Collecting: Snares vs cymbals

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RTO said:
Hello Gents, Not trying to hijack this thread but using this opportunity and subject to question some of you pros and asking for help on the following:

1) I decided to set a limit to buy/own UP TO 10(ten) snares !

Taking as in consideration that I'll play/use ( maybe 2-3) and collect (a max of 8-7) WHAT snares (brand/model/year) would you consider as a MUST HAVE ? (Vintage or modern - you can mix up)

Thanks in advance for your insight.
Click to expand...
Nice question, but if you want good answers create a new thread around it.
 
mesazoo said:
Hello Gents, Not trying to hijack this thread but using this opportunity and subject to question some of you pros and asking for help on the following:

1) I decided to set a limit to buy/own UP TO 10(ten) snares !

Taking as in consideration that I'll play/use ( maybe 2-3) and collect (a max of 8-7) WHAT snares (brand/model/year) would you consider as a MUST HAVE ? (Vintage or modern - you can mix up)

Thanks in advance for your insight.
Click to expand...
Nice question, but if you want good answers create a new thread around it.
Click to expand...
Advice accepted... thanks!
 
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140 odd snares and probably near 230 cymbals but I would never say I'm a cymbal collector. I collect snare drums.

I like sounds, and occasionally, looks with those sounds. I have sets in regular, brilliant, red, white, black and blue. That was a childhood thing seeing white cymbals on the tv and always wanting some. Now I'm a lot older I can indulge myself. I do about 40 gigs a year, I like to change things about and even on double header weekends I'll swap out the cymbals and snares. I play line sets these days, mostly Paiste, but used mostly my Ks to record my band's latest album. Can't beat how a good cymbal feels to play.
 
One of the Best thread topic/titles ever. Didn't see it first time around. I don't think one should 'collect' either. Know what you like (I know. That takes time.) Then zero in.

Will say 2 to 4 or 5 snare will do.
Cymbals? I need forty to stay on the safe side ; )
(actually just 2 different snares with 2 or 3 back ups)

Why not make it a Poll and start anew
 
I'm at about a 5 to 1 cymbals to snares ratio at present. Never really been a snare accumulator and would "survive" with one or two. Cymbals on the other hand are like spices in the kitchen cabinet to me and I love a variety of cuisines.
 
I've got 7 snares right now. More wouldn't really be justifiable, albeit fun. I've got 20 or so cymbals & am far from wanting to stop.
 
Currently, I'm up to 13 snares. I should probably sell at least one or 2. The others I've just grown entirely too attached to.

Cymbals, I'm at 31. I've been adding/going through a lot during this pandemic. I've acquired 3 snares I've always wanted. One in particular being a 14x6.5 Limited edition Pearl Masterworks Rosewood. I think that would be my one keeper snare of my entire collection.

Cymbals, I've been experimenting on my own kit outside of my Beauford replica. Completely different setup than the replica. Big, dark, washy Cymbals. While I have more extra time, I figured it would be a great time to test. Problem is I keep running into "keepers" on Cymbals.
 
I have enough cymbals for 7 drum sets, but I'm more a snares and drums collector.
 
Cymbals. I feel like if I can't make it happen with a small collection of snare drums, I just can't make it happen.

But I have a new collection habit forming. Microphones. God help me.
 
I played one snare for decades. Jazz? Tighten it up. Americana? Looser, some muffling. Heavy stuff? You get the idea. Sounded just fine.

Cymbals in the other hand ... you can’t tune. You have to have options. LOTS of options. ;)
 
Cymbals makes a lot of sense unless you mean to display your entire collection. Two Biggies: they store more compactly, and it's a lot easier to have multiples on your kit at once. Even two rides is not uncommon. Two snares is a lot of space and already pushing the limit
 
My cymbals are all set up on my kit with the exception of 5 extra cymbals that I've got stored. 5 snares so far and I would love more. I'm sure I will buy more as time passes. I won't buy one just to have another one though. As I go along, I'll buy snares that I really fall in love with. Definitely more of a snare guy than cymbals. I can live with my cymbals without wanting any more but snares are a different story. If I could, I'd have a room full of snares. I love snares! :)
 
At one point I owned a little over ninety cymbals. I owned full setups of;

Zildjian "A"s, "K"s, A Customs, K Customs and K Constantinoples

Sabian AAX and HHX

Paiste Signature Series and 2002s

Bosphorus Traditional

Mainly I found myself using cymbals from one or two of my Zildjian lines. The others just were not getting as much use. It was time to upgrade my PA system, I sold all but my Zildjians. Currently I own about forty cymbals. They all get either gigged, used in my home practice space, or used on the kit at my rehearsal space. Once I figured out what worked best, I stuck with it.

My relationship with snare drums is more complicated. I used a Gretsch COB 4160 for everything for years. I generally kept one or two snare drums for backup and I was happy.

In 2007 I discovered drum forums. :D
This guy liked this snare better than that one and the other guy likes the opposite. For grins and giggles I bought a couple of different snare drums out of curiosity, I wanted to compare for myself. I ended up with thirty-four snare drums of all types, some low priced, and some high. Eventually I knocked that number down to eighteen or nineteen, but it has grown again to just under forty. These days I have at least one of most of each the iconic snare drums, Slingerland Radio King, Ludwig Black Beauty and Supraphonic, Rogers Dynasonic, DW Edge, DW/Craviotto solid maple, Noble and Cooley Maple SS, Dunnett Titanium... They are not decorations, they all get played. I generally take two snare drums to every gig. I'll use one for the first two sets and swap it out for the backup on the third set for fun.

Getting back to the original question, cymbals would get the nod as for which would be more useful to have a large choice of. But, snare drums are just fun to learn about. A drummer buddy of mine says that it is expensive research.
 
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22 snare drums, 1 set of Zildjians. The cymbals are versatile enough to cover all my different shows. The snares are fun, all different, and are all set up to use - no shelf dwellers.
 
I have been using my wood snares most often lately. I've got a few that really only get used in studio. And when they're used there, they're absolutely incredible. My list and their uses currently:

14x5 Ludwig Blacro - Studio
14X5.5 Pearl Student Steel - shelf dweller
14x6.5 Black Beauty - used when I need a lot of cut. Excellent in studio
14x6.5 Supra - Practice kit/Studio
14x6.5 Drumcraft Cast Bronze - Studio
14x6.5 Pork Pie Steambent Rosewood - Live shows
14x6.5 Pork Pie 8 lug Rosewood - Smaller shows
14x6.5 Mapex Anniversary Walnut - Smaller shows backup
14x6.5 Pearl Masterworks Rosewood - Big kit/studio
14x6.5 Sakae Bubinga - Just got it.... Needs more testing
14x7 Pork Pie Cherry Bubinga - Studio
10x7 Drumcraft Maple - Big kit
 
5 snares and 25 cymbals. Sound-wise, I could do with less snares, but I like to have a few extra ones for practical reasons.
 
More interested in cymbals.

For me, I can get a workable sound out of just about any snare drum.

Toms are another matter.
 
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