Anyone else totally see 563 answering this question....and also think its odd because they are in the same band? Sorry dude not bagging on your question, just struck me as odd is all. I say this and I have absolutely no experience or advice for you. Thats what all the good drummers are for.  

Yep, for new metal shell snares, I really dig the bronze (not a fan of steel) Mapex jobs.  But thats just me.   And god knows my tastes arent exactly universal.    And he needs to hear from folks other than me.  He and I have wildly different tastes for one thing.  And Im no Ludwig expert by a long shot.  But i can have a go at the physics.

A - I cant imagine chroming a brass shell makes too much of a sonic difference.  But the difference between brass (COB supra) and aluminum (acrolite) is pretty big.  Aluminum is drier and woodier (for the most part) than brass.  And brass, while being a warmer sounding metal than steel, still has some bite and ring to it.

B - THe differences between cheaper and higher priced snares will be in the hardware and workmanship mainly.  On a higher priced one, they may have put more effort into a snare bed and bearing edges.  Maybe making it a seamless shell, etc.  The value of those differences however is all subjective.  

C - Not a clue.  

I'm not sure about the pricing, but Pearl's free-floating snares are pretty great, and come in a variety of depths and shell materials, and (I think) die-cast hoops.

Another option is to buy a brass or copper Slingeryo, and buy a set of die-cast hoops for it with the money you save on the drum. I particularly recommend the copper.

I just picked up one of the newer black 6.5x14 Acrolites on Ebay, and it sounds great - very warm. New ones cost $225, but I got mine for $120 - if you found a similar deal, you'd have money left over to add the die-cast hoops.


The history of Ludwig's shell materials is shrouded in mystery (and sloppy record-keeping), so it's hard to say. Instead, vague opinions have been formed by "the masses." But both Supras and Acros from the 60's have a spotless reputation for sounding great. Acros have 8 lugs, while Supras have 10 and are chrome-plated. Both are readily available on Ebay, and in most well-stocked drum shops, so if you can, play them both and compare. I've owned a Supra that I could never get tuned to my liking (I think I'm the only guy on Earth that has happened to), and I own an Acro that I obviously LOVE.


Steel is typically used in lower priced drums, and I think its sound reflects why - its sound is usually harsher, less warm, and less complex than other metal drums. Ronn Dunnett uses it in some of his top-end drums, though, as do several other companies - I assume these sound good, but haven't played any. But I've never heard a steel drum from a major company's budget line (like Rocker, Rockstar, or Export, etc.)  that sounded very good. YMMV.


No. Ludwig used the center bead in most of its shells (that bulge in the middle), while Rogers used different kinds of beads and ripples in its drums, along with some very whiz-bang strainer technology. Slingerland's metal snares were more ordinary looking (all this refers to their older models). Of the three, Ludwig carved out the best reputation and the most exposure, although there are some staunch advocates of the other two brands out there. But it's hard to go wrong with an old (keystone) Ludwig snare - they're sort of the Stratocaster of snare drums, by which all others are judged and compared.

The problem with blue/olive Ludwigs is that you never know what you're getting. Their business mushroomed during the 70's, and they built and shipped an unbelievable quantity of drums, using whatever materials they could get for the lowest price. So a variety of woods and metals were used in the manufacture of their drums, and their quality control got very lax. So you may find a blue/olive Ludwig that's great, or it may be crap. If you can actually play the drum and it sounds good, it's probably worth buying. But I'd never buy a blue/olive without playing it - which rules out Ebay for me.

Looking back, the Supras I liked most were keystone drums, and the one I owned was a blue/olive. I never got it to sound right. So I'd play it safe, and spend the extra bucks on a keystone. They're common enough that they don't cost too much - you can get a cherry 60's Acro for $150 on Ebay almost any time you look.

I'll second the raves for the Yamaha copper snare - the one I played is just an outstanding drum.  I don't know if it would be out of your predetermined price range, Red, but it's a hell of a drum.

FWIW, I've got a Yamaha steel snare (5.5X14), and it's not a bad drum - and I improved the sound significantly when I put some of those Pacific wood hoops on it.  They didn't eliminate the "ringy-ness" of the drum, but they made the ringing much more pleaseant to listen to - in addition to the usual benefits of killer rim shots and cross-sticks.  Steel drums can be made to sound really good - but I'd check into some other metals if possible.  As always, YMMV.

I'm sorry, I thought that was a yamaha kit.

You got rid of the matching snare on that?

That was nutz.  See if you can buy it back.  NOW.  LOL

just keep it so when you eventually dump the fibes set you have the matching snare for the next buyer who might LOVE IT...it will add value

So after all that chatter about ditching the Fibes snare, I pulled it off Ebay this morning and decided to fool around with it some more.  Try different head combos.  Maybe a thinner head might liven it up a bit.  I had a coated Emperor on it and will be going for a coated Ambassador this time.  Maybe try a thinner snare side, like a Diplomat.  Tuning snare side heads is tricky business!