What's the Piccolo Snare Holy Grail?

[Elvis]

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.

Is that a 6 ply shell?
Sounds a lot like mine, but I can tell there's something distinctly different with the sound.
....maybe I should pull mine out of moth balls and do a quick video.....

 

[p83]

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.

View attachment 553880

these drums are sleepers. can be had for $100.

 

[ocgvictoria]

Is that a 6 ply shell?
Sounds a lot like mine, but I can tell there's something distinctly different with the sound.
....maybe I should pull mine out of moth balls and do a quick video.....

View attachment 553915

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.

 

[GMFrancis]

I’m very much into the 14”x 6.5” snare size. I‘ve also got three 7” deep and one 8”. I’ve got a couple of beautiful 5.5” deep that don’t get played enough as I’m used to that bigger drum but…..
I have a Craviotto 14”x 4.25” birch snare. It’s an addictive drum to play. It’s bright, articulate and very
loud. . It really has an incredible feel to it. Tuned low it’s not out of place with any of my 6.5” deep snares.

 

[kdgrissom]

My favorites are the ones that play hard to get (it's all about the chase):

Buddy Rich WFL Be Bop 3x13

Sonor '60's D472 2.5x14 pancake

Rogers 2.5x13 Satellite/Skinny 1970-74? (This one I do have!!)

 

[e.g.]

Yes!, I read that NP had some solid Percussion's Snares, one of his favourite was the cocobolo, He used it in some songs from the Presto and The roll the bones album. Very cracking and clear sound, years later it was stolen.

Neil had us make another one!

 

[KingLudwig]

Here's a great way to get started...
Pork Pie "Piggolo" 4"x14" Maple Snare Drum in Ebony Stain https://reverb.com/item/53440622-po...are&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=53440622

 

[Trilock_Gurtu]

Neil had us make another one!

What's the story/specs with that drum?

 

[e.g.]

What's the story/specs with that drum?

4x14 cocobolo. If I remember correctly, his original was stolen in NYC. We didn't do many of those!

 

[Drumbandit]

I'd say it's the Brady solid hollow tree 12x5

 

[SY-ya-nara]

I really like my 3 1/2 x 14 piccs.
The solid shell (hollow log not steam

bent) From Croatia is my fave.
The Mapex was well under $100 new.

 

[flippantminister]

I got a 3x13 piccolo kit from Precision back in the early 90s- i think I had just graduated from high school? Put it together and wrapped it myself(bowling ball oyster blue! I remember cutting my thumb pretty badly trimming the wrap). I was super into the piccolo sound back then but it has mostly sat on a shelf since about 95 due to an extreme piccolo allergy I developed... I've tried a couple times recently to get into the drum to no avail. But a few months back i got a 4x14 Summit in cherry and it can't come off the stand, I love it. I had a 5x13 years ago that i also loved, i guess there is something to the 3x13 size that just doesn't work for me...

here's my 4x14...

 

[Frank Godiva]

if this size verifies as a piccolo, I agree!
I own two: a wooden small badge aquamarine sparkle, that, for decades, was used by a family as a decorative hanging table ceiling lamp holding 8 candles in its open lugs. the wrap was under a black paint, easy to remove.
The hoops luckily were still there, but only some parts of the double strainer. I installed a ludwig piccolo strainer, non drilling.
I own many vintage snares, ludwig, gretsch 3ply, but this drum is something else, from bigband to funk. with a calf head you get the twist and shout crack sound no problem.

Second is a COB Royal ace large badge, all original. a heavy shell, giving me one of the loudest fattest snare backbeats I know.

Love the Royal Ace, but the 2024 is pretty killer too

 

[Elvis]

That ad for the 2024 looks like the one I had for a short time in the late 90's.
Mine was Bronze, though.
Killer drum.

Elvis

 

[ocgvictoria]

Just delivered yesterday, a brand new 13x3.5 Summit drum piccolo I ordered in beech. Gary did a great job. I am really liking the sound of beech snares and this one is no different. It has a coated Ambassador batter, clear Ambassador snare side, a Canopus drum muffler, Gibraltor piccolo throw, and Grover Jazz Bright wires.

 

[Pre ‘72]

Sonor 1992 Horst Link Signature HLD593 Bell Bronze 14 x 4 snare drum Rare Used | eBay

Condition :USED.

www.ebay.com

 

[JDA]

1965 my lucky year for vint. G snares.
unfortunately

Gretsch g4175 black | eBay

<p>Gretsch g4175 black. </p><p> It is black lacquer finish</p>

www.ebay.com

 

[TomC727]

Anyone have experience with the DW Pi snare drum. Any thoughts?

 

[TomC727]

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

Really excited.

 

[017]

Noble and Cooley Solid Shell Classic 14" x 3.875" for me.