The oldest drum company in America introduces “U” created and designed in collaboration with Ulysses Owens Jr. - the three-time Grammy Award winning drummer and Juilliard educator. With his students in mind, Ulysses wanted a snare drum that was both high quality, yet affordable. The Noble & Cooley “U” series snares are reasonably priced making them accessible to every drummer.
The first batch of the “U” series consists of 25 drums. The official release date is April 22, 2024 - and will be available to order through any Noble & Cooley dealer. The “U” snare is a 5.5x14 Maple & Mahogany hybrid ‘Horizon Series’ natural satin finish shell with 8 polished brass tube lugs, flanged chrome rims, and the Signature “U” wood burn logo, and Evans heads. Each drum will also include a personally signed label from Ulysses.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled about how this collaboration between us, and Ulysses Owens Jr. turned out, and we look forward to getting this drum into many of your arsenals.”
-- Luke Garro
General Manager - Noble & Cooley
The sound is true to Noble & Cooley, yet unique. The Horizon series shell has the punch and warmth of maple with a vintage tone provided by the Mahogany. Brass lugs add character, which enhances the sound profile. Featuring a maple and mahogany hybrid with horizontal ply orientation. This design allows the shell to resonate more uniformly, mimicking the strong attack of a solid shell. The result is a clarity of sound that cuts through the mix, yet remains musical and vibrant. It has the warmth and punch of maple, balanced with a darker tone brought by the plies of mahogany.
N&C are building these snares using batch processing (25 at a time) to consolidate the time spent on each step, yet yield the same amazing result. It’s something they don’t get to do often when making custom drums one-by-one.
“Our goal in working with Ulysses was to create a high-quality, great sounding, American-made snare drum. And that’s just what we did. In addition, we wanted this to be one of the most accessible Noble & Cooley snare drums available in the market.”
-- Luke Garro
General Manager - Noble & Cooley
Our Goal:
-To be able to bring a great sounding, American made snare drum to students at the university level.
-To have this drum be an accessible Noble & Cooley drum, while still being elevated and true to the brand.
-To match the character and ability of a player like Ulysses Owens Jr.
To achieve this, we came up with a design that was simple, yet classy looking
Natural Satin finish
Single point brass tube lugs, 8 lugs
Unique “U” Woodburn logo
The” U” snare drum balances simplicity with elegance. It features N&C’s coveted Horizon shell, a maple and mahogany hybrid with horizontal ply orientation - built to resonate more uniformly and mimic the strong attack a solid shell. It has the warmth and punch of maple with a darker tone brought by the plies of mahogany. The 8-lug design of the drum and minimal finish keep it lightweight and full of life.
--The Memphis Drum Shop
Three time GRAMMY™ Award-Winning Drummer Ulysses Owens Jr., known for being a drummer who has said “takes a back seat to no one,” and “a musician who balances excitement gracefully and shines with innovation.”
--The New York Times
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