What's the Piccolo Snare Holy Grail?

[Butch1970]

Seems like the N&C has come up with a bit of regularity in this thread (and with good reason).

Back in the late 80’s/early 90’s, my practice room mate in college showed up with a Noble & Cooley maple 3 7/8 x 14 drum. They weren’t the kind of drum to show up in most shops then and I also didn’t have that kind of bread, so so I got a Pearl Free-Floater instead. Nice, but didn’t really compare. Eventually I got a my own N&C maple 5x14.

As piccolos went out of fashion I let go of my Pearl with both brass and maple shells, but always told myself that if I got another one, it would be an N&C.

Last Summer I picked one up from a member here and it immediately saw use on gigs. It hasn’t become my main size for a snare drum but did rekindle my interest in die-cast hoops.

 

[Elvis]

Loudest snare drum I ever heard was a 14 X 3 7/8 N&C SS Maple snare drum....from across the street, through a brick wall.
The band leader that night asked that guy to change to a different snare drum during the first break because it was giving him a headache.
Guy was not a "pounder", either.
True story.

Elvis

 

[Trilock_Gurtu]

Just ran across this. Figured it would be well suited in this thread. Sounds great in all tunings, imo.

 

[equipmentdork]

View attachment 553006
This is my Premier Super 4 which I have heavily refurbished. Sounds like a gun going off.

That is the grooviest-looking snare I have seen in a very long time!

Dan

 

[p83]

14x4, or 13x3, 13x4, 13x5.

 

[p83]

View attachment 553058

it was a goal of mine to own page 5 of this catalog. finally did it.

 

[TonyVazquez]

Not really sought after, as you can get them super cheap because Dixon was that cheap brand (and they never got over that image unfortunatley for them)

Here is one which you can probalby even pickup for 50 bucks too.

≥ Dixon 14” x 3,5” piccolo snaredrum/kleine trom — Drumstellen en Slagwerk — Marktplaats

Inclusief standaard, stokken en stemsleutel! Goed voor zowel de beginnende als gevorderde speler.Deze Dixon 14” x 3,5” piccolo snaredrum/kleine trom

link.marktplaats.nl

They made them in steel too:

≥ Dixon snaredrum — Drumstellen en Slagwerk — Marktplaats

Keurige dixon piccolo steel snaredrum. Afmetingen zijn 13x4.Remo Ambassador coated als slagvel.Remo Ambassador als resonantievelPuresound snarenmat

link.marktplaats.nl

I like those two pic snare drums.
The warmth of a wood shell...
...and the loud crack of steel.

I think it's cool to have both
(Wood shell, and Steel shell) as options.
At least those two types.
It's better than being stuck with just
one type of snare drum shell
to do everything.

 

[spelman]

Let's make this thread 100 pages.

Steve Smith used to play this Sonor Bell brass a lot thirty years ago. One example is at the Buddy Rich memorial 1991.

Not complainin I'm preaching for some sanity!
Begging! Pleading!l

 

[JDA]

not that one..
but has held up well in 20+ years
4X14 Lp Ascend 10L

 

[lossforgain]

View attachment 553722

not that one..
4X14Lp Ascend 10L

View attachment 553722

I remember that drum, may have even had one at some point. Not a bad drum at all.

My first pro level all maple snare was a 4x14 made by Keith Larsen under the name Baltimore Drum. That was a sweet drum, wish I had it today. But I will say, that’s also the drum that started my buying and selling hobby around 25 years ago. So it has led to some really fun things, including a bunch of friends here on the forum.

 

[Cauldronics]

Does the Rogers pancake drum count as a piccolo? What was the difference between the pancake, satellite and skinny? I think at least one of them is the same drum.

 

[Elvis]

I'm pretty sure one of those was a 14 and the other was a 13.
I remember seeing a Rogers Satellite at a drum shop.
Thinnest snare drum I've ever seen, but agonzingly heavy.
Turns out the shell/lugs is cast, probably Iron.

Elvis

 

[Cauldronics]

I wonder if they sound any good. Cool collector piece.

 

[Elvis]

The one I played was pretty dry, but articulate.
Nice drum.

 

[HalldorL]

Just ran across this. Figured it would be well suited in this thread. Sounds great in all tunings, imo.

Until to you hear it with your own ears.

As I said earlier, had one very briefly back when they came out. Terrible drum and a friend had one also so I heard it out front. Talking about a snare that gives you headache! Piercing sound with strange frequencies going on.

 

[Trilock_Gurtu]

Until to you hear it with your own ears.

As I said earlier, had one very briefly back when they came out. Terrible drum and a friend had one also so I heard it out front. Talking about a snare that gives you headache! Piercing sound with strange frequencies going on.

Experiences will vary. Sounds great in that demo. I played one years ago, was great.

 

[lemonslush]

tama 4x14 bell brass?

 

[Drumbandit]

No, I’ve never seen any other one piece maple shell Pearl snare drums anywhere. Maybe it was just the one year that they made them and it was only the piccolo size that I remember being available.

They made them in a 14x6.5". I saw one at a friend's recently and he also had a piccolo steam bent Pearl. Pretty hard to find apparently

 

[ocgvictoria]

Wow. Some spectacular piccolos have been posted! OK, perhaps this less than $200 Ludwig 13x3 maple piccolo is not the holy grail…. but it could be. With good heads, wires and some loving care I suspect it handles the piccolo needs of many drummers out there.

 

[ambrosepottie]

My only modern snare. 4" x 14" Craviotto cherry shell. Custom build from about 2007.