I'm after a new snare (to replace the rather generic, lifeless and, dare I say it, dull Mapex M maple/basswood snare), and after having played the Pearl Sensitone Brass 5.5 x 14 in the store, I fell totally in love with it (well, technically I liked a Pearl Master Maple snare better, but it was well over twice the price).
However, Pearl offers two versions of the Sensitone brass, the other one being the Classic II, and it's a 5 x 14 (slightly more shallow). It has a sexy black finish and, to quote Pearl: "SensiTone Classic II snare drums feature the same beaded shells as the SensiTone Classic but with vintage-look chrome plated solid brass tube lugs." It also features much better-looking and sturdier hoops.
The Classic II is 80 bucks more, and seeing as noone around here stocks this beauty, I was wondering if anyone here had any experienses or comments on these drums? Like I said, I absolutely loved the Sensitone Brass, so the real question is whether or not the missing half-inch of depth in the Classic II has any effect, and if so: What?
If they will sound more or less the same, I suspect that the sexy blackness and nice hoops of the Classic II will make me get that one.
Pictures! The brass first, then the classic II:
