What's the Piccolo Snare Holy Grail?

[AtlantaDrumGuy]

The Ludwig downbeat is the ultimate vintage piccolo. Otherwise a high quality modern brass would be good. That said, I think you can get close enough with a well made 5x14 brass or aluminum. You can crank them up like a piccolo, so I’d rather have that.

 

[Elvis]

I ended up ordering the N&C 3 7/8 x 14 today in maple. Black with brass lugs. Phil Collins style.

Really excited.

Congrats Tom.
Is that from the SS series?

 

[drumsforme]

2nd generation 3.5x14 Pearl FF Snare. Have the maple shell, brass shell and a 3rd maple shell custom made Keller and 10 longer rods to make the drum 4.5"

 

[TheDrummerFromAmsterdam]

I want to throw in the original 14x4,5 Maple Custom too.

Here is my new old stock model in beautifully aged Vintage Natural finish.

 

[TomC727]

Congrats Tom.
Is that from the SS series?

Yes. SS Maple.

 

[pgm554]

This bad boy right here:

View attachment 552773

I remember Gene Okamoto from Pearl making a comment about it when it first came out.
Great sounding for little $

 

[pgm554]

I really like my 3 1/2 x 14 piccs.
The solid shell (hollow log not steam View attachment 561580 bent) From Croatia is my fave.
The Mapex was well under $100 new. View attachment 561581

Mapex makes some nice stuff.
My fav

 

[Trilock_Gurtu]

2nd generation 3.5x14 Pearl FF Snare. Have the maple shell, brass shell and a 3rd maple shell custom made Keller and 10 longer rods to make the drum 4.5"

Nice, the sec gen FFS's are the best for cost vs performance, imo. I love the N&C piccolos (have owned two, and will again, I'm sure), but for the money, the Pearl FFS is an amazing deal. My maple I bought not to long ago, mint shape, the brass was given to me free, but needed some parts (new heads, wires and two lugs). It's a bit pitted, tarnished and badge flaked off, but works as good as new now. Sounds great for about $80.00 into it. Perfect gigging piccolo.

I love your idea about the custom shell/longer lugs. I've been considering that. I was maybe thinking a Guven cast shell.

 

[cochlea]

How do you differentiate a second generation Pearl Free Floater from earlier/later versions?

 

[Vintage Old School]

How do you differentiate a second generation Pearl Free Floater from earlier/later versions?

The first generation Free Floater was built by Kaman and has a CB-700 badge and is identical to the first generation Free Floating snare manufactured by Pearl. Pearl quickly licensed the CB-700 design with the agreement that the CB700 FF would be removed from the market.
If my information is correct I believe Kaman continued to manufacture the Pearl FF frames in their factory, but I am open to being corrected if that is not the case. The CB-700 FF drums ceased being manufactured which explains why there are so few of the original first generation
versions around compared to the next generation Pearl models.

Pictured below is my first generation CB-700 FF frame I purchased several years ago strictly for a very rare virgin SOTA segmented shell the original owner was using with it.


.

 

[stuart s]

Yes this one is 6 ply. I believe there was an all maple model and a maple/poplar model. IIRC the maple/poplar model was sold with stand and set of bells for drum students. Both are excellent sounding piccolos! Strainer is a bit weak but otherwise, it’s a solid piccolo and easily tunable. Often available used and in great condition.

I got my older son that bell kit for Jr. High a decade ago, it has that maple-poplar model. Its a great snare, the newer kits have a cheaper model snare with the kit.

 

[mgdrummer]

These are mine, just picked up the brass 2014 last week. It’s killer!

 

[RogersLudwig]

View attachment 553017

Carl Palmer Brass Ludwig Piccolo

I've never played a piccolo snare and I don't particularly like metal snares, but "his is a beaut', Clark."

 

[Elvis]

These are mine, just picked up the brass 2014 last week. It’s killer!

I remember lusting after those 13x4 Premier's.
Bought the Ludwig's instead, though.

 

[mkelley]

This, and 'One Headlight'. I didn't know it was used on that Petty track - interesting!

One Headlight is one of the ideal snare sounds period

 

[Drumbandit]

The best in my collection is a 14x4.5" Brady block snare. Made from Australian Woody Pear

 

[mpthomson]

I remember Gene Okamoto from Pearl making a comment about it when it first came out.
Great sounding for little $

One of the few Acousticon snares that actually sounds decent, the deep drums are horrible. The piccolos are great little things and can be had for very little money

 

[dingaling]

Didn’t know Ludwig made older copper piccolo snares.

Don’t see it in any catalogs.

Does anyone own one?

 

[Dave Patrick]

Funny how we take in music in random ways... Recently while shopping I've noticed a lot of songs with cranked up high pitched snares..piccolos I'm assuming... While these aren't my home base, I really love 4x14's..truly believe they're a magical size for snares... Having said this...I wonder for those who LOVE Piccolo Snares, what is "THE" drum or drums that define this world???

SOLID 5"x14"Bronze.We only made 40 of then.On many hit records by Greg Morrow,Larrie Londin,Kenny Aronoff,Richie Hayward,and Chad Cromwell(I believe)The shells were a centrically cast aluminum/bronze alloy,made for us by a company who made pipes for nuclear power plants.This method eliminated all impurities and porosity.Nuclear plant components have to be the ultimate in integrity to guarantee no possibility of leakage over their lifetime.These drums are the Holy Grail of picollos.All cast working parts,and the bronze shell ,make this a HEAVY,powerful,and sensitive drum."Our motto was Solid Snare Drums,"The Strong But Sensitive Type."

 

[Dave Patrick]

SOLID 5"x14"Bronze.We only made 40 of then.On many hit records by Greg Morrow,Larrie Londin,Kenny Aronoff,Richie Hayward,and Chad Cromwell(I believe)The shells were a centrically cast aluminum/bronze alloy,made for us by a company who made pipes for nuclear power plants.This method eliminated all impurities and porosity.Nuclear plant components have to be the ultimate in integrity to guarantee no possibility of leakage over their lifetime.These drums are the Holy Grail of picollos.All cast working parts,and the bronze shell ,make this a HEAVY,powerful,and sensitive drum."Our motto was Solid Snare Drums,"The Strong But Sensitive Type."

The first time Larrie Londin took one into a studio,he told me,"I just drilled somebody a new A-h--- today with this thing!"