► Start Your FREE StephensDrumShed Drum School Trial Here: bit.ly/2TpkJmJ Subscribe or I will steal your cymbals: bit.ly/2AyH1Fb As a drum teacher, one of the biggest drum related questions I get asked is about the cost of certain drums. Are expensive drums BETTER? Will cheaper drums work just as well? What defines a "better" sounding drum? For this video, I bought the cheapest 5.5" steel snare drum and the most expensive 5.5" steel snare drum on Amazon. An epic snare drum shoot out...and just for fun I brought along my good buddy RDavidR to help me test them out. Check out David's channel here: th-cam.com/users/rdavidr Watch his video on cheap vs expensive cymbals here: th-cam.com/video/rJfpnlPqwVE/w-d-xo.html Check out my other video in this series: I Bought The CHEAPEST and MOST EXPENSIVE Wooden Snare Drum on Amazon th-cam.com/video/Bygsg4HTapU/w-d-xo.html Leave a comment below and let me know your favorite drum!
Great comparison!! The Yamaha Recording Custom isn't super-expensive compared to some other brands, so I think the Yamaha is a great option - as the price pays off in the end. I have the 14 x 5.5 Recording Custom Brass (so I'm slightly biased) - but this comparison put the Yamaha snare in a good light. They are fantastic snare drums for the money.
Most important to your sound is the wood the drums are made off even midrange drums will sound great. But like the old saying its not the drums it who playing the drums that make them sound good.
I usually find that with some head changes and careful tuning you can make almost any drum sound reasonably ok. The biggest issue with cheap gear is durability.
In 1974 I was ten years old. My Grandparent's bought me a brand new "Ludwig" chrome superphonic snare drum for $75.00 at "Sam Ash" the one "John Bonham" played. I had it for over fourty years and it sounded great!
I actually love the cheap drum with the low-end tuning. It has a really big, open sound without too much sustain. The expensive drum just sounds too soft at that tuning without enough attack
I think your missing the point though...nether build quality of the Yamaha is far superior...and I’ll bet u if u gig that cheap snare it will be no good in no time... hardware falls apart... and strainer will end up letting u down...that’s why u pay more...for higher quality 🤷🏼♂️
@@scottapthorpe6172 "Far superior" is a stretch. If it was that much superior you'd be able to hear a big difference. The cheap drum actually sounded better to me at some tunings. And having a drum that will "last a lifetime" is pointless when you can buy 10 of the cheap ones for the same price. And you'll never even get around to using all of those.I'd actually be willing to bet that if you used the cheap ones 1 at a time and replaced each one once every 5-10 years, by the time you were 80 the $500 one would be beat up and you'd still have several brand new cheap ones sitting in storage.
Over about 50 years of drumming, I have owned dozens of snares and presently have 4. One of my favorites is a cheap lightweight 13" Yamaha Rydeen. I used to be kinda embarrassed to use it but dam it sounds really good. My main snare is a Ludwig Supraphonic. Its super solid and heavy, all the workings and mechanistic features are precise and reliable. Regardless of sound quality, being reliable is what , for me, substantiates the price.
The cheap snare definitely has a bunch of extra top end ring, and a bit of a thinner mid-range., but totally usable. After doing some shopping for lugs, throw-offs, and snare strainer butt plates - I'm not entirely surprised that the hardware is super solid and slick on the Yamaha snare. The hardware portion of expensive drums make up like 75-90% of the cost of the drum.
I love the ring tone. Gives a snare an organic sound vs. a boring cliche "studio" sound. To me, the best snare sound was the $50 mid-tune. Sounds a lot like my 1980's TAMA steel snare. Great video!
DrumFactoryDirect also has a variety of affordable throw-offs in the $10-$20 range, including Ludwig P85 style. Assuming the holes line up, that would also be an economical upgrade. $50 drum + $28 in hoops + $15 throw-off = $93 snare drum that sounds great. PLUS, add $1 in cotton balls to quiet the springs in the lugs.
@@ryangroom2959, The actual part number is P-88. It's Ludwig's newest throw-off design. I have one on my Classic Maple snare & I'd highly recommend it!
@@alexvanbergeijk609 no not the p88 I’m looking for the throw off arm for a p87, I have a 1958 Ludwig super classic snare with a transition badge but I can’t turn the snare on and off, they’re either always on, or always off
Pertaining to my previous post... I have a DW Design Series Nickel over Brass 14 X 6.5 Snare drum, purchased Used in early 2021. When it was delivered, the previous owner had a HD Dry batter head installed on it. The drum played great, right out of the delivery Box (Reverb). A few weeks ago, I had to replace the batter head. I used the same HD Dry, re-installed the clear Stock Reso head and wires. No matter how tweaked and fooled with the tuning, I could not achieve the same out of The Box sound. Last week, I placed the DW on top of my 16 Inch Floor Tom to get it out of the way and placed my PDP Maple Snare 14 X 5.5 (also with a HD Dry Batter head) in the snare stand and played along to My Music, which I do for an hour almost everyday (i'm 71 YO and retired. Playing is a Hobby / Pleasure for me). During this session, doing a Fill, I hit the DW snare while atop of the Tom...and Bingo, That was the Sound I was seeking - nice Crack, just the right sustain, Ludwig Supraphonic Bonham sound. Take it off the Tom, and it's Not the same? The same for the PDP Maple snare - a better sound is achieved! I've posted this on many Drum Forums with many opinions including one poster who said jokingly that I may have Invented a New Snare Stand! Any thoughts on this ?
I actually thought the cheap drum EXCELLED at the low tuning...better than the Yammy. The expensive one sounded better at the mid and high tunings, though it could have sounded more crisp IMO. Just goes to show how subjective a lot of this stuff is.
I was surprised how good the 50 quid drum sounded. That being said. When you guys started the 500 one.. The sound body is like damn... Way different. It sounded way better at any stages. But I can say the 50 is way cooler than anyone could think I guess.
There are so many other aspects to consider. Does it stay in tune? Does the snare make noise when you are not playing but other instruments are? Does the throw break well? If you want a lot of ring or snap buy a piccolo snare and not one that deep. A lot of personal preference here. Also, a mic’d snare on a recording sounds totally different than a live one. However, loved this comparison side by side. Just like golf clubs don’t make the game better. Either you know how to play and tune one or you don’t. I’ve seen awesome guitar players make a $10 guitar sound awesome.
Great video. I constantly change the tension depending on the venue and even change it in the middle of a set for certain songs. I was surprised at how much better the cheap snare sounded at different ranges and I think I might be buying one (with new heads and strainer) just to try it out. Also, I was disappointed at how sloppy the Yamaha sounded at times. The over tones sounded a bit weird to me.
Yeah... I think the biggest issue with cheap snares is the throw-off and the fact that cheap hardware makes frequent tuning necessary. Sounded pretty cool once you got it dialed in the best you could, but now it's a $100+ snare with the new heads and Puresounds.
omg yes, i was getting used to with cheap snare for most of my life that even now i use mid-high range snare i am always tighten the throwoff after every single song because of my years of trauma lol
It almost seems half the problem is that drums always ship with less than ideal heads. It would be great if you could say get the bare shell a little cheaper knowing you will have to add your own preferred heads and perhaps snare wires. Of course for the manufacturers the cost of heads etc. is probably very little to the overall cost and makes little sense for the $50 snare.
In my opinion the drummer makes a lot of difference (there's a lot of subtlety in the rim shot and ghost notes), so I think for a fair comparison the same drummer should have played both drums. I understand it's a collab and both drummers should play, then I would have each one playing the both drums in the same tuning, and then swap drummers when they change tunnings.
Yamaha website says the Recording Custom steel shell is 1.2mm thick. Amazon says the Lexington steel shell is also 1.2mm thick. That tells me that the hoops and the lugs are the main reason for the large weight difference between the 2 drums.
Thanks for your time making this video. I'm curious... What Kits do you guys typically play? As a 70 YO, retired guy who has resurrected playing drums after 50 Years (1969), playing as a Hobby to MY Music about 1 hour a day, I enjoy watching these videos as a Learning Experience. When I started playing in 1966 - eventually buying a Drum set (in my day we called it a Drum set, not kit), brand unknown from the Music store where I took maybe 10 lessons, I knew Nothing of Tuning , different drum heads, or better Cymbals. 2 Other HS buddies and I formed a "band", 1 guy had a house with a a basement where I kept my drums. We were all Learning as we went. After 2.5 years or so, we never got out of the basement. Then Life got in the way as we went in separate directions. Moral to my story is......It's Never Too Late !!. I wish I didn't have an Arthritic Spine (and some other joints too), but once I was bit by the Drumming Bug in 1966 (thanks to Ringo, Charlie, Dino Danelli, and of course Ginger B), it gets into your Blood. Who knows...maybew a Geriatric Band locally by me, will be created?
I bought a Ludwig 402 a couple years ago because of the hype. I tried numerous heads and tuning I just did not like the way it sounded. Gave it away to my friends daughter. Music is very dynamic there is no right or wrong answer. I like the sound of the snare that came with my Pearl Export kit. Cymbals are a different story, you can't tune those. Paiste 2002 all day long. I just got a big beat 24 inch unbelievable sound. There are so many videos and information now people don't think for themselves anymore. Just my opinion.
Great comparison! The $50 held its own pretty well. But I know the pain of horrible throw-off hardware and fighting wire tension xP so definitely not a drum for me lol
@@StephenTaylorDrums And you never know exactly what result you'll get. I have a Ludwig acrolite and a Pearl Export snare drum. The acrolite mostly sits on the shelf.
With respect to "cheap" Snares.... I bought a cheapo Griffin Piccolo Snare 13 X 3.5 over a year ago. Changed one thing which was advised on a YT video review. Put a HD Dry Batter head on it, cranked it high (Be careful with the Tabletop tightness on the snare side head - not to crack the bearing edge!), and it has a nice Pop / Crack with just the right sustain. The Griffin drum was $45, the new HD dry head was about $20 on Amazon (now $30) and I'm very satisfied with the sound. This leads me to another Quirky Tweak / Result... When I play this Piccolo Snare placed on top of my other Maple 14 X 5.5 Snare in the stand - the sound is "Enhanced" !! I will post separately of another weird drum sound result. THX guys for the time to make this !.
@@DrRusty5 Better than $500 for a drum that's sounds exactly the same or worse imo. Also why the hell are you paying $100 for heads and wires? At most that's $50. You're getting ripped off lol.
@@mpk6664 OK, well I was making a quick estimate from prices from my head in £(UK). Looking closer at the heads they used in £ and the snare wires that cost in the region of £50 (note UK so this inc Taxes). That currently converts to ~$66 (which is more than the $40 you suggest). The UK night well be a "rip off" if in the US you can get it all for $40 (~£30). So ok not quite $100 but doubling the price of the cheap snare.
@@mpk6664 I strongly expect that wouldn't be the case, for the same heads - online prices are usually better or equal to in store prices in the UK. Of course there might be cheaper heads available but how cheap do you go before it isn't worth replacing the naff stock heads?
I usually find a coated remo ambassador snare head makes every snare drum sound better but in this video it didn't always pan out that way. Lexington mid tune with a white coated CS black dot head and a new throw off .
Do you have a full version of your song track you used available? It's been in other videos and I'm always singing it for the rest of the day. Would love to have the full tune!
My personal take. $50 Snare: Low: Sounds AMAZING for a church. I love how this drum through some light mixing just sounds so THICC Med: Sounds great for more of a Rock/Pop context, still has that body but not as thicc High: Great for a Jazz context. Not too much attack, but sounds very thin at the same time. $500 Snare: Low: Sounds very tinny, too ringy and needs a muffling, i would use an E Ring and some moongel to hold the ring in place. Med: KILLER sound, there could be a touch more bark, just depends on the head you're using High: I agree that this is the best overall treatment for this drum, it's like it was made for that specific sound.
The cheap drum sounds great, sadly at the price we all know it won’t last. Yamaha’s Stage Custom steel snare looks to be a steal at £130. It would be interesting to see that up against the $500 Yamaha.
I found the Yamaha had little tone at the medium tuning. I once bought the cheapest snare on Thomann (a Millenium piccolo), put decent heads and snare wires on it and could make it sound nice. Usually the hardware of cheap snares is crap. Go around the 100 USD/EUR mark and you can get a decent snare which you can make sound great.
I have 4 of those same "cheap "snares. Each one has a different badge. Including tama, umi, no name and cb700. They are all identical. Hardware and all. Very tunable, controlable, and durable. I like them. So, heads, tuning.....4 different drums
Thank you for doing this type or video! Im in the market for a new snare and this influenced me quite a bit. Now I dont feel the need to break the bank
Used student snare kits are actually a really good deal. Plenty of Pearls and Ludwigs under $100, and you often get upgraded heads, a case, and a snare stand. Sometimes the snare is even an Acrolite. I feel like steel snares these days are like buying ibuprofen: it's the same stuff!
I own a Ludwig bronze snare and a Pearl masters maple and a while ago bought a Mapex Amoury Peacemaker snare for 149e which I use more now than the others. Its not a cheap snare in construction only in price. This is a wonderful snare if you like a warm woody sound with a great tuning range. I was lucky to be given the Ludwig but I believe they cost a fortune now. Price isn't everything!
This is pretty surprising. I expected the cheaper snare drum to sound worse (perhaps only marginally) and be an absolute nightmare with stock heads and out-of-the-box tuning. But to me it sounds best on every tuning compared to the Yamaha, and the very first playthrough with stock heads just sounds amazing, albeit for specific occasions. I'm shocked.
Now what if you take aluminum wrap after a while, and D.I.Y. it as a wrap around the steel, like on another video, what then would it sound like? If your fixing it up anyway, you can go with like a old tama shell then build from there.
Like most things you can do that require some sort of equipment, people will fawn over the "latest and greatest" kit without really needing something of that level because their skill has not exceeded the capability of their stuff. Case in point are drums. Sure, some of the high end sets will sound a little better, but you can make most drums sound, feel, and play similarly to the high end versions. But when it comes to cymbals, you usually get what you pay for. The same could be said about firearms and optics, too. Sometimes, you just can't substitute quality for price if there's nothing you can do to change it. You may not want to pay the $1200 for a Trijicon ACOG, but it will last virtually forever whereas the cheap, $200 alternatives fall apart within a year.
See, I know everyone hates the overtones with rim shots but I think that's a fundamental characteristic of drums and such a beautiful tone that adds layers and texture to the tracks. Again, that's just my personal opinion though and understand others mileage may vary.
I'm with you. I love overtones and once they get nested into the music, it gives it life. However, some overtones become distracting. In this case, we prob could have tweaked the tuning to accommodate the song if this were a real session for an artist.
@@StephenTaylorDrums oh most definitely and couldn't agree with you more. It's same principle of how I love a unmuffled and unported bass drum reso head. Edited because I forgot to mention - despite what I love, the song might not call for it as much and I get that. But even going back to what you said in your video, a little bit of muffling would of honestly probably been all you needed to. Regardless, you rock man and appreciate all ya do for the drumming community!
Thanks for playing the same thing for each test. I've always thought a drum just holds the heads and that's about it. I still think that. Tuning and heads are mostly the deciding factors. I think you can make any drum work ok. In general, acoustic drums sound terrible anyway and they all need lots of processing.
I've been struggling all night with whether or not to spend $600 on a new Black Beauty, but honestly, I'm almost getting the sound I want for recording out of my $20 metal snare I found at guitar center with an Ambassador Vintage Coated head. Ha! I just... yeah. Have tried several heads on that thing and so far that's the one that "cracks" the most. Gotta try Controlled Sound and Genera Dry next! Also, been piling the mics on the snare. Just one SM57 on top could NEVER do it for me...
I think that tha cheap snare drum sounds a lot better than tha expensive one, I definitely prefer tha warm tone of tha black one. It sounds really funky.
Drummers go ga-ga over snare drums, while snare drums just go 'pop'. It is pretty easy to get a usable sound out of any snare drum, because they just go 'pop'. A cardboard box or a plastic bucket can serve the function of snare drum.
I dont know why but I just cant stomach lower tuned snares. They always sound like crap to me compared to higher tuning. I just love the way a snare sings when it is cranked and the responsiveness and crack it has. Lower tuning always just sounds so muddy and dead to me.
Great test guys but what you really proved was you can get exceptional sound from a much lower cost snare. An experienced drummer can buy a snare at a much lower price point and with some tuning have an incredible sound. In other words you don’t have to spend a fortune on a snare to have snare that sounds like it cost a fortune. Thank you!
What Ive heard extrem was a distort sounded on every hit on the cheap Version. The expansive one is holding the ton. What I‘m interessted in, where is the break even when I doesn‘t have an effect to pay more money for an better sound?
Dude that’s crazy that a drum that price has ANY body, cheap drums seem to be impossible to squeeze any body out of in my experience. I have one relatively cheap drum that I got at basically a musical pawn shop, ended up being one of my favorite drums I’ve ever bought. It was some 13x5 pearl steel shell with 6 lugs I got for like $60, weird man!! But the crack on that thing is crazy and it’s super fun as an aux snare. Changed snares and both rims somewhere down the line so I put a little money into it (about $90 because finding 13” snare side hoop with 6 lugs was def a special order) but still worth it, one of my go to drums
The snare drum used on Third Eye Blind's debut album songs "how's it going to be?" as well as 'Losing a Whole Year' was an old 6.5x14 Pearl Export drum with a beat up PS3 Coated head on it. Killer sound on this record
I grew up using Puresound snare wires but I also like Camopus snare wires a lot, especially for vintage drums. I also grew up using the Remo Ambassador Coated Drumhead but switched to the Evans Genera HD Dry Drumhead after about 35 years, which, in my opinion is the best sounding snare head on the market. I Also use a 2 inch small piece of peel and stick foam door insulation on the underside of the drum head right on top of the logo. This prevents any overtone and ringing and is unseen to the eye. I see a lot of people on the internet use goo or tape or something else on the top of their snare drum and to be honest it looks like crap and very unprofessional. Most new snare drums do not come with a damper anymore and even though they didn't work perfectly it was better than nothing. You can tune a bucket to sound nice with the right heads and snare wires so, expensive vs inexpensive gear means absolutely nothing to me. I love your channel brother...keep those videos coming you have a lot of great information as well as fun projects to offer. Take care!!
At the end of the day you mostly get what you pay for. I think the $50 one sounds really good for that price, but it does take some knowledge and effort to get it tuned right and constantly having to tune it can get annoying, and the cheap hardware probably wears out faster. So yeah, to me it mostly depends on what you want to use a piece of gear for. Just for some occasional fun, then the cheap one will work just fine. If you're going to record, play concerts and stuff it may be worth it to invest a bit more in a drum will stay in tune and last long.
I have found that more expensive drums are easier to tune, and are therefore easier to get a nice sound from, you also pay for the quality of the drumt. Would like to see a comparison between the Recording Custom and a Steve Gadd Signature Steel Snare. Because on paper, they are really simular, but the siganture model i way more expensive.
I am a lover the Yamaha. I have played with a Yamaha all steel 6 1/2 x 14 Stage Custom. I could not afford the Recording Custom. It sounds just fine. Thanks for the video!
In response...I "Love" the format of this video - A straight forward side by side comparison. As for hardware and quality, most of us with ANY experience know that you get what you pay for, but as for the SOUND...IMHO... $500 dollar drum does sound better hands down in every example. Does that make it worth 10 times the cost??? Probably not for anyone who isn't making a profitable living as a studio drummer. ie. - In a recording atmosphere worth the money - In a live performance atmosphere probably not. Keep hittng us with the comparison, and CHEERS ;>)
When it comes to drums, most of the time i see more durability differences between equiptment. The inexpensive stuff can sound good but the high end stuff can be beaten on for years and years.
it's not just about tuning, the price also reflects durability. I have had all sorts of snares and at different prices, and some are falling apart, or have rusted, etc. while the more pricy ones are still here in great condition. So if you are willing to eventually throw away your money, then buy a cheap one.
You should try the tunings with moon gel. That is a common thing that most drummers nowadays will use. I think testing a $7 fix would be good to see a $57 vs $507
So you can get a decent sound out of a cheaper drum, if you put good heads on it and tune it right. BUT, I noticed that the tuning range with the higher-end drum is better. In addition, the poor hardware will make you work for it. Thank you for the video.
In the contest of the light-mixed solo sound, as the mics are placed and all, the 50$ would fit quicker in a studio environment. As far as the MIX goes, both snares sound awful for the song. Maybe the most usable could be the 50$ - medium... but... actually no, I would swap the snares around the first 10 seconds of take 1. Great video !!!
Great video men….glad to see David R hanging…not to repeat what was said in video however, cheap drums hardware is an issue in a gigging atmosphere. If you don’t have the budget for a 700 dollar snare look for a just under 300 dollar Pork Pie snare drum. Remember what Stephen said the most expensive drum is not going to make you sound better. Keep pounding!
I preferred the sound of the cheap drum for all except the high tuning where the Yamaha shined. Would definately use a more dry head on the steel snare drums though like an Evans HD Dry or use moon gels otherwise you get too much ring… an engineers nightmare.
The cheap one at low tuning sounded awesome while the expensive one sounded like crap. On the flip side the cheap one sounded like crap tuned high while the expensive one sounded great
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As a drum teacher, one of the biggest drum related questions I get asked is about the cost of certain drums. Are expensive drums BETTER? Will cheaper drums work just as well? What defines a "better" sounding drum? For this video, I bought the cheapest 5.5" steel snare drum and the most expensive 5.5" steel snare drum on Amazon. An epic snare drum shoot out...and just for fun I brought along my good buddy RDavidR to help me test them out.
Check out David's channel here: th-cam.com/users/rdavidr
Watch his video on cheap vs expensive cymbals here: th-cam.com/video/rJfpnlPqwVE/w-d-xo.html
Check out my other video in this series:
I Bought The CHEAPEST and MOST EXPENSIVE Wooden Snare Drum on Amazon
th-cam.com/video/Bygsg4HTapU/w-d-xo.html
Leave a comment below and let me know your favorite drum!
Same as wine. A $10.00 bottle can taste as good as a $100.00 bottle.🍾
Great comparison!! The Yamaha Recording Custom isn't super-expensive compared to some other brands, so I think the Yamaha is a great option - as the price pays off in the end. I have the 14 x 5.5 Recording Custom Brass (so I'm slightly biased) - but this comparison put the Yamaha snare in a good light. They are fantastic snare drums for the money.
Most important to your sound is the wood the drums are made off even midrange drums will sound great. But like the old saying its not the drums it who playing the drums that make them sound good.
I subscribed hahaha know you can't touch my cymbals
I usually find that with some head changes and careful tuning you can make almost any drum sound reasonably ok. The biggest issue with cheap gear is durability.
just need to be creative.
Okay, I changed my mind. Ill play that cheap drum. No questions asked!
I'm with rdavidr.........but after the instructional portion of the video I made a quick bline back to 500.
yamaha got whooped i think on this one
I like the $50 one, perfect for metal honestly
But does it djent in 2023?
@@adderonit would be sample replaced.
In 1974 I was ten years old. My Grandparent's bought me a brand new "Ludwig" chrome superphonic snare drum for $75.00 at "Sam Ash" the one "John Bonham" played. I had it for over fourty years and it sounded great!
Lucky you! Supraphonic now cost a lot! 😅
$75!
2 yrs ago I sold a 1969 blue olive badge, 6.5" supra for almost $1k to a guy in Japan. It sold in less than an hour on Ebay.
My uncle got a Ludwig acrolite for free like 15 years ago. It sounds so good.
Yeah I bought a Ludwig Black Magic for around 300 and it's absolute garbage... times have changed😥
I actually love the cheap drum with the low-end tuning. It has a really big, open sound without too much sustain. The expensive drum just sounds too soft at that tuning without enough attack
The $500 drum is a ripoff. If you think the $50 one might break, just buy like 5 of them and you'll still have money left over.
I think your missing the point though...nether build quality of the Yamaha is far superior...and I’ll bet u if u gig that cheap snare it will be no good in no time... hardware falls apart... and strainer will end up letting u down...that’s why u pay more...for higher quality 🤷🏼♂️
@@scottapthorpe6172 I agree with both of you. 500 for a steel drum is overpriced but the Yamaha will last a lifetime.
That same track is annoying lol.
@@scottapthorpe6172 "Far superior" is a stretch. If it was that much superior you'd be able to hear a big difference. The cheap drum actually sounded better to me at some tunings. And having a drum that will "last a lifetime" is pointless when you can buy 10 of the cheap ones for the same price. And you'll never even get around to using all of those.I'd actually be willing to bet that if you used the cheap ones 1 at a time and replaced each one once every 5-10 years, by the time you were 80 the $500 one would be beat up and you'd still have several brand new cheap ones sitting in storage.
@@markcooperartcomofficial agreed
Over about 50 years of drumming, I have owned dozens of snares and presently have 4. One of my favorites is a cheap lightweight 13" Yamaha Rydeen. I used to be kinda embarrassed to use it but dam it sounds really good. My main snare is a Ludwig Supraphonic. Its super solid and heavy, all the workings and mechanistic features are precise and reliable. Regardless of sound quality, being reliable is what , for me, substantiates the price.
I own a Ludwig Classic Maple, Gretsch Bell Brass and a Supraphonic. I prefer my Supraphonic the majority of the time.
Rydeen Snares have a great cross-stick sound!
The cheap snare definitely has a bunch of extra top end ring, and a bit of a thinner mid-range., but totally usable. After doing some shopping for lugs, throw-offs, and snare strainer butt plates - I'm not entirely surprised that the hardware is super solid and slick on the Yamaha snare. The hardware portion of expensive drums make up like 75-90% of the cost of the drum.
True, them damn lugs n such!
I love the ring tone. Gives a snare an organic sound vs. a boring cliche "studio" sound. To me, the best snare sound was the $50 mid-tune. Sounds a lot like my 1980's TAMA steel snare. Great video!
DrumFactoryDirect also has a variety of affordable throw-offs in the $10-$20 range, including Ludwig P85 style. Assuming the holes line up, that would also be an economical upgrade. $50 drum + $28 in hoops + $15 throw-off = $93 snare drum that sounds great. PLUS, add $1 in cotton balls to quiet the springs in the lugs.
Ludwig p87 throw off arm? I literally can’t find it anywhere, ghost part
@@ryangroom2959, The actual part number is P-88. It's Ludwig's newest throw-off design. I have one on my Classic Maple snare & I'd highly recommend it!
@@alexvanbergeijk609 no not the p88 I’m looking for the throw off arm for a p87, I have a 1958 Ludwig super classic snare with a transition badge but I can’t turn the snare on and off, they’re either always on, or always off
Pertaining to my previous post... I have a DW Design Series Nickel over Brass 14 X 6.5 Snare drum, purchased Used in early 2021. When it was delivered, the previous owner had a HD Dry batter head installed on it. The drum played great, right out of the delivery Box (Reverb). A few weeks ago, I had to replace the batter head. I used the same HD Dry, re-installed the clear Stock Reso head and wires. No matter how tweaked and fooled with the tuning, I could not achieve the same out of The Box sound. Last week, I placed the DW on top of my 16 Inch Floor Tom to get it out of the way and placed my PDP Maple Snare 14 X 5.5 (also with a HD Dry Batter head) in the snare stand and played along to My Music, which I do for an hour almost everyday (i'm 71 YO and retired. Playing is a Hobby / Pleasure for me). During this session, doing a Fill, I hit the DW snare while atop of the Tom...and Bingo, That was the Sound I was seeking - nice Crack, just the right sustain, Ludwig Supraphonic Bonham sound. Take it off the Tom, and it's Not the same? The same for the PDP Maple snare - a better sound is achieved! I've posted this on many Drum Forums with many opinions including one poster who said jokingly that I may have Invented a New Snare Stand! Any thoughts on this ?
I actually thought the cheap drum EXCELLED at the low tuning...better than the Yammy. The expensive one sounded better at the mid and high tunings, though it could have sounded more crisp IMO. Just goes to show how subjective a lot of this stuff is.
I was surprised how good the 50 quid drum sounded. That being said. When you guys started the 500 one.. The sound body is like damn... Way different. It sounded way better at any stages. But I can say the 50 is way cooler than anyone could think I guess.
The more drum videos I watch, the more convinced I am that how good a drum sounds does not correlate with how much it costs, at all.
Usually the cheap ones has no straight edges and hoops, so it is really hard to tune.
There are so many other aspects to consider. Does it stay in tune? Does the snare make noise when you are not playing but other instruments are? Does the throw break well? If you want a lot of ring or snap buy a piccolo snare and not one that deep. A lot of personal preference here. Also, a mic’d snare on a recording sounds totally different than a live one. However, loved this comparison side by side. Just like golf clubs don’t make the game better. Either you know how to play and tune one or you don’t. I’ve seen awesome guitar players make a $10 guitar sound awesome.
Great video. I constantly change the tension depending on the venue and even change it in the middle of a set for certain songs. I was surprised at how much better the cheap snare sounded at different ranges and I think I might be buying one (with new heads and strainer) just to try it out. Also, I was disappointed at how sloppy the Yamaha sounded at times. The over tones sounded a bit weird to me.
Yeah... I think the biggest issue with cheap snares is the throw-off and the fact that cheap hardware makes frequent tuning necessary. Sounded pretty cool once you got it dialed in the best you could, but now it's a $100+ snare with the new heads and Puresounds.
omg yes, i was getting used to with cheap snare for most of my life that even now i use mid-high range snare i am always tighten the throwoff after every single song because of my years of trauma lol
Loved it and enjoyed the comradery! Lots of excellent points made in the comparison.
It almost seems half the problem is that drums always ship with less than ideal heads. It would be great if you could say get the bare shell a little cheaper knowing you will have to add your own preferred heads and perhaps snare wires. Of course for the manufacturers the cost of heads etc. is probably very little to the overall cost and makes little sense for the $50 snare.
Only an idiot plays with shipped heads.
I immediately get a Remo ps3 or 4
Standard heads are garbage
In my opinion the drummer makes a lot of difference (there's a lot of subtlety in the rim shot and ghost notes), so I think for a fair comparison the same drummer should have played both drums. I understand it's a collab and both drummers should play, then I would have each one playing the both drums in the same tuning, and then swap drummers when they change tunnings.
This is exactly what I thought too.
That $50 sounds fantastic! Steel snares always sound great to my ears. They don't have too much ring in my opinion! 😀
Yamaha website says the Recording Custom steel shell is 1.2mm thick. Amazon says the Lexington steel shell is also 1.2mm thick. That tells me that the hoops and the lugs are the main reason for the large weight difference between the 2 drums.
Thanks for your time making this video. I'm curious... What Kits do you guys typically play? As a 70 YO, retired guy who has resurrected playing drums after 50 Years (1969), playing as a Hobby to MY Music about 1 hour a day, I enjoy watching these videos as a Learning Experience. When I started playing in 1966 - eventually buying a Drum set (in my day we called it a Drum set, not kit), brand unknown from the Music store where I took maybe 10 lessons, I knew Nothing of Tuning , different drum heads, or better Cymbals. 2 Other HS buddies and I formed a "band", 1 guy had a house with a a basement where I kept my drums. We were all Learning as we went. After 2.5 years or so, we never got out of the basement. Then Life got in the way as we went in separate directions.
Moral to my story is......It's Never Too Late !!. I wish I didn't have an Arthritic Spine (and some other joints too), but once I was bit by the Drumming Bug in 1966 (thanks to Ringo, Charlie, Dino Danelli, and of course Ginger B), it gets into your Blood. Who knows...maybew a Geriatric Band locally by me, will be created?
I bought a Ludwig 402 a couple years ago because of the hype. I tried numerous heads and tuning I just did not like the way it sounded. Gave it away to my friends daughter. Music is very dynamic there is no right or wrong answer. I like the sound of the snare that came with my Pearl Export kit. Cymbals are a different story, you can't tune those. Paiste 2002 all day long. I just got a big beat 24 inch unbelievable sound. There are so many videos and information now people don't think for themselves anymore. Just my opinion.
Great comparison! The $50 held its own pretty well. But I know the pain of horrible throw-off hardware and fighting wire tension xP so definitely not a drum for me lol
Some interesting advice I saw about snare drums: watch the used market, try some random drums here and there and something will surprise you.
Oh. Used is def the way to go.
@@StephenTaylorDrums And you never know exactly what result you'll get. I have a Ludwig acrolite and a Pearl Export snare drum. The acrolite mostly sits on the shelf.
With respect to "cheap" Snares.... I bought a cheapo Griffin Piccolo Snare 13 X 3.5 over a year ago. Changed one thing which was advised on a YT video review. Put a HD Dry Batter head on it, cranked it high (Be careful with the Tabletop tightness on the snare side head - not to crack the bearing edge!), and it has a nice Pop / Crack with just the right sustain. The Griffin drum was $45, the new HD dry head was about $20 on Amazon (now $30) and I'm very satisfied with the sound. This leads me to another Quirky Tweak / Result... When I play this Piccolo Snare placed on top of my other Maple 14 X 5.5 Snare in the stand - the sound is "Enhanced" !! I will post separately of another weird drum sound result. THX guys for the time to make this !.
The $50 snare, high tuning with the light mix audio kinda reminds me of Lars Ulrich's from the Saint Anger album
For $50 dollars, that’s a great sounding snare! I think I’m gonna buy it lol
Plus ~$100 in new heads and snare wires ?
@@DrRusty5 Better than $500 for a drum that's sounds exactly the same or worse imo.
Also why the hell are you paying $100 for heads and wires? At most that's $50. You're getting ripped off lol.
@@mpk6664 OK, well I was making a quick estimate from prices from my head in £(UK).
Looking closer at the heads they used in £ and the snare wires that cost in the region of £50 (note UK so this inc Taxes). That currently converts to ~$66 (which is more than the $40 you suggest). The UK night well be a "rip off" if in the US you can get it all for $40 (~£30).
So ok not quite $100 but doubling the price of the cheap snare.
@@DrRusty5 Does the UK have physical music stores like the US's guitar center? If so, you might be able to cut a few quid(is that right? Lol) off.
@@mpk6664 I strongly expect that wouldn't be the case, for the same heads - online prices are usually better or equal to in store prices in the UK. Of course there might be cheaper heads available but how cheap do you go before it isn't worth replacing the naff stock heads?
This was a really fun video. Cheers
My metal Pearl snare that I purchased in the 90s is really good!
That Lexington is actually pretty nice love the finish and sound.
I usually find a coated remo ambassador snare head makes every snare drum sound better but in this video it didn't always pan out that way.
Lexington mid tune with a white coated CS black dot head and a new throw off .
Do you have a full version of your song track you used available? It's been in other videos and I'm always singing it for the rest of the day. Would love to have the full tune!
My personal take.
$50 Snare:
Low: Sounds AMAZING for a church. I love how this drum through some light mixing just sounds so THICC
Med: Sounds great for more of a Rock/Pop context, still has that body but not as thicc
High: Great for a Jazz context. Not too much attack, but sounds very thin at the same time.
$500 Snare:
Low: Sounds very tinny, too ringy and needs a muffling, i would use an E Ring and some moongel to hold the ring in place.
Med: KILLER sound, there could be a touch more bark, just depends on the head you're using
High: I agree that this is the best overall treatment for this drum, it's like it was made for that specific sound.
You guys rock!🤘 been watching both ur channels for years. You guys have both helped me become a much better drummer!
the lexington joke at the beginning has over so many heads haha
I always love videos where people make cheap drums sound on-par with the highest-end stuff around. You really never need good drums, just good heads
I would definitely say the Yamaha at the high tuning with perhaps a 1" wide strip of felt about 1/3 from the edge.
At high tuning, for $50 plus new heads, not a bad option at all. Def possible to play on a budget.
what is that "tuning technique" they are using at 4:06 with the stick under the snare wires?
guys didnt you believe all those puzzle adds were fake and theres no such game well today ive finally found the game
The cheap drum sounds great, sadly at the price we all know it won’t last. Yamaha’s Stage Custom steel snare looks to be a steal at £130. It would be interesting to see that up against the $500 Yamaha.
I found the Yamaha had little tone at the medium tuning.
I once bought the cheapest snare on Thomann (a Millenium piccolo), put decent heads and snare wires on it and could make it sound nice.
Usually the hardware of cheap snares is crap.
Go around the 100 USD/EUR mark and you can get a decent snare which you can make sound great.
I have 4 of those same "cheap "snares. Each one has a different badge. Including tama, umi, no name and cb700. They are all identical. Hardware and all. Very tunable, controlable, and durable. I like them. So, heads, tuning.....4 different drums
Thank you for doing this type or video! Im in the market for a new snare and this influenced me quite a bit. Now I dont feel the need to break the bank
That 50 dollar snare would be a great side snare turned super low. Great backbeat type sound
What song is that? I think I’m in love
Used student snare kits are actually a really good deal. Plenty of Pearls and Ludwigs under $100, and you often get upgraded heads, a case, and a snare stand. Sometimes the snare is even an Acrolite. I feel like steel snares these days are like buying ibuprofen: it's the same stuff!
I own a Ludwig bronze snare and a Pearl masters maple and a while ago bought a Mapex Amoury Peacemaker snare for 149e which I use more now than the others.
Its not a cheap snare in construction only in price. This is a wonderful snare if you like a warm woody sound with a great tuning range. I was lucky to be given the Ludwig but I believe they cost a fortune now. Price isn't everything!
You made that cheap drum sounds great. Definitely worth the cost + new heads + new hardware.
That "Lexington" snare is nice, but not big on the black shell on chrome lugs.
I like the fact it came with a smooth white snare side head.
Steven is always rough on them straps! Great vid guys! 😂
This is pretty surprising. I expected the cheaper snare drum to sound worse (perhaps only marginally) and be an absolute nightmare with stock heads and out-of-the-box tuning. But to me it sounds best on every tuning compared to the Yamaha, and the very first playthrough with stock heads just sounds amazing, albeit for specific occasions. I'm shocked.
I cannot get my MAPEX tomahawk steel drum to sound anywhere as good as y’all made the Lexington.
$50 drum for low and mid, $500 for high. Just change out the strainer and it’s throw off with the stationary mount. Love it’s sound.
This is why I say it's not about the drums it's about the drummer and finding that great sound
Crazy that the cheap snare beat the Yamaha in low to medium tunings!
That tight tuning on the Yamaha sounded amazing. I love a high, tight, crisp snare sound.
In the studio all 3 of us (drummers) immediately were like "crap, that sounds amazing" when it hit that high tuning lol
Now what if you take aluminum wrap after a while, and D.I.Y. it as a wrap around the steel, like on another video, what then would it sound like? If your fixing it up anyway, you can go with like a old tama shell then build from there.
To be honest i love the sound of the $50 snare, live the crack and the ring out, you can keep you $500 snare!!
Like most things you can do that require some sort of equipment, people will fawn over the "latest and greatest" kit without really needing something of that level because their skill has not exceeded the capability of their stuff.
Case in point are drums. Sure, some of the high end sets will sound a little better, but you can make most drums sound, feel, and play similarly to the high end versions. But when it comes to cymbals, you usually get what you pay for. The same could be said about firearms and optics, too. Sometimes, you just can't substitute quality for price if there's nothing you can do to change it. You may not want to pay the $1200 for a Trijicon ACOG, but it will last virtually forever whereas the cheap, $200 alternatives fall apart within a year.
See, I know everyone hates the overtones with rim shots but I think that's a fundamental characteristic of drums and such a beautiful tone that adds layers and texture to the tracks.
Again, that's just my personal opinion though and understand others mileage may vary.
I'm with you. I love overtones and once they get nested into the music, it gives it life. However, some overtones become distracting. In this case, we prob could have tweaked the tuning to accommodate the song if this were a real session for an artist.
@@StephenTaylorDrums oh most definitely and couldn't agree with you more. It's same principle of how I love a unmuffled and unported bass drum reso head.
Edited because I forgot to mention - despite what I love, the song might not call for it as much and I get that.
But even going back to what you said in your video, a little bit of muffling would of honestly probably been all you needed to.
Regardless, you rock man and appreciate all ya do for the drumming community!
Thanks for playing the same thing for each test.
I've always thought a drum just holds the heads and that's about it. I still think that. Tuning and heads are mostly the deciding factors. I think you can make any drum work ok.
In general, acoustic drums sound terrible anyway and they all need lots of processing.
I've been struggling all night with whether or not to spend $600 on a new Black Beauty, but honestly, I'm almost getting the sound I want for recording out of my $20 metal snare I found at guitar center with an Ambassador Vintage Coated head. Ha! I just... yeah. Have tried several heads on that thing and so far that's the one that "cracks" the most. Gotta try Controlled Sound and Genera Dry next! Also, been piling the mics on the snare. Just one SM57 on top could NEVER do it for me...
I think that tha cheap snare drum sounds a lot better than tha expensive one, I definitely prefer tha warm tone of tha black one. It sounds really funky.
Drummers go ga-ga over snare drums, while snare drums just go 'pop'. It is pretty easy to get a usable sound out of any snare drum, because they just go 'pop'. A cardboard box or a plastic bucket can serve the function of snare drum.
I dont know why but I just cant stomach lower tuned snares. They always sound like crap to me compared to higher tuning. I just love the way a snare sings when it is cranked and the responsiveness and crack it has. Lower tuning always just sounds so muddy and dead to me.
That cheap snare actually sounds pretty damn good 😲
Great test guys but what you really proved was you can get exceptional sound from a much lower cost snare. An experienced drummer can buy a snare at a much lower price point and with some tuning have an incredible sound. In other words you don’t have to spend a fortune on a snare to have snare that sounds like it cost a fortune. Thank you!
Hi.
Great video once again.
Both snare drums sound great out of the box and those new heads did the trick. I will go with Yamaha on this one.
What Ive heard extrem was a distort sounded on every hit on the cheap Version. The expansive one is holding the ton.
What I‘m interessted in, where is the break even when I doesn‘t have an effect to pay more money for an better sound?
Dude that’s crazy that a drum that price has ANY body, cheap drums seem to be impossible to squeeze any body out of in my experience. I have one relatively cheap drum that I got at basically a musical pawn shop, ended up being one of my favorite drums I’ve ever bought. It was some 13x5 pearl steel shell with 6 lugs I got for like $60, weird man!! But the crack on that thing is crazy and it’s super fun as an aux snare. Changed snares and both rims somewhere down the line so I put a little money into it (about $90 because finding 13” snare side hoop with 6 lugs was def a special order) but still worth it, one of my go to drums
The snare drum used on Third Eye Blind's debut album songs "how's it going to be?" as well as 'Losing a Whole Year' was an old 6.5x14 Pearl Export drum with a beat up PS3 Coated head on it. Killer sound on this record
I grew up using Puresound snare wires but I also like Camopus snare wires a lot, especially for vintage drums. I also grew up using the Remo Ambassador Coated Drumhead but switched to the Evans Genera HD Dry Drumhead after about 35 years, which, in my opinion is the best sounding snare head on the market. I Also use a 2 inch small piece of peel and stick foam door insulation on the underside of the drum head right on top of the logo. This prevents any overtone and ringing and is unseen to the eye. I see a lot of people on the internet use goo or tape or something else on the top of their snare drum and to be honest it looks like crap and very unprofessional. Most new snare drums do not come with a damper anymore and even though they didn't work perfectly it was better than nothing. You can tune a bucket to sound nice with the right heads and snare wires so, expensive vs inexpensive gear means absolutely nothing to me. I love your channel brother...keep those videos coming you have a lot of great information as well as fun projects to offer. Take care!!
Cheap snare + expensive heads = Greatness!!
At the end of the day you mostly get what you pay for. I think the $50 one sounds really good for that price, but it does take some knowledge and effort to get it tuned right and constantly having to tune it can get annoying, and the cheap hardware probably wears out faster. So yeah, to me it mostly depends on what you want to use a piece of gear for. Just for some occasional fun, then the cheap one will work just fine. If you're going to record, play concerts and stuff it may be worth it to invest a bit more in a drum will stay in tune and last long.
I have found that more expensive drums are easier to tune, and are therefore easier to get a nice sound from, you also pay for the quality of the drumt. Would like to see a comparison between the Recording Custom and a Steve Gadd Signature Steel Snare. Because on paper, they are really simular, but the siganture model i way more expensive.
Personally, hardware is everything and you get what you pay for. Quality is nice to have, but I’ll drum on buckets if that’s all I have.
I am a lover the Yamaha. I have played with a Yamaha all steel 6 1/2 x 14 Stage Custom. I could not afford the Recording Custom. It sounds just fine. Thanks for the video!
I liked the Yamaha better obviously but my preference would be to have it tuned a c hair below the tighter tuning.
In response...I "Love" the format of this video - A straight forward side by side comparison.
As for hardware and quality, most of us with ANY experience know that you get what you pay for, but as for the SOUND...IMHO...
$500 dollar drum does sound better hands down in every example. Does that make it worth 10 times the cost??? Probably not for anyone who isn't making a profitable living as a studio drummer. ie. - In a recording atmosphere worth the money - In a live performance atmosphere probably not.
Keep hittng us with the comparison, and CHEERS ;>)
the Lexington Steele offers a lot of bang for the buck
When it comes to drums, most of the time i see more durability differences between equiptment. The inexpensive stuff can sound good but the high end stuff can be beaten on for years and years.
it's not just about tuning, the price also reflects durability. I have had all sorts of snares and at different prices, and some are falling apart, or have rusted, etc. while the more pricy ones are still here in great condition. So if you are willing to eventually throw away your money, then buy a cheap one.
100% agree
You should try the tunings with moon gel. That is a common thing that most drummers nowadays will use. I think testing a $7 fix would be good to see a $57 vs $507
there technically is a more expensive steel snare: the sonor HLD from the 80s goes for around 850€ today
The cheap one, to me, sounds better in all tuning ranges, more character, more crack.
9:27 amazing sound
Idk about you, but the high tuned cheap boy is perfect for shit like Helmet and Snapcase
So you can get a decent sound out of a cheaper drum, if you put good heads on it and tune it right. BUT, I noticed that the tuning range with the higher-end drum is better. In addition, the poor hardware will make you work for it. Thank you for the video.
In the contest of the light-mixed solo sound, as the mics are placed and all, the 50$ would fit quicker in a studio environment.
As far as the MIX goes, both snares sound awful for the song.
Maybe the most usable could be the 50$ - medium... but... actually no, I would swap the snares around the first 10 seconds of take 1.
Great video !!!
Great video men….glad to see David R hanging…not to repeat what was said in video however, cheap drums hardware is an issue in a gigging atmosphere. If you don’t have the budget for a 700 dollar snare look for a just under 300 dollar Pork Pie snare drum. Remember what Stephen said the most expensive drum is not going to make you sound better. Keep pounding!
Any expert thoughts on Yamaha Concert Series chrome-over-steel snare drums?
I preferred the sound of the cheap drum for all except the high tuning where the Yamaha shined. Would definately use a more dry head on the steel snare drums though like an Evans HD Dry or use moon gels otherwise you get too much ring… an engineers nightmare.
Just saw this “ long version “of this test after i commented on the short !
Lol , do more of these on all drum stuff!
Mr.Tom
Does anyone know the name of the song they used for the tests? Thank you!
Im not even going to act like I didn't have my phone right next to my laptop trying to Shazam it lol
this is honestly really fun to watch
Thanks Dimitri!
Does anyone have a link to the cheap one
The cheap one at low tuning sounded awesome while the expensive one sounded like crap.
On the flip side the cheap one sounded like crap tuned high while the expensive one sounded great
From my experience, steel Snares, no matter which price can always sound pretty good with new heads and Snares.
Overall the cheap one sounded pretty good!