12 Steel Snare Drums Compared | From $199 to $1565
Вставка
- Опубліковано 18 тра 2024
- Snare drums vary greatly in price, so what's the difference? To answer this question, we've put 12 of our favorite steel snare drums (at various price points) head to head!
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
01:54 - Snares Off Comparison
03:08 - Snares On Comparison
04:22 - Kick Snare Hat Comparison
07:56 - Final Thoughts
Drum kit used in this video: Sonor Vintage 3pc Drum Set 22/13/16 Rosewood Semi Gloss
Available for Purchase Here: buydru.ms/VT-322NMCRSG
Snare Drums:
Ludwig Supralite Snare Drum 14x5.5
Available for Purchase Here: buydru.ms/LU5514SL
Mapex Armory 14x5.5 ‘Tomahawk’ Snare Drum
Available for Purchase Here: buydru.ms/ARST4551CEB
Tama SLP Series Big Black Steel Snare Drum 14x8
Available for Purchase Here: buydru.ms/TAMA-LST148
Sonor Kompressor Snare Drum 14x5.75 Chromed Steel
Available for Purchase Here: buydru.ms/KS-140575-SDS
Gretsch Brooklyn Steel Snare Drum 14x6.5
Available for Purchase Here: buydru.ms/GB4164S
DW Performance Chrome Over Steel Snare Drum 14x6.5
Available for Purchase Here: buydru.ms/DRPM6514SSCS
Rogers Powertone Steel Shell Snare Drum 14x6.5
Available for Purchase Here: buydru.ms/26ST
PDP 14x5 Concept Select 3mm Steel W/Chrome Hardware
Available for Purchase Here: buydru.ms/PDSN0514CSST
Yamaha Recording Custom Stainless Steel Snare Drum 14x7
Available for Purchase Here: buydru.ms/RLS-1470
Keplinger Stainless Steel Snare Drum 14x6 8-Lug
Available for Purchase Here: buydru.ms/KEPSS-1406-8L
Dunnett Classic Sledge Snare Drum 14x6.5 Matte Black
Available for Purchase Here: buydru.ms/6514SL-MB
Joyful Noise Knight Hawk Ferromanganese Snare Drum 14x4
Available for Purchase Here: buydru.ms/CS-0414-KH
Microphones used to capture the drums:
Bass Drum:
Audix D6 Dynamic Bass Drum Microphone - www.drumcenternh.com/audix-d6...
Audix A133 Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone - www.drumcenternh.com/audix-a1...
Snare Drum:
Audix i5 Dynamic Microphone - www.drumcenternh.com/audix-i5...
Audix ADX51 Condenser Microphone - www.drumcenternh.com/audix-ad...
Toms:
Earthworks DM20 Small-diaphragm Condenser Drum Microphone - www.drumcenternh.com/earthwor...
Overheads:
Earthworks SR25 Small-diaphragm Condenser Instrument Microphone - www.drumcenternh.com/earthwor...
Room Mics:
Earthworks QTC30 Small-diaphragm Condenser Microphone - www.drumcenternh.com/earthwor...
www.drumcenternh.com
Follow us on:
/ drumcenternh
/ drumcenternh
/ drumcenternh
#drums #drummer #snaredrum
Not looking at the screen helps in this one. The Ludwig sounds as good as the rest.
It’s hard to tell over the computer speakers but the 200 dollar Ludwig held its own against much more expensive other snares Sometimes more expensive drums are just cosmetic rather then for sounds
Agreed !
Ludwig snare drums almost always sound fantastic, no matter the price.
@@DrummerGrrrl I agree 👍
The SL is a truly excellent bargain drum. It’s a workhorse drum with surprising heft and depth. It punches WAY above its weight!
@@CarlosAnglada 👍
The Ludwig Supralites are excellent value for the price and sound fantastic. I personally can't justify paying over $300 for a snare drum anymore. But that's just me.
I recently put new heads on my 80s Pearl export steel 14x6.5, and it sounds very close to all these drums. I think those are all over the place, someone could probably find one for $50 bucks locally if they waited. Not that waiting would be worth it, because I bet almost any steel snare would sound very close to the same.
Drums in general seem to be more about heads and tuning. Nicer drums are easier to tune, and usually have better quality (my old cheap drums have broken in some strange ways, where I don't expect those issues from my nice set). But, in general if on a budget, putting most of the money in cymbals, throne, and a good double pedal if you play metal seems to be wiser than into the drums.
@benpeterson7530 I couldn't agree more! I own a set of Yamaha recording customs, a custom made kit from Precision Drum Co. , several vintage Ludwig kits, and around 30 vintage and modern snare drums and my go-to kit is a set of the modern Tama Imperial Stars that I bought for $180 from a local Sam Ash. They were returned to the store by a guy whose son decided he didn't want to play drums anymore. I put on new coated ambassadors on the toms and they sound terrific. They tune up beautifully and yes, it helps to know how to tune your drums.
I'm not going to lie I have to Ludwig and it gives me exactly what I want especially when I throw that 3-in-1 Z kit snare in there in the future
It's all in the heads and tuning. The Yamaha stage custom steel snare drums are the best bang for your buck in the industry. 6"x14" ten lugs for around $150, but can often be found on sale for $99-$120.
@fartpooboxohyeah8611 Ah yes, the Yamaha stage customs! Really excellent for the money. Good call👍👍
The Ludwig Supralite sounds better than all of them IMHO. I will die on this hill. Just slap an Evans Genera HD Dry on that bad boy to tone down the overtones and it sounds incredible. The others sound great too, but the Supralite just has the perfect harmonics and attack and body to it. I have a lot of great sounding and expensive snares, and I often find myself choosing my 14x6.5" Supralite over my 14x6.5" Supraphonic, and that's saying something.
I bought a Supralite a few months ago and did exactly that. Evans HD dry on top, snare side Evans on bottom and pure sound EQ 16 wires. It sounds amazing and looks sharp too
Hmm, interesting
Normally I'm a Mapex Black Panther snare guy... But that Sonor was easily my favorite of the bunch.
WOW, even with headphones it was hard to differentiate between them. Definitely subtle differences but worth the prices ??? They all sound so much better than the steel snares I remember from a few years back. Nicely done, as always.
I own a Sonor Kompressor 14x6.5 steel and it's amazing!
I think I enjoyed the Tama the most. I’ve really been digging 14x8 lately. But that PDP sounded good too.
Tama Big Steel is a home run. Surprisingly versatile. I love mine
When I was mixing this, every time that Drum was playing, I was always like man what is this thing? So good!
love the format with the upfront comparisons!
Supralite is just so good! 🔥
I bought the 6.5" version of the Supralite and loved it so much I went and bought the 8" depth as well. Best bang for the buck I've ever gotten in snare drums. Granted I swapped out the triple flanged hoops on the batter side for die cast, but they sounded great just as they came. I have heard people complain about the wires and the throw off..whatever. You still cannot beat this snare drum at its price point.
Love it! Steel snares with diecast hoops are one of my favorites
The SLP doesn't impress me much on recordings but I've seen plenty of touring bands using it and it sounds incredible live. Something about the dryness and depth just works. I've been a big fan of my Pearl Sensitone 14x5.5 steel; crispy and sensitive with a good depth when you lay into it a bit. Great vid as always, DCP
for my the Gretsch! great sound and is not expensive
I’m such a Gretsch fan, too, but that one was just not doing it for me. I have the Hawkins signature snare, at the recommendation of a friend, and I swear by it.
Came for the steel sanre drums, stayed for da bass draaaam!!!
No lie. Massive.
In 2021 I had an opportunity to try a Supralite snare 13"x6", and it blew my mind for how it sounded. And for just $179. It was crazy. I think its "bang for your buck" ratio is unbeatable.
Also, Yamaha Recording Custom line always has many pleasant overtones and open/full-bodied sound.
Would have loved to see Joey Jordison signature snare as it's relatively popular. And a Pearl piccolo steel.
Amazing review, you amazing people! 🤘😻
Hi, awesome video again! I remembered the first time I heard the Ludwig supralite without seeing it. It was I my local drumshop in Montreal. Someone was playing a beat and when I heard that snare drum, I said to my friend it was the Hearts’s « Barracuda » snare sound. The salesman came to me and showed me the new Ludwig snare… I was surprise!
I bought the 5,5 x 14, went to do a recordkng session and did a comparison beside a 63 Ludwig cob supra. Honestly, the difference between the two snare sound was so little… crazy! Awesome snare and it’s always my go to snare drum for a session. Good job guys!
They ALL have a common tonality that I am familiar with, because I own a couple of steel snare drums, and yes, they often get an unfair rap. In this video, by a small margin, I liked the Tama SLP and Gretsch the best, and the Concept 3mm was also very nice. But, for my money, bang-for-the-buck, it's the Ludwig Supralite, which held up against ALL of them. Nice, balanced tone, great snare response, and only $199. Can't beat that! I might just have to buy one. ☺
As soon as I saw the Fat Wreck Chords hat I knew this man was a scholar and a gentleman!
Have to give it to the Mapex: muscular yet musical; The PDP Concept was pretty damn cool as well. That last Joyful Noise is of course ridiculously expensive, but beautiful in tone...
I'm with ya, love that Mapex! And for "only" $279!
For me, the PDP really holds up well to the focused dry tone of the Keplinger. Great Value, just like most PDP drums.
All I understand is that there's no price justification between the cheapest and the most expensive ones. They all sound good, with different personalities but they all sound great.
Thank you for getting this video up. I know it’s a lot of work. I like the Steel Sonor Kompressor - Great Value !!!
I dare say the snares under $400 sounded just fine and diverse enough to me.
A little biased since my primary snare these days is black nickel over steel.
Great video!
My Favorite Was the Rogers !
I tracked a record recently with a massively heavy Ayotte Keplinger 14x5.5 steel snare, and it was INSANE. It beat out the Gretsch bell bronze that we had in terms of volume. Absolutely crazy.
The Supra lite sounds great. I have the 6.5. Other than that I like the Sonor,the PDP and the Gretsch. I love Rogers, but that one was actually a little too ringy for me. In all honesty I can't justify spending more than between 3 and 400 dollars for a steel snare. Once I get up that high I start going brass, bronze copper,or maple 🍁.
great comparison , showing us you can get a beautiful sound out of every drum if you tune it right. If I would only go by my ears, without focusing the money, I would go with the Keplinger!
For "only" $279, I think the Mapex really holds its own!!!
i didnt know supralite actually good one!
done put it on my wishlist
Mapex tomahawk model is a good sounding budget snare drum
Overall, the Yamaha. Really liking the snares I'm hearing from them. The other two would be the Gretsch and Sonor when looking at price as well as sound. I was disappointed in the Joyful Noise, but I think because of its depth. It's a different drum in a 6.5 depth.
The Supralites are incredible sounding drums for the $. I had the 6.5x14 and the 5x15 for awhile, both were really great drums but I simply had other drums in my arsenal that I liked better and moved them on. However, if I ever had to play a backline kit and it had a Supralite I wouldn't complain at all.
I know the Joyful Noise Night Hawk is an amazing instrument (all JN snares are, I've got a TKO myself) but I think that drum in a 5" or 6.5" would have been a better choice for a shootout instead of the 4". It sounded great but I was missing the body and "beef" of a deeper shell, and it made it sound a little anemic when up against 5"-8" deep drums.
You guys did a great job at tuning all the snare drums almost the same, maybe steel is that consistent sonically because the depth of the shell didn't change drastically the sound.
What I learned about this video is that you could totally make a professional recording with the cheap Ludwig snare drum, I mean if someone knows something about snare drums is definitely Ludwig.
Best Value and my favorite is the Rogers. Never really heard a Rogers before so that was cool! 2nd place to the SLP for value. Love the deeper snare drum sound!
Least favorite is the Yamaha. Every hit whether centered or rim shot, has an annoying ring, and just no beef?
except the deep ones, they all sound very similar (especially with the snares off). If you look at the price difference this is crazy. I never had that feeling in any other snare comparison. Seems like the cheaper ones are either very well made, or the expensive ones are overpriced, idk. I never really liked steel snares. I mean if you can get a brass or copper for the same money I would always choose them. Great video tho, you nailed the tuning again :)
Great comparison. Some closed rolls would have been a nice added touch to help differentiate each.
Gretsch for the "Best Bang for Your Buck" WIN!
Gretsch gang!
Salt comes in different prices but when mixed with food you can't tell the difference. The same with black pepper. Steel is steel to me and the snares all sound relatively similar unless the depth changes.
Ludwig, cheap and good.
My favorite was the Sonor kick drum.
Good comparison. Would have liked to have seen the Yamaha Stage Custom Steel 14 x 6.5" (SSS1465) in the mix as it is a sleeper, if there ever was one. I particularly liked the Gretsch Brooklyn in this roundup. Great work as always, guys!
I liked them all. Perhaps the Yamaha was a bit too “over-toney” for me, but otherwise they all were kind of similar I think. Thanks for sharing, and as always, great video guys! 👏🥁
Those rimshots 😮💨 Hard to pick a favourite, they all sound so similar and really good. Based on price, appearance, and sound I'd have to say the Gretsch is my favourite, and then the Yamaha.
1. Rogers 2. Dunnett
Keplinger and Joyful Noise for the win. I have a Joyful Noise snare (The Standard, 5" Nickel over Brass) and what doesn't translate on a recording is just how good it feels to play. JN makes amazing drums!
Agree 100%
I have a 6.5 deep bronze which is so versatile
mapex thomahawk sounds very good and not expensive
I have a Tomahawk and love it. Don’t feel the need for a different steel snare. The throw off is great too. This and my Acrolite both see a fair amount of play from me and both were very inexpensive. Don’t have to break the bank to get a great sound.
My pick too! Clean. Solid "crack". Pleasant overtone. And comparatively inexpensive!
They all have their own character, but, overall, the Ludwig and Mapex sound just as good as the more expensive ones. Spend a little to upgrade the heads and maybe snare wires, and they'll be fantastic.
That is crazy a 199.00 Ludwig😮 supralite 14x5.5 and a 279.00 Mapex armory Tomahawk are the best .And for the money 🤑🤑🤑 they are unbelievable. That's it armory First and supralite second that's all I need. And all I'm getting.thanks.
Never was seriously interested in having a steel drum but loving the TAMA a lot!
The expensive ones didn’t even sound better or worse than most of the others did.
Thanks for video :)
Dunnet Classic Sledge did it for me. 🎉.
I'd also take the...
Gretsch Brooklyn and DW Performance too.
Thanks for the vids BTW. 👍😁
Yep, they all sound like snare drums! If they had the same heads and were tuned to the same pitch/s, they would all sound 95% identical. Good stuff!
Another professional presentation way to go DCP!
Tama, Sonor, Nighthawk (how the NH sounded that good was amazing) are my favorites. I really loved the Tama.
The Tama is amazing for the money. I will likely end up with one. The PDP sounded fantastic as well. The Sledge was fabulous, but I’ll never feel ok with paying $1500 for a snare drum that isn’t an etched shell Black Beauty from the 20s!
Stage custom steel snare deserved to be on here.
I have the 14" x 6.5" Knight Hawk with a Evans Genera HD Dry head. It's amazing.
Are to decide. With eyes closed the Keplimger and the 14"x4" had the most distinct sounds.
I own an armory Tomahawk. I am happy it stood up so well against more expensive drums. I think the Ludwig is a totally plausible snare to use. The Mapex Tamahawk is definitely pro quality at great value for the buck. They all have a lot to offer.❤
Very interesting. I thought for sure the Keplinger would walk away, but I actually preferred the Yamaha over the others.
Nice video! In medium tuning they all sound very close, minor differences, then the Supralite is the best value in sound and price. Honestly, there should have been low and high tuning examples as well as that’s where the real differences would peak/stand out. Eg. that Keplinger all cranked up would really stand out! The Yamaha and Dunnett in low tuning are real backbeat monsters, …
Agreed!
It's the Yamaha, Tama, and Sonor for me.
Keplinger and Dunnett best here, and big+ for many great price/quality Ludwig, Gretsch. ☀️
Surprised with the $200 Ludwig! Sounded great over a set of phone speakers. Having said that, I vote Sonor at balance of price and sound. If I had the money, Dunnett.
The best is Joyful Noise. It has excellent crack, focus and attack.
I own the Tama SLP big black steel, and recently upgraded it with black nickel Diecast hoops from tama. What a beast of a drum!
Also lucky enough to have found an original 83 tama imperialstar 8056 steel drum in 14x6.5. Definitely the best sounding drum I own!
I have a Gretsch Brooklyn 5.5x14 with a red Evans Hydraulic batter. Very unique look and sound!
I have the Ludwig
I thought the Kepplinger was the best sounding. Super dry without any dampening whatsoever. I really didn’t care for the Rogers. Something about the tone just sounded off to me. The best value, in my opinion, in the Ludwig Supralite. I’ve played that drum several times and am always impressed with the sound quality, tuning range and build quality, especially at $200.00. Lots of great drums in there, and while I prefer aluminum snares (is there anything better than a Ludwig Supraphonic), I know that I can get a great sound out is a steel drum and these 12 prove that. Thanks for the video.
The Ludwig is insane for the money and by far the best bang for the buck. Other then that can’t meat the Dunnett
That intro alone makes me want to buy one..
I own the Supralite and the Big Black Steel, I like both and they can be tuned and sound good on all kind of tunings.I played the DW in the past, SO heavy snare, I didn't feel it gave me anything more than the rest of them.Sure better harware.....I really liked the Yamaha in this video.....The main thing for me it's, when you play any of those snares on a full mix would someone be able to really tell the difference?Not really...I haven't tried the Dry EVANS on the SL like a few people here mentioned, that's gonna happen soon.Thanks for the suggestion guys.Really cool budget snares have droped the past year, also from Gretch and Ludwig,I prefair to put more money on cymbals ,as it's one of those things that if they don't sound good, you can't make them sound any better of what they are, like acoustic gtrs.
Great video Thank you!
hilarious when he get cut off at the end saying "patient".
These guys are so funny
As usual, very good video! Would like to hear apples-to-apples comparisons between all drums of the same depth though. Am I the only one whose preference in isolation was different from that in context with BD & HH?
LOVE my Knight Hawk !
Knighthawk is so great and so is that dunnett. Of course they’re the most expensive. Lol
The Franklin 91' 5x14 single flange w clips!
All good but Gretsch had nice control and balance...and the Keplinger.
Great demo as always. All drums sounded pretty good, so for me there is no point in paying 800-1500$ for a steel snare. I lovely my Charlie Benante Signature and it sounds fantastic.
Awesome video on the snares but, what were the heads on that Bass drum? Was anything used for muffling? 👀
Stock black dot coated Powerstroke 3 batter, fiberskyn p3 reso and a light weight sheet inside. Sounded killer acoustically too!
I like the Supralite, Kompressor and the Recording Custom. I wonder how the sound would change if they had cast hoops and 'better' heads?
I’d go with the Supralite as well. I had high hopes for the Yamaha RC, as I play one from the 1970’s, but the ringing undertone is too prevalent.
In my experience there is a price threshold where the snare does not produce a sympathetic snare buzz when on stage with a full band (especially around the bass).
So if all you do is play in a rehearsal space then almost any snare drum will do. If you plan on playing out (especially in a small "listening room" type setting on occasion) then you might want to be more discriminatory in your selection process.
Any expert thoughts on Yamaha Concert Series chrome-over-steel snare drums?
All these drums came with steel flanged hoops! I'd love to see a comparison between a few snare drums with flanged hoops vs die cast hoops. I know there's a tonal difference, just what is the difference??
The yamaha stage custom 6.5 x 14 steel snare drum is around $175 and it also sounds good for the money. You could change the hoops to 2.3 mm hoops and it gets better. Listrn to one on youtube
They all sound alright really a few more muted than others in terms of drum noise and some a tinge rattly in the snare wires when isolated but in the snare/hats/kick context they all sounded great
It's hard to tell for me, because each drum has a different head. The introductory Ludwig has a Ludwig snare head and as you progressively get more expensive drums you get your high quality Remo heads etc. seems like this way the drums are played gets progressively better with the more expensive drums as well.
Also, what’s up with the lack of die cast hoops on steel snares? Am I missing something? Someone school me on this please…
Ludwig, even with Plain Coated crispy Remo's, Ludwig !!! now I have to buy one,
DW, Dunnett , Joyful Different , Unique,,,,,, (Adam Play good)
My favourite snare is a steel Pearl from the late 70s which was the first drum I ever bought (I bought it 2nd hand in the 80s). For me it was the Sonor I liked the sound of the best, because it looks and sounds similar to my Pearl.
I thought the PDP was interesting as it sounded much dryer than all the others. Like it was heavily damped.
The Gretsch, Yamaha, Tama, Rogers and DW all sounded pretty 'meh', and certainly don't justify the price difference to the Ludwig.
* I meant the Blacked out Tama 14x8 Rocked and popped Nicely! But still like my #Ludwig 14x5.5
I’m going Powertone on this one. Surprisingly well balanced 🤷
They are all similar but the Rogers sounded the best to me. The last one was my least favorite and I believe I can make that $199 Ludwig sound as good as any of the others
- Ludwig; best value
- PDP; like the least (but they're all good drums)
- Rogers; like the most
I’d have the Ludwig! Amazing value for money 👌🏻
Please do Acrylic next !
pdp was best for me. Most controlled with a great bite.
Agreed. I have the PDP 6.5x14 Concept Select steel. The thick 3mm shell of the PDP and Keplinger and also the 5mm Dunnett, contributes to the control you mention.
The Tama also had a different tone....but that's because it is 8" deep.
1mm - Ludwig, Mapex, Tama, DW, Rogers
1.2mm - Yamaha
2mm - Sonor, Gretsch
3mm - PDP, Keplinger
5mm - Dunnett
I couldn't find any specs on the $1500 Joyful Noise snare....but I bet it's 1mm.
Ludwig and Yamaha are the best in deed.
The only one that makes me say “wow” is the Joyful Noise, but not because it sounded any better, it’s just that beautiful to look at.
Listened blindfolded and the Ludwig sounded as good as any other.
This is the way. I've stopped watching every comparison video and just listen now. It's absolutely astounding how fast the tonal differences disappear when you aren't looking at the pictures change
@@kyronnewbury @jimf4891 100% agree. When I closed my eyes the PDP, Keplinger and Dunnett all stood out for me. The Tama also had a different tone because it is 8" deep. The $1500 Joyful Noise sounded no better than the Ludwig.
1mm - Ludwig, Mapex, Tama, DW, Rogers
1.2mm - Yamaha
2mm - Sonor, Gretsch
3mm - PDP, Keplinger
5mm - Dunnett
I couldn't find any specs on the $1500 Joyful Noise snare....but I bet it's 1mm.