About Bronze Snares

C

coffeedrummer

New Member
Hey guys,

I've been diving deeper into cast metal snares lately — bell bronze, bell brass, cast bronze, cast brass... There’s just something magical about the sonic heft and presence these drums bring, especially when done right.

It got me wondering — among all the legendary cast metal snares out there, are the Zildjian anniversary snares (380th, and especially the 400th) the ultimate? I’ve never had the chance to play one myself, but from everything I’ve heard and read, they seem almost mythical at this point.

Of course, I can't leave out the iconic Sonor HLD590, 593 and Tama Bell Brass (Even it's bell bronze shell lol). Those are right up there in terms of legend status. I’ve always dreamed of owning one of those or a high-end Zildjian alloy cast snare, but lately they’ve become even harder to find — and when they do pop up, prices are way beyond what they used to be.
 
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say. I’m sure those who don’t have the Zildjian are happy with their other choices, and as of yet, all I hear out of any of them is pretty darn great. It’s nothing that would make me max a credit card out, though. I see enough pro drummers with snares that cost $500 or less lighting up the place. But if it’s a dream of yours to have the Zildjian, I’m OK with it as long as you and your family don’t miss any meals or bills.
 
JimmyM said:
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say. I’m sure those who don’t have the Zildjian are happy with their other choices, and as of yet, all I hear out of any of them is pretty darn great. It’s nothing that would make me max a credit card out, though. I see enough pro drummers with snares that cost $500 or less lighting up the place. But if it’s a dream of yours to have the Zildjian, I’m OK with it as long as you and your family don’t miss any meals or bills.
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Haha I also agree with you.
Some of the best sounds don’t require boutique-level prices. My first snare was a Gretsch Brooklyn Chrome Over Brass (Guess it's price was about $350 - 450)— definitely not a high-end collectible, but it served me really well and sounded great in just about any setting. That probably shaped my appreciation for metal snares. The Zildjian stuff is more of a dream or curiosity for me than a necessity. And don’t worry — no skipped meals in pursuit of it 😄
 
coffeedrummer said:
Hey guys,

I've been diving deeper into cast metal snares lately — bell bronze, bell brass, cast bronze, cast brass... There’s just something magical about the sonic heft and presence these drums bring, especially when done right.

It got me wondering — among all the legendary cast metal snares out there, are the Zildjian anniversary snares (380th, and especially the 400th) the ultimate? I’ve never had the chance to play one myself, but from everything I’ve heard and read, they seem almost mythical at this point.

Of course, I can't leave out the iconic Sonor HLD590, 593 and Tama Bell Brass (Even it's bell bronze shell lol). Those are right up there in terms of legend status. I’ve always dreamed of owning one of those or a high-end Zildjian alloy cast snare, but lately they’ve become even harder to find — and when they do pop up, prices are way beyond what they used to be.
Click to expand...

If I am interpreting the post correctly, the word legendary appears twice. I think there are snares that are "rare and expensive" and there are snares that are "rare, expensive, and legendary".

In my own humble opinion and from what I have seen so far, the snare drum that is rare, expensive, and has a legendary status because of its use in recordings for bands that made it big is the original TAMA Bell Brass (nicknamed the Terminator ). As always your mileage may vary.
 
I've never played one so take this with a grain of salt but at the end of the day it's a certain sound which is usually good for loud, heavy music. If you're recording you'll probably notice a difference, if you're not, 99% of people won't notice a difference in sound. I will say though, they do look cool.
 
coffeedrummer said:
Haha I also agree with you.
Some of the best sounds don’t require boutique-level prices. My first snare was a Gretsch Brooklyn Chrome Over Brass (Guess it's price was about $350 - 450)— definitely not a high-end collectible, but it served me really well and sounded great in just about any setting. That probably shaped my appreciation for metal snares. The Zildjian stuff is more of a dream or curiosity for me than a necessity. And don’t worry — no skipped meals in pursuit of it 😄
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I've been half considering a Gretsch brass snare for that exact reason, but I'm just too happy with the snares I have (1940 L&L Standard 14 x 6.5 maple and 1980 coated Acro) and it's not like I'm going to record a hit album anytime soon.
 
JimmyM said:
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say. I’m sure those who don’t have the Zildjian are happy with their other choices, and as of yet, all I hear out of any of them is pretty darn great. It’s nothing that would make me max a credit card out, though. I see enough pro drummers with snares that cost $500 or less lighting up the place. But if it’s a dream of yours to have the Zildjian, I’m OK with it as long as you and your family don’t miss any meals or bills.
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Agreed and one can get a lovely Gretsch bronze snare for a decent price without breaking the bank, lol. I have two now and love them both.

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TheDrummerFromAmsterdam said:
I always found my cast bronze cool.

But way too heavy. Give me spun bronze, or even better, alu every day of the week.

As such I passed on the hld a few times too.
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This is the plan for me as well. I have a 1970's Rogers chrome over steel Powertone and that snare has served me so well over the years that I just can't part with it. Could I trade up for a Dynasonic? Sure...but why if the one I have does all I want & more?

For me, to have a legendary snare like a Black Beauty or a bronze/copper/brass shelled snare is certainly a dream come true. But not one that is necessary.
 
Cmdr. Ross said:
This is the plan for me as well. I have a 1970's Rogers chrome over steel Powertone and that snare has served me so well over the years that I just can't part with it. Could I trade up for a Dynasonic? Sure...but why if the one I have does all I want & more?

For me, to have a legendary snare like a Black Beauty or a bronze/copper/brass shelled snare is certainly a dream come true. But not one that is necessary.
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If I do stadiums. Then. Maybe then. But that most likely will never happen so im more than content with less heavy drums 😂
 
Look how rare Chrome Over Brass is in Ludwig then see how ordinarily common they have been (for 60 years) with Gretsch

the original Supra (ie Ludwig 400 was COB) then the drift to kitchen sink oops Aluminum.
Ludwig should be ashamed
There's been very few (in modern time) COB Ludwig.
And that the prettiest sound to me: gretsch 4160 Don't tell anyone keep it a 66 year secret
 
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jda said:
Look how rare Chrome Over Brass is in Ludwig then see how ordinarily common they have been (for 60 years) with Gretsch

the original Supra (ie Ludwig 400 was COB) then the drift to kitchen sink oops Aluminum.
Ludwig should be ashamed
There's been very few COB Ludwig.
And that the prettiest sound to me: gretsch 4160 Don't tell anyone keep it a 66 year secret
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And either way, the Gretsch COB's Brooklyn or USA, both are the same shell. :cool:
 
(shhhhh.... Qd shhhh...... :D

I got 2 I want three there's one at Dfo for sale..
 
I think the fact that all of my favorite records and drummers used Bell Brass (Bronze) snare's, especially in the early 90's, made me want one.
I had the pleasure of renting one from Drum Doctors many years ago. That was the first time I got to actually play one. After that it was like chasing the dragon, mostly because of the price tag. I finally got my hands on one a few years ago. It was a custom job, collaborated by three different sources. The shell, a 3mm bronze, was obtained by a company in Taiwan. Yamaha supplied all the hardware, as I'm a Yamaha artist, I wanted it to stay in line with the company. However, they lacked the tooling needed to drill such a thick metal shell to outfit the hardware. For that I was referred to the now defunct Q-Drum, who specialized in heavy metal drums. Between the 3 sources I got my Bell Bronze dream snare, and at a fraction of the price retail models go for.

It's not the end all be all snare I hoped for. I still find myself using other drums for specific situations, but I do play this one probably more than any of them.
 
I personally feel the majority of drummers don’t need a cast bronze/ bell brass snare for the average gigs most people are doing . The average gigging drummer will find them heavy and clunky to transport . It will require a heavier duty snare stand to support these heavy snare drums . The sheer colume of these drums are not going to make your band mates very happy . Our band mates already think we are too loud , no sense providing them further ammunition right ?

I have played a few of these snares and they just are not for me . The only one that I have a bit of interest in is the Gretsch Keith Carlock and to be honest I don’t know how much stand time it would get . I far prefer my 5” Ludwig Black Beauty to any of these thick shell snares . The BB has nuance , subtlety and articulation . It can cut through the mix without being harsh sounding . It is a beautiful brush snare .

Pass on these heavyweights for me
 
TheDrummerFromAmsterdam said:
If I do stadiums. Then. Maybe then. But that most likely will never happen so I'm more than content with less heavy drums 😂
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This exactly! My Powertone weighs a decent amount, but nothing like some of the brass or bronze ones I've held. As I gig pretty regularly, hauling less gear while still putting on a great show is something that took me WAY too long to learn.
 
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