I have a massive soft spot for cast bronze. Before ordering this snare I already owned 2 VKs exclusively for studio use, but I've always wanted something less prohibitively expensive—just enough to feel comfortable taking it on tour.
At a quick glance, this 'seamless bronze' material this drum is made of looks almost identical to the one used in higher end snares. It appears to have been lathed on both sides, with a a thin coating of lacquer on the outside. The snare beds are relatively shallow and wide. I have no idea how they managed to create such a competitively priced shell but I'm very glad this exists.
I agree with some reviewers that this is a drum you might want to upgrade straight away. I replaced the included heads and the batter hoop with a die cast. I haven't had a chance to properly explore tuning ranges but I've played it wide open in my first gig and the drum seems to have a brighter, sharper tone than my other cat bronze snares, with a distinct 'sweet spot', as opposed to the classic versatility other drums offer. The PDP is my shallowest one though, so it might be an unfair comparison. It also doesn't feel nearly as sensitive as some of the thiner brass and phosphor bronze snares I tried. I tend to play wide dynamic ranges so this was a welcome surprise.
Although it can't be compared with a Tama Bell Brass, or a VK, this is still an amazing product with almost no competition at this price point. Maybe If you're happy with a deeper drum, you might want to consider a SJC Goliath or a Gretsch USA Bronze.
I still believe this is an insanely good value at its current price. I look forward to spending more time getting to know this drum properly and learning what it does best!
