My 3 Favorite Snare Drums!
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- čas přidán 4. 07. 2024
- I have a little over 50 snare drums and out of all of them, these are the 3 snare drums that I gravitate towards the most. That doesn't mean that these are the "best" drums in existence, it just means that they are my personal favorites. Enjoy :)
Timecodes
0:00 - Intro
0:45 - A bit about why I have so many snare drums
2:40 - A&F Raw Steel - 14X5
4:18 - 1920's Ludwig Dance Model - NOB - 14X4
6:00 - 1960's Gretsch Dixieland - 14X5.5
8:05 - Gretsch Brooklyn Standard - 14X5.5 (my signature snare)
9:30 - Starting your snare collection
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You have no idea how I (and I'm sure a lot of people) look up to you. Not only you are a damn good player, but you do what you do with passion and humility. Thank you very much
You are far too kind brother. Thank you... really 🍵🙏🍵🙏
The ‘buying a snare with a story’ remark is incisive and elevates the quest in searching for a drum truly meaningful & not simply an exchange model of human relations.
Mike, the production value in your videos is off the charts. Interesting content, paired with your approachable and effective teaching style-and it's all executed so impeccably well. Kudos!
I love my Brooklyn Standard 5.5 Thanks Mike for being a part of such an amazing instrument.
Done deal! I have been looking for the perfect snare and this seems to be the Holy Grail. Just ordered it to go with my new Gretsch Brooklyn kit and my DW performance kit. SUPER excited to get this snare! THANK YOU Mike for making this snare happen! (BTW, Current SC resident - makes me even more proud to own Gretsch drums - and former Travis AFB CA resident - 12 years there ;) and my daughter lives in Yuba City.) Thanks for all you do for the drumming community. You are a Saint my brother! Cheers!
Fantastic video Mike, loved the production and angles. Beautiful snare drums and great advice.
My God that '20s Ludwig is everything I want a sanare to sound like 😍
Totally! Like I said, they got it right 100 years ago and we are all just playing catch up! lol :)
Hey Mike! Excellent video, very much appreciate all your content on CZcams just fantastic and your drumming is incredible. Looking forward to purchasing your signature snare.
Hello Mike, i just want to thank you for your effort. Your content makes me want to get better in playing drums and it helps a lot. I started playing in 2006 and stopped in 2008 and found my way back in 2018 and I am still in.
Thank you.
Simon, you are more than welcome my friend. So happy that you're back in it!
Something about this video just helped me with my single flamed mills lol. I've been struggling with them for like a week now but somethings just clicked! Mike working his magic lol!
Thanks for sharing this with us Mike ! Those drums do sound good !
I’ve recently restored a 1970’s Gretsch 4150 14x5 COB 10 lug snare which still has its original dampener and my god does it bring “That Great Gretsch Sound” to life! It’s an honour to be a part of this 50 (ish) year old drums history and carry on its journey!
Mike! Happy Snare-drum Sunday!
You as well my friend! What's your favorite snare?
Oh, that’s easy. I’m a simple man, with simple tastes. Ludwig Acrolite, brushed-aluminum, era 1975. That’s what my elementary school had when I first started playing, but my parents didn’t want a drum in the house. So I’d sit with my cheap and quiet practice pad at home, imagining I was playing that drum I so enjoyed at school. Even decades later, after once owning a black beauty (which I loved), I still look back on the Acrolite with childhood glee.
That Ludwig got me dancing. They are all great when are played by the right person. Great video Mike!
Thanks for the kind words my friend! And ya, that 1920's Ludwig is truly the classic of all classics!!!
OMGOSH, Mike! This is the perfect snare drum video. Simple, informative and to the point!
I love your content Mike.
I just bought the Brooklyn standard and so far I love it. Very much enjoying playing it. I’ve put my beloved supraphonic lm402 on the shelf for a while.
Damn that intro looked good ! And it's always a pleasure to hear you talk about drums, it just makes my day
So I told my wife recently I needed to invest in a new snare drum... Guitar Center had a snare drum on sale as the special of the day, now Mike posts this video...
Ok... I see... I really do need to invest in a new snare drum...
Thanks Mike! Great video as always!
These all sound great. I am still very happy with my Dave Weckl signature snare duel strainer sounds are unending
Very cool sir. I have a 1967 silver sparkle Gretsch Dixieland snare drum just like yours. In my forty snare drum collection with a lot of heavy hitters, this is a bit of a secret weapon. People don't expect it to sound so good. Great video.
Thanks Mike, from Canada 🇨🇦!!
14 x 5 1/2 Birch R/Custom Yamaha guy here.
14 x 6 1/2 Hammered Copper Gretsch here as well
Happy New year!!!!! 2023
You're so big inspiration, at least for me. Don't have much time to practice or play drums nowadays but Your videos helped me a lot years back. And one of Your thoughts I quote to this day - be grateful for all the critics 'cos then you know your weak side that needs improvment. Fast and easy way to be a better drummer or a human being. Your fan forever
Much appreciated Pawel! Thanks for the years of support, I don't take it for granted :)
The 7 people who disliked this video have a 14"x11" Babinga snare, with the 45 degree baring edge on the top with a round over edge on the bottom. Oak, Maple, Popular...10 snares, 20 snares, and plenty of crazy sprinkled in.... Or something...
LOL!!!!
Fantastic info. Cheers Mike!
Everyone thinks Christmas is the 25th December but it's actually any day Mr. Johnston puts out a new video! Awesome custom snare by the way.
Awe man... that just made my day!
Wow! I watched your vid on 20 whatever snare drums in 2 minutes... I listened to it with big fat ears! My favorite snare, hands down is the Gretsch Brooklyn Standard! I wrote it down and researched availability. To find out you have your hands all over this instrument, was a huge surprise! Having to buy my wife a new golf cart to make it mine! A 6500 dollar snare! Ouch!
Mike, you are totally right about getting the bases covered first. Back in college I had my very first cheap kit and it came with a basswood/poplar snare. I was dissatisfied with that so I spent months researching about snares, their materials/depth/thickness/construction etc and then I discovered stave snares. I opted for a custom black walnut 14x6.5 which to this day I am very happy with. Can you imagine jumping from a cheap snare to owning a custom made one? At first, I had trouble with the original configuration and I had to change snare wires/heads/hoops just so I could find the sound I have in my head. Now It sounds amazing and I love how it cracks with just the right amount. However, lately, I am gasing for a Pearl Sensitone Premium Maple 14x5 and a Ludwig Black Magic 14x5. It was then I realized that it didn't have to be custom made/expensive. Sure the custom snare was tailored for me but the standard configurations sounds just as good!. It really boils down on how you tune and play it which for many beginners like me don't realize at an early stage at their drumming.
Listen to Mike drummers! Get a maple and brass snare first! You won't go wrong with any of those!
You did a phenomenal job with the Brooklyn!!! i dont own one but i want one!!! sounds great in any tuning!!! I dont own a huge collection..only my yamaha maple custom( which is my now only drumset) and pearl freefloating maple....i want an acrolite or lm402 and now the gretsch brooklyn. Not gigging anymore but after 45 years+ i still am passionate about drumming...music serves us for life!!! Again great job with the video and the snare!!! I dont suffer from addiction to John Bonham....i enjoy every minute of it!!! lol lrrlrllrlrrlrll
Dear LORD, they sound great! I particularly love that A & F. Wow. I might have to get one!
Love the Brooklyn gretsch you designed with Paul Cooper,good man.My best pal gifted me with one,it's incredible. Especially love the fact that you included a internal muffler,and the finish is a great choice . I would like to see Gretsch offer it in natural as well. I've owned a lot of snares in my 50 years of playing.My favorites are a Tama starphonic maple 6x14 6ply, a Tama starphonic nickel over brass 6x14,and a Craviotto solid shell maple 6-1/2 x14. Oh and one more I have to mention my Tama star walnut. That drum came with the kit and at first I didn't really care for it,but just changing the head from remo ambassador to a remo fyberskin diplomat, oh wow it's incredible as well.Once I thin the heard probably going to buy a starphonic aluminum, or a noble and Cooley cast aluminum snare,both great sounding drums.
Great ending advice Mike! (I LOVE how that 20s Ludwig snare sounds..😍. It's crazy to think that is from that era and still sounds that awesome)
So glad to hear my friend! And ya, those drums are flat out classic!
My personal favorite is the Ludwig 6.5x14 Copperphonic.....amazing drum!!
You sir, have SKILLZ! Love it. All four snares sounds great!
the editing is fantastic, good job mike
Much appreciated Juan. Working on it everyday, so THANK YOU for noticing :)
Did you have a favorite?
@@mikeslessons Yes! The changing snares in the introduction was everything. such an inspiration buddy
Outstanding explanation in the introduction. That is a great educational technique and let's the listener know why you are delivering this lesson.
BTW, nice job with using just two mics. Sounds really good this way and proves that less is more.
I'm pretty sure there's only one of him
@@Christopher-md7tf ah, good catch!
@@Neal_Schier just thought it was funny 😄 now my reply doesn't make sense anymore 😝
So true; there are so many good drums, but the ones with a personal story are here to stay!
This is such a good video. Great work.
I just love internal mufflers. No idea why most drum manufactures don't use them anymore
You're preaching to the choir my man, lol. That's why I made sure that my signature drum had one :)
gotta sell that moongel
Internal mufflers are useless. Can't take any drummer seriously who claims otherwise.
I'm late to the game, but awesome video. I love snares that have a story as well...or that 'speak out' to me because of something special about it. It would be awesome to know some of the history behind these old drums and where they've been. The Ludwig was fantastic - thank you for playing that one. And never underestimate the sound of a 6-lug - especially a 6.5x14 WFL :)
Nice Mike. Great topic. I have 5. They are Tama StarClassic birch/bubinga 14*6, 1960's Ludwig stainless 14*6, Sonor Stainless "Phil Rudd" Signature Series 14*5, "George H Way 14*6 Copper shell and a "Mapex 14*6 "Black Panther. I love the Mapex as my favorite. Rock On Mike........................I love your videos man.
Great info Mike. Thanks!
Oh what a positive lesson. I forwarded to my gear-hound buddy who plays guitar in my band, has that classic Gretsch in blue sparkle (of course) and with some TLC is a killer drum.
Great information, as always. Thanks!
I bought pearl studio select 5.5 x14. Birch /mahogany hybrid. Replaced the top with Aquarian triple threat with pure sound snare wires. The low to mid frequencies tones are incredible, with muted highs. Great snare !
I got the A&F raw steel about 6 months ago and I absolutely love it. They ain’t selling them at a discount tho. The overtones are killer
9:14 I was blown away by that sound... Love it! I Need it!
I just got a Solo by Greg Gaylord 14x4 spalted maple snare. My first drum ever. And man is it gorgeous I’m so happy with it. Loved this video
Not only is Mike a great drummer, he’s one of the nicest guys on the planet. Respect. I liked all of the snares he played, but for my taste, I would have them tuned a little higher.
I have 31 snares in my own collection, all players, no shelf riders.
I have many of the classics covered, LM 402s, acrolites, etc.
Turns out my personal favorite is a Black Panther Matt Halpern Signature brass. I bought it just to have another size brass snare to counter my Stewart Copeland model. But man did this drum ever win me over. Now it’s my #1 by a mile. I wonder if I will ever find one that competes with it. If it exists, I haven’t played it yet.
Great snare drums plus I enjoyed the stories.
The A&F is my favorite.
He is legend one.I watch his doubles, the first utube videos and since then i am watching him.
Great looking room too - wow!
Mike, regarding the Ludwig Dance Snare: did you change original wires? if so, are number of wires limited due to the bed construction? thx for this great clip!
Loved the A&F Snare) sounds Great 👍
That was so cool! 🤩 ..never thought about the wood aging though :O makes sense
I know you're a busy man, I appreciate the podcast and would love to hear you and dawson ripping it up again
I got you covered: open.spotify.com/show/5HAouQT8Nu7RlRhQdH2p5q
I own an A&f 7x14 bronze and it is my favorite. I also love the LM402 and the pdp cast bronze snare.
Thank you for the tip on not buying weird things after you have your strong wood & metal snares. I was about to buy an old and weird one! :)
I bought your signature snare about a month ago. Unfortunately the top hoop was a bit off, wasn't aligning properly. But still sounded great. Got my replacement hoops the other day.. I only needed the top hoop replaced but Gretsch went ahead and sent me both top and bottom. Very cool. As soon as I put the new hoop on.. Oh wow.. Sound went from great to butta.. Just perfect. I've never had such a dynamic snare. From super soft hit to blammo.. It just speaks the way you want it to. Thanks for putting the time and effort into one bad ass mofo. \m/
Mike, do you have a consistent bottom head tuning across the board or do you adjust according to each specific snare drum? Or do you adjust from how tight your top head is tuned?
For me my go to snare is the first pro one I got as a birthday gift decades ago. A Pearl 5.5x14 Brass Alloy Sensitone when they first came out, maybe '99 or 2000? I use a Ludwig Acrolite a lot too because the Pearl can be too much sometimes for smaller shows. But I still love that Pearl drum. It has that bright poppy snap that I loved in '90's rock music and still love to hear today. That total Carter Beauford/ Arron Comess/ Matt Chamberlain thing. For a while I had become too superstitious about it's tuning and sound as if I did anything to it I'd never get that sound back. It had broken snare wires which wore a hole in the snare side head and a loose worn out strainer. I replaced the strainer with a new one (Pearl hadn't changed it and still made it thank god!) then changed the waaaay too old heads and snare wires. It sounded that much better plus I was dumb for thinking I could not re-tune it again and get that sound. But I got when I was starting out and thought tuning was bear of a problem I couldn't over come. (You spend ages tweaking the tuning until it finally sounds the way you like and never ever ever touch it again! lol) Now I can hear the pitch and just do it because you learn that over the years.
Great instruments and even better stories!
Great info. But what precautions should I take in choosing a snare drum?
I love the clean “perfectionist” style of video
Isaac Steven Drums Thank you! I will gladly accept that compliment all day long, lol 🙏🍵🙏🍵
"all the crazy you want", gotta love our Mike!!!
I'm no stranger to the "crazy for snare drums" life, LOL :)
Mike, you mentioned Dana Bentley. I've known him for about 20 years and he has hooked me up with dozens and dozens of drum sets, mostly DW. I've got to say that Dana has got to be the most straight up, knowledgeable drum experts on the planet. Plus he is just about the nicest man I've ever met and I'm older than dirt. Of course, he rubs shoulders with rock stars all the time but treats guys like me as though I were Neil Peart. I'm just giving honor where honor is due. He made a difference in my life. Anyhow...
I've owned several dozen snares in my life. DW Edge and Collectors Series, brass, chrome, faro, copper and various woods. But my all-time favorite is the 6x14 steam bent
DW Craviotto. A close second was the Sonor 6x14 signature series and the 6.5x14 Sonor Faro Mag (Chrome) snares. Of course the 60s vintage Rogers Dyna-Sonic should be on the list as well. But my favorite was the Craviotto.
A word of advice to all... Never sell your snare drum. (Well, maybe if it's a Tama. 🤗)
Neil Jones
Smashed that like button right at the end of the intro. Soooo good man, kutgw
Awe thanks man! Next time I'm gonna push myself to see if I can get you to hit the subscribe button too, lol. Seriously though, so glad you enjoyed it :)
@@mikeslessons Did that a looooooong time ago, you are dragging haha ;)
Shout out to Bryson at Nelson's! Love that guy!
“I’m not a drum collector”
Has 50 snares 😂😂😂
Love this video. I need to keep reminding myself that I don't need another snare drum...
Beautiful collection there Mike, gorgeous top three, must be nice bro, hahahahaha....My three all time...Rodgers Dynasonic from the 70's, 14 x 6.5 (I think)...I had one that fell down some basement stairs (going to a gig), popped a hole in the steel shell with the strainer and it never sounded better! #2....and old aluminum Gretsch student model, circle badge 14 x 5, circa mid 60's, such a great snap, crack and over all tone...and my #3 would be a PEARL six ply maple, early 90's I think, 14 x 5,5...solid, thick tones yet very crisp...sadly, I have none of them today. The only snare I own currently is HART DYNAMICS 13 x 4 e-drum on my Roland's....hand hammered, steel, looks great and very versatile....hahahahahahaha
That bass sounds great.
I only have two snares and they do the job perfectly.
The first one is a 14x5.5 Ludwig Supraphonic with the olive green and blue badge (I thinks it was made un the 70s or 80s). I love how it rings freely with a single ply Texture coated head. I use it at gigs, when I have to play all kind of music (salsa, pop, rock en español, disco, etc.). Very versatile drum.
The second one is a 14x6 Gretsch Catalina Maple. I use this one more in a low tuning when I play rock tunes and record some covers in my bedroom.
BOOM! Just like I said, a great metal drum and a great wood drum and you're all set!
Your signature snare is amazing sounding! Love that built in adjustable muffler. I can't help but wonder why most drum companies went away from those !
I don't think a lot of people used them. They had a tendency to loosen and fall off over time, so people would remove and use external muffling instead.
the gretsch Dixieland is my fave between the 3...
Edit:
oh theres 4... I still pick the dixieland
Ya man, that one just has a "thing" about it. Not to mention, it goes great with my 1965 kit :)
Funny you mentioned that 14x11 snare drum at the end. I have that exact drum! 😄
I literally never realized I haven't subscribed yet! There ya go!
Pearl Free Float snare with interchangeable shells is my favorite, I have a maple, brass and aluminum shells
Ha awesome. I was like "cool lights" BAM! triple snares in my face. and they sound gooood.
Loved this .... thanks
We live 2hrs.away from Austin, Texas. We live in Cleburne, Texas and we don’t have any drum shops here in town. I love A&F nothing like them…
As for what is my favorite snare drum, I am still trying to figure out myself!
out of these four, probably the AnF for not only the insanely good sound but amazing aesthetic as well.
Now, as for the snares I own...
There's one.
As in, I only own one snare.
My legitimately-not-so-bad-Yamaha Stage Custom Birch! (14 x 5.5 I believe)
It's not by choice, despite having played for over 10 years I did start out when I was 4 (12 years of banging with sticks on stuff!) so I don't have that much in terms of spare cash :P
I'm sure it'll come with time - for now, I have mastered the art of finding rich people who thought drumming would be easy and then, when faced with reality, decided to sell their stuff. I landed Sabian Artisan cymbals for 20% of the price in new condition! I'm still so happy about that. (PS. I live in Israel, where things are approximately 25-50% more expensive on average - it's somewhat frustrating to try and buy new things when it's so overpriced.)
I make it sound good, so I'm in no rush to replace it with a different wooden snare this instant.
I always aim to buy really high-quality gear that should probably last me ages rather than cheap stuff that isn't up to snuff, it ends up being cheaper in the long run. My first kit was a stage custom by Yamaha, natural color in 10-12-16-22 configuration. After a stroke of luck, I swapped it with a guy for a pearl session studio select (black oyster, I really like that one) - only the toms and bass drum though so I am left with the old snare. I was mainly looking for a 10-12-14/16-20 configuration as the 22 bass drum was too much for my tiny little bedroom (Ideally I'd prefer 10-14-16-20 but hey, It's less mass when I take it) - and I realized that this kit is actually far more expensive outside of my country. For some unknown reason, the session studio is cheap as hell in here, and the stage is ridiculously overpriced (it's like 3 times as expensive as it is on Thomann).
So here is how I plan to start my snare drum collection. I want to go with AnF, I love the company and their design philosophy - and I doubt I'll ever have a drum that makes me want to play it as hard as they do (just by looking at it!). However, I didn't get to play them that much. Hoping to visit the one importer who brings these drums here a few more times after quarantine, I always do my homework before buying gear... A plus side though is that pretty much everyone I watch on youtube is head over heels for their products, so I think that's a great place to start.
First off, I want an 8x14 metal snare drum. I'm thinking copper because I do like the sound better but I need to give myself some more time with the individual drums. Haven't had a chance to play these in a while (for obvious reasons _AHEM-quarantine-AHEM_ ).
I love the sound of deep, metal snare drums - and they are versatile as hell. I'd probably use it as a sort of deep snare most of the time. The reason I want to start with it is that because I do own a wooden snare drum, I'd rather start with the other sound I am missing - rather than buying the next drum first and having nothing to do with the birch.
Eventually, it might function mostly as a deep snare tuned rather low... but I also believe it would also serve me on any gig I go into.
Second, I would like a 4.5/5x14 wooden snare drum. What type of wood? That's a rather good question (if literally anyone asked) but I believe it would probably be something like maple or walnut. Something that's rather dense and bright with plenty of attack. It would be my main snare so it needs to be super-articulated with character to match. A solid body that really sounds full without too much low end as to not sound boomy.
Metal hoops for sure, not certain as to how many lugs though. I'd have to hear the difference in their (AnF) factory probably.
After that, it's probably on to getting a super-pro-level kit, but that's a ways away. Hopefully, I can manage some form of endorsement to soften the sting of the price tag - but I don't need any of this gear so badly right now so I'm chilling on my own, practicing.
The budget Tama hardware I am using is just phenomenal, but I do want to get some DW 9000 going at some point.
I am super content with my cymbals right now.
Rather old 15" Istanbul Agop OM hats (a prototype non the less!) which are super dark - and basically the best Hi-hats I've heard thus far, and I looked very far (I'm looking for a solid 13" hi-hat in the vein of the pocket hats by Zildjian. Something bright and heavy that would lend itself to the very few things my OMs can't do).
Got me a Turkish 18" china for a ridiculously low price, which sounds like trash when used as a china but is somehow a wonderful swish knocker.
And the recent addition of a Sabian Artisan medium 20" ride (God what a versatile ride. Super non-crashable but the sound is so articulate and nice. I played it in jazz and metal contexts and it just works), Sabian Artisan 17" crash (sounds very meh in my opinion when it's played alone, but it's oh so perfect when played with the rest of the kit), and an HH 16" Ozone crash (so many holes! it's an amazing super thin trash crash. It's awesome to stack it under the 17 crash for that benny Greb Crash sound).
After the 13" hats I'd probably go for some splashes in terms of cymbals, definitely super dry.
So that's me, turned into an entire life story with a listing of all my drum gear.
Thanks for reading all the way here :D
!!! I also have your cowbell !!! (after trying like 7 of them, it was my favorite by far.)
Hi Mike, great video! What’s your opinion on the Gretsch Catalina club wooden snares?
I honestly love that whole line of drums. I have a Catalina Bop kit and it sounds great. The snares are 100% serviceable. They won't win any sound awards but they will never embarrass you.
Amazing Facility Mike! Wish to visit your studio someday!
PS - "That's a great drum!!" :D :D :D
love that intro
Love the video and the stories behind the snares. Most of my snares have stories behind them. Do you think a baseline snare collection needs an Aluminum and a Brass? Got the former but not yet the latter. The Supraphonic does so much!
Definitely want to get your signature snare at some point! Right now I have a Supraphonic, a Classic Maple, and a Copperphonic. I think my bases are covered for awhile.
Oh man, your set with that trinity of awesomeness!
Nice snares, and love the channel. As a gigging drummer I have two contrasting snares. Both slingerland , a vintage chrome over brass and a maple artist. huge contrast between both but have a hard time choosing which one to use so would be lost with 50+ !
Ahaha how cool is that intro? Nice drums too.
Instant sub!
Mike (or anyone else): Since you recommended maple and brass snare drums for the first buy, could you also recommend which sizes to look for? Should they be different sizes, for example?
the Ludwig sound reallty nice.........
What do you think about Benny Greb signature snare? Was thinking about getting that one. Sounds really nice
I think all three of them are super nice drums!
Hi sir. your hh is realy nice by the way ! Are they from foundry reserve serie?Regards
I just got your snare. Just thought I would ask if you can post some of tunings for the snare, low medium and high. If you can perhaps give setting with either the drum dial or tune bot. I really like your tunings and would like to try that sound and those are the 2 tuning methods I use as well as my ears but am always looking for new inspiration. Thanks again.
I talked with some of my people and we've decided to adopt you, Mike you're now officially Canadian.
YES!!! Headed up there now :)
Hey Mike! Did you change out the clips on the 1920’s snare drum? They look new!
I got a Ludwig Supraphonic snare 14x6,5 just last year and I love the way it sounds, would recommend. Good for funky stuff, also good for metal. I have also a 14x5.5 Pearl Ultracast Cast aluminum, but it always sounds a bit off, I dont know why... Cheers from Croatia!
That's an absolute classic. Great choice Markec!
I just sold my collection of 15ish snares in order to fund a few Really Good ones, the only one I couldn't bear to part with was a 6x12 mahogany Gretsch