Snare drum construction and tone

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avedisschwinn

avedisschwinn

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I had a beautiful Gretsch spun brass snare drum that was heavy, loud, and bright. I wanted to love it, but ended up not appreciating it and selling it. Now I have an Inde aluminum, and an old mahogany Ludwig. They are both on the "mellow" end tone wise. I'm wondering about both brass and bronze - thinking a thinner drum of one of those two metals might sound great. Any advice, especially about what thin shelled brass or bronze you would recommend, and how you might compare each of those to each other. Thanks
 
I have one of these below. The classic late 70s pearl 14x5 chrome over brass a.k.a. the Stewart Copeland snare drum. This one looks to be all original and looks like it still has the internal muffler, which is cool. The hoops are 1.6mm. The Gladstone throwoff is great if you haven’t tried one, it’s simple and does its job. Also, this is fairly reasonable, cheapest one on the Internet I saw. One last thing, you can do what Stewart did and I also do it sometimes and put a diecast hoop on the batter side and it will give it extra bite and volume.
musicgoround.com

Used Pearl B4514 CHROME OVER BRASS Vintage Metal Snare Drum 14" 40012-S000299173

Used Pearl B4514 CHROME OVER BRASS Vintage Metal Snare Drum 14" Columbus OH
musicgoround.com musicgoround.com
 
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Bronze is definitely more mellow than brass and, as you imply, thin shell is mellower than thick shell. From listening to INDe brass and bronze it seems like the thinner the shell, the more it sounds like aluminum. My mellowest snare drum is walnut with wood rims. Carbon fiber shells would be contenders.
 
avedisschwinn said:
I had a beautiful Gretsch spun brass snare drum that was heavy, loud, and bright. I wanted to love it, but ended up not appreciating it and selling it. Now I have an Inde aluminum, and an old mahogany Ludwig. They are both on the "mellow" end tone wise. I'm wondering about both brass and bronze - thinking a thinner drum of one of those two metals might sound great. Any advice, especially about what thin shelled brass or bronze you would recommend, and how you might compare each of those to each other. Thanks
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Did your Gretsch brass have diecast hoops? If so, I think you'll find that a brass snare with triple-flanged hoops is a different experience.
 
If you’re looking for something less mellow, you’ll probably want a thicker shell. As with cymbals, thinner ones have a lower tone profile than heavier ones.

Maybe check out a 5” brass like the Sound Kings mentioned above. I have one and it is a great rock snare but still very sensitive at a variety of volume levels, including brushes. Great tuning range as well. Aside from my Supraphonic, I’ve really been favoring my brass snares lately.

Solid info at the link below as well - hope this helps!

www.thomannmusic.com

Shell Materials

The sound of the snare drum defines and unites almost all forms of popular music.
www.thomannmusic.com www.thomannmusic.com
 
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