I wanted to start off by thanking Sounds Like A Drum for the kind words they gave our zebra/maple snare drum. You can check it out here.
The zebra snare mentioned here & the 1920s Slingerland “Artist Model” snare drum, were my main inspirations leading me to craft the two snares featured in this post.
Let’s get down to the details.
SOUND & SPECS
These two snares are made out of the same constructed 6-ply shell - walnut (1) / ash (4) / walnut (1). Walnut is known for its classic and attractive characteristics for tone and visual aesthetic. Sonically, walnut’s tonal colors can be characterized as having a big and dark low end to it. On the other side of the coin, ash is known for its warmer highs and mids compared to maple. Having ash as the core and walnut as your outer plies allow you to obtain a lot of low end in the higher tuning range while not sounding “choked”. These drums will also have a deep and darker low end than maple. Both snares have a slight round over on the outer edge with a 45-degree inner cut. This allows the snare to give you both body and lively overtones.
These snares come outfitted with aged brass tube lugs, classic snare throw-off and single flanged hoops.
UNIQUE DIFFERENCES
Now it’s time to talk about what makes them different. First let’s talk about lug counts. One snare has 8 while the other has 10. The 10 lug snare (my favorite) will give you an overall articulate sound while the 8 lugs gives you more of a lively “retro vibe”. The 10 lug drum comes with 10-ply maple re-rings which will keep your sound focused but—since it is a thin shell—will not dry it up. You still have sustain and tone to your snare. For the 8 lug snare we took some of the leftover shell and installed them as re-rings. The 6-ply walnut/ash/walnut re-rings enhances the tonal colors and sustain of the thin shell.
3RD & 4TH DRUM CO. + REVIVAL DRUM SHOP
I’m honored and excited to say that both of these drums have been welcomed at Revival Drum Shop in Portland, OR. I can’t thank José and everyone at Revival enough for allowing this little drum company to share the same space as so many great drum companies. The 10 lug snare drum sold in the first week. The 8 lug drum is still available for purchase. You can check it out in person or on Revival’s website.
If you would like a snare like this feel free to email me.