Best Sounding Snares?

[AQFlamDrag]

Alot of it depends on the tuning and the equipment used with the drum ie. heads and sticks. If you go back and listen to Blue Devils in the late 90s when they still were using Yamaha you will hear that those snares sounded a whole lot more like their current Dynasty drums compared to sounding like Yamaha's used by other corps at the time.

Another reason for the difference between Yamaha and everybody else is the Multi-Timbre system, or double snare. The second snare assembly right below the batter head allows for a much crisper sound and a lot more color options. Most of the corps using Yamaha use the MTS drums rather then the regular Sfz. Currently Pearl does not make a double snare. Dynasty hasn't figured out how to make it sound right so their model really does nothing but make the already heavy drum about 10 pounds heavier.

I'm a big fan of Pearl drums mostly because you get a lot of bang for your buck. You will spend about $200 less for a Pearl snare compared to a Yamaha of similar standards. But I am a huge fan of the Yamaha MTS. Best example for the amazing sound they can make is Cadets using the MTS in conjunction with the Thom Hannum piccolo sticks.

[Gbassman5]

Pearl makes the best sounding and longest lasting drums. hands down.

we just got new Die-nasties (they were cheaper than Pearl and Yamaha, plus Yamaha's break VERY easily). i love having new stuff, but i can already see that they aren't too great. the only thing i like better than Yamaha's is the stands. that's it. i'm sure they'll sound better when we get some good heads on them; we just got an Evans endorsement

but, like i said, nothing can compare to Pearl. the only problem is that they're also the most expensive brand

[MJN]

I really prefer Yamaha snares sounds, and Pearl tenor. I don't like Dynasty at all. Also, top and bottom head types play a huge roll as well as tuning and stick preference. You could have two Yamaha snares with Remo K falams on top but with different bottom heads, say one with a clear Remo ambassador, and the other with a Remo K Falam bottom, and they would sound completley different even if tuned the same. Stick choice also makes a big difference, a stick with a round bead will sound different than one with an acorn or reverse taper bead. They also feel different off the head

[AQFlamDrag]

Pearl makes the best sounding and longest lasting drums. hands down.

we just got new Die-nasties (they were cheaper than Pearl and Yamaha, plus Yamaha's break VERY easily). i love having new stuff, but i can already see that they aren't too great. the only thing i like better than Yamaha's is the stands. that's it. i'm sure they'll sound better when we get some good heads on them; we just got an Evans endorsement

but, like i said, nothing can compare to Pearl. the only problem is that they're also the most expensive brand

Pearl is not the most expensive brand. Check out music123.com or another instrument dealer. Pearl's affordability is the sole reasaon that something like 90% of high school bands use their drums.

Pearl FFX http://www.music123.com/Pearl-FFX-Series-M...um-i63747.music

$360 for the 14x12

Yamaha Sfz http://www.music123.com/Yamaha-14x12-SFZ-M...se-i47223.music

$500 for the 14x12

Edited May 4, 2007 by AQFlamDrag

[BlueByYou2000]

Pearl is not the most expensive brand. Check out music123.com or another instrument dealer. Pearl's affordability is the sole reasaon that something like 90% of high school bands use their drums.

Pearl FFX http://www.music123.com/Pearl-FFX-Series-M...um-i63747.music

$360 for the 14x12

Yamaha Sfz http://www.music123.com/Yamaha-14x12-SFZ-M...se-i47223.music

$500 for the 14x12

Comparing those 2 pics, the Yamaha looks so much beefier and better built. Not sure if this is true in the real world, but those pics show the Yamaha looking like the much nicer piece. I might be out to lunch on this and have not studied the drums up close. The Yamaha looks like the more expensive drum.

Edited May 4, 2007 by BlueByYou2000

[sday88]

And I don't think the brand of drum really impacts who wins high drums. Especially since it's the same few corps that do each year. Judges have enough to do running around and trying to actually hear / critique the performers without worrying too unduly about the brand name on the front of the hardware.

Mike

I think the OP was referring to the sound quality offered by a certain manufacturer. He is asking whether or not that contributes to the lack of drum trophies not whether or not BD has "Dynasty" written on the fronts of their drums. i.e.: The sound quality of Dynasty drums makes BD sound as if they are more dirty than they really are. Sorry if I'm putting words in your mouth OP, but that's what I got out of what you were asking.

[MikeN]

Scott - he did mention BD specifically since their switch to Dynasty and asked if that might affect how the judges view their end product - I was just responding to that part.

Mike

[sday88]

Scott - he did mention BD specifically since their switch to Dynasty and asked if that might affect how the judges view their end product - I was just responding to that part.

Mike

Yeah I know, and I'm not trying to argue, but I still think he just means because the Dynasty drums have a "not clean" sound, that is what is contributing to their lack of drum trophies. Whereas if they were using say Yamaha with a "cleaner" sound to the drums, they might be winning more trophies. Not simply because the judge sees the word Dynasty.

[danieltenor]

I think the weight also plays part. A Pearl tenor has the best sound for me, but I had to go play trumpet because I couldn't carry that thing any longer.

If you compare price, weight and soundquality, I think you have the best deal with Yamaha. Most of the corps get a great sound out of it and I don't they're very heavy, especially the tenors.

[GGarrett]

IMO, so much depends on the application of the instruments, too. If you are lucky enough to have a decent budget to buy instruments, but the talent available to you and the program you are involved with has years of work to do before they will become truly competitive, then buying all the top of the line instruments is wasted.

So much depends on the construction of the drum shell, the hardware on that shell, the heads you choose, the style your percussion team teaches and the ability of your musicians to play the instrument. You should buy for your program and it's intended growth over time.

If you have a small line... say two or three snare drummers, you might want to consider a fatter sounding snare drum so they don't get lost in the overall sound. If that's the case, then you don't need a super hi tension snare drum with a head cranked to table-top tension. As well, if your players are of avarage ability, the sound will be more annoying than complimentary if they can't play together.

Now if you have 7 or 8 really good players LIKE THIS that are tight and play "into" the instrument, well then you may indeed have a need for a drum that has had more attention paid to its shell construction.

DON'T expect to sound like that, however, just because you went out and bought all the "best" drums.

Edited May 4, 2007 by GGarrett