Titanium snare pros and cons

[gmiller598]

I'm debating a Dunnett Stanton Moore Titanium to go with my Acacia drum as a present to myself for a big raise and job change. They are pricy so I'm curious of thoughts and experiences with titanium. Feedback would be appreciated.

 

[dingaling]

I had a Dunnett 6.5 Ti drum. Loved it. Hard to describe the sound, not quite as pingy as metal and not quite as dark as wood.

Only sold it because I was much younger and broke, living above my means at the time. But if you can afford I think almost anyone would like his Ti snares.

 

[audiochurch]

Loved mine as well but……..I couldnt see myself bringing an expensive snare to bar gigs. Sold it to a forum guy here, and he cleaned it up to add $300 to its already high price.

Am content with my Ludwig Black Magic Stainless Steel or Supralite for gigs. Both were about $200 each and I don’t worry about them getting dinged up. I was super nervous the 3 or 4 gigs I brought the Titanium snare out.

 

[Ptrick]

I had a Dunnett 14x6.5 I gigged for several years. It’s a poppy dry sound with good body. Like aluminum, but richer sounding.

My only gripe with the drum was how thin it was. The shell would actually deform if you did not loosen the bottom lugs when taking a head off, making changing heads a bit more of a chore. Because of the extra deep snare beds as well, I actually had to bend the shell back in round a couple times because to tune the bottom head free of wrinkles, it took quite a bit of tension at the snare beds, and it would torque the shell out of round.

I eventually sold it, and now prefer the sound of thick cast shells.

In the same price range as a Stanton Ti, you could get a Noble & Cooley solid piccolo that to my ears would play even better (more versatile).

 

[Ptrick]

Also, for less than half the price, this Summit solid would probably sound every bit as good.

Summit Drums 14x4.5” solid shell Black cherry | Reverb

14x4.5 solid shell Black Cherry with hard maple rings -8 die cast single point lugs brass finish-2.3mm black nickel triple flange hoops-Brass finish modern throw and die cast butt-20 strand German wires -Ambassador weight coated/clear heads-hand rubbed oil finish, wax polished-30° edge with outsi...

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[Markkuliini]

Had Dunnett 14x6,5 Ti, that I bought new without testing (yeah, wise... Lol). Didn't bond with the sound at all. Weirdly dry in the midrange, but still having some high end ring, so different kind of dry as compared to aluminum. Hard hits didn't "explode" but felt more like the sound "imploded". Hard to describe, since it was such weird sensation playing it. But it felt powerless to me somehow.

After straight bottom bearing edge had ripped 2 reso heads and I noticed the strainer rattling when playing the drum without wires, I decided to sell it. It was the quickest turn around for a a new drum for me.
Naturally I had to take significant loss selling it. Seen the same drum sold few times online ever since. Doesn't seem to be a keeper.

Upside is that it totally cured my curiosity for titanium.

 

[dale w miller]

I had a Dunnett 14x6.5 I gigged for several years. It’s a poppy dry sound with good body. Like aluminum, but richer sounding.

My only gripe with the drum was how thin it was. The shell would actually deform if you did not loosen the bottom lugs when taking a head off, making changing heads a bit more of a chore. Because of the extra deep snare beds as well, I actually had to bend the shell back in round a couple times because to tune the bottom head free of wrinkles, it took quite a bit of tension at the snare beds, and it would torque the shell out of round.

I eventually sold it, and now prefer the sound of thick cast shells.

In the same price range as a Stanton Ti, you could get a Noble & Cooley solid piccolo that to my ears would play even better (more versatile).

I have a 3 piece GMS kit with Dunnett titanium shells and it surprised me as well how flexible the shells became when the heads were being changed. That’s Ronn’s claim to fame though. He really loves thin shells and I get it.

The kit sounds great. Like people are saying, it’s similar to aluminum with less bite.

 

[Mapex Always]

I have a 3 piece GMS kit with Dunnett titanium shells and it surprised me as well how flexible the shells became when the heads were being changed. That’s Ronn’s claim to fame though. He really loves thin shells and I get it.

The kit sounds great. Like people are saying, it’s similar to aluminum with less bite.

View attachment 539307 View attachment 539308

Fantastic kit!

@gmiller598 , I say absolutely pick up the drum … I play a 14” x 6.5” Dunnett Classic Titanium … nothing about it is displeasing to this ear and the build quality is excellent.

Played my first Dunnett. What do you guys think of yours?

Got the chance to go Fork's yesterday (picked up the broadkasters, pics to follow later) and got to hear a Dunnett for the first time it was a chrome over brass snare. Really great. Quite a bit more than a gretsch chrome over brass though. How do you guys like your Dunnetts compared to other...

www.drumforum.org

 

[dale w miller]

Fantastic kit!

Thanks. It’s only left my house a couple of times and to record with it. Because the shells feel so delicate, I’m afraid it’ll get damaged to easily. I treated like a guy who buys a Ferrari and it rarely is driven. He just wipes it with a diaper.

It sounds best in a huge room, especially the kicked drum. Actually in a negative way regarding that, after doing one day of recording in a smaller room, one engineer asked me to bring in a wood kick for the next day. Then again, I hated his drum sound. He wants everything to sound flat & muffled like most 70’s recordings. He has muffled the hell out of all my drums every time I have recorded with him.

 

[Butch1970]

My only experience is with a Dunnett Classic 6x14. The above posts are accurate but I can add that it seems to record very well.

 

[drums1225]

My 13x6.5 Dunnett Titanium is my favorite snare, ever, and I play it on almost all my gigs. I also have a 14x6.5 Dunnett Ti that's awesome, too, but I have really settled on 13" snares in recent years. In my opinion, Titanium is the perfect balance between traditional metal snares and wooden ones.

 

[drummer5359]

My Dunnett Titanium is a 6.5" X 14" polished model from 2011.

I bought it in February of 2020, literally the week before gigs dried up. As such, I have not gotten to give it the real-world test that I would have been able to. Having said that, I've used it in rehearsals with my new band and it got the other players' attention. (In a good way.)

I bought mine from Drumbelly here on DFO. It might be one that was sold here a few times, or maybe not. In any case it isn't going anywhere now.

(This photo is from the previous owner.)

I've been dabbling in shallower snares as of late, a Stanton Moore Titanium is on my radar as well.

 

[ian.thomas]

In the same price range as a Stanton Ti, you could get a Noble & Cooley solid piccolo that to my ears would play even better (more versatile).

Both would be great, but for sure it's worth checking out an N&C before making the purchase.

 

[Butch1970]

A sideways option, but since N&C has been mentioned, an Alloy Classic might be something to check out.

 

[Treviso1]

I had one of the original Dunnett Ti snares back around 2000-ish. It had the original logo on the drum (that's not done anymore) with the forged steel hoops... It was a very beautiful drum with a very thin shell. When I tuned the drum where I liked it, it would go out of round and choke out. I sold it. Now, I had the original DW version of the Ti with the special tube lugs that they released around 2005-ish...that drum had a thicker shell, still thin, but thicker than the original Ti I had and that drum was amazing! One of the best drums I ever had. Finally, I owned a Dunnett Ti drumset: 24,12,14,16 that I bought used from Nick Amoroso and I gigged with that kit for years. It was probably the best sounding kit I ever played. Definitely the best bass drum, EVER. Wow! When I got out of gigging, I sold the drums...that's the only kit I regret ever selling. That was a GREAT kit.

 

[repete]

Both would be great, but for sure it's worth checking out an N&C before making the purchase.

Do you still have your Ti?

 

[dale w miller]

Finally, I owned a Dunnett Ti drumset: 24,12,14,16 that I bought used from Nick Amoroso and I gigged with that kit for years. It was probably the best sounding kit I ever played. Definitely the best bass drum, EVER. Wow! When I got out of gigging, I sold the drums...that's the only kit I regret ever selling. That was a GREAT kit.

Interesting. If I get any complaints from engineers regarding my GMS/Dunnett ti kit, it’s the kick drum that they don’t like.

 

[Mendozart]

Interesting. If I get any complaints from engineers regarding my GMS/Dunnett ti kit, it’s the kick drum that they don’t like.

What size is your bass drum Dale?

 

[JazzDrumGuy]

I had a Dunnett 6.5 titanium. Just a monster drum but was too much sound for me for a jazz context. It is similar yo aluminum but a more focused sound. Very similar to my Pearl Tico Torres 3mm aluminum sheel. Ironically, I sold it to a very good jazz player in NYC who loved it. I prefer my Dunnett 6.5 bronze for jazz so it had to go.....but a great snare. (Sold the Pearl, too....)

 

[ian.thomas]

Y

Do you still have your Ti?

Yeah! I had it for sale awhile back, but no takers. I changed the heads, tuned it up and enjoying it again. I still have too many drums, so I may still sell, but for now I'm happy to keep it.