.
Swee lee / yamaha selling those type of snares? How much do they cost? and where can i try out the snares?
 
Okaye so i should look out for hammered brass snares? how does it look? metal-ish right? hmm.
Swee lee / yamaha selling those type of snares? How much do they cost? and where can i try out the snares?

Every brand will have their own type of metal snares. Not all will have hammered brass snares though. Some have steel, others have bronze snares etc. Look around, search on google and stuff. See which one catches your eye (aesthetically) and check out how it sounds on youtube.

The Black Panther hammered brass snare looks really sexy though.
http://www.lamusic.ca/Mapex-p/bpbr465hb.htm
Go to the Mapex website to check out the sound:
http://www.mapexdrums.com/drums/blackpanther/index.html

Personally, I love how that snare sounds in the 'with drumset' clip.

Tama has quite a variety of metal snares as well:
http://www.shopwiki.com/Tama+Power+Metal+Brass+Shell+Snare+Drums

Browse around the net until you spot one that makes you feel like "woohooo! I WANT THIS ONE!". Don't rush into it. Have fun shopping! :D
 
for my part, i'd recommend either Sonor M-classix or Ludwig 400. anywho , both these brands are pretty reputable for their snares and likewise sound really good too but thats just my 2 cents :D happy snare hunting! Oh and the black beauty sounds tasty! that may work for you too?

Cheers!
XX


P.S im not as informative as the guy above me! :( he's goood
 
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