Pork Pie Big Black Brass Snare Drum with Tube Lugs  

Its a solid drum, it has a good solid brass sound, yet a good deal of beef too. Its got a wide tuning range, which should work for a wide array of playing styles. Stock heads are ok but should be changed, snares are not bad. Its solidly built, and looks really sharp. The throws a cheapie, but so what it does the job. The drum definitely looks and sounds more expensive than its price point. I shopped a long time for this drum. I watched and listened to plenty of Y-Tube vids before I purchased as well. What you hear on the vids is how the drum sounds. I've played a Black Beauty before, and lets face it, if you want a Black Beauty you need to save up and buy one. This drum is not a Black Beauty. That said, its a very good sounding drum at a very very reasonable price, and it should be part of every drummers arsenal. 5 stars because the drum never said it was a Black Beauty, but it is as advertized and more..

In short, I wanted to buy a Ludwig 402 but, since I don't have that kind of cash I was seeking a less expensive alternative. Therefore, after a little homework I came with the Black Brass Pork Pie. I was skeptikal regarding the outcome but, I am happy to report that I dig this snare. When it arrived I tuned it up right away with the shipped heads (you will most likely want to change the heads)... The verdict after tuning, I found this snare to have a nice warm full body with a decent crack (doesn't cut like the 402 but still worth the savings)... It has a nice ring but totally managable with a moon gel or possibly head change if your not into that...

She's a keeper, I would recommend the Big Black Brass Snare Drum to a friend.....

Versatile, golden sound and easy on the eyes, this snare is a winner. Even the stock strainer is prett good!!!

I am not going to comment at this time because I haven't put her through her paces playing live music. Of course I lament the fact that the stock heads on 9 out of 10 drums sold these days is not that good. That is, unless I want to buy an upper- end DW or Craviotto. I do wish it had die cast hoops, but that would jack up the price. It seems to be well- built, but only time can tell whether the mechanisms are of high-quality. Shell is nice, however.

This is a nice drum for the money. Of course I'd rather it cost less, but that's the nature of the beast. I lament that it's not American-made, but it would cost even more. The only better value is a used Acrolite. Not much needed changing to make it sound good.

I don't regret adding this drum to my arsenal. I think it is a worthy purchase for any gigging drummer's snare collection.

Above average features. Nice throwoff, end butt and wires.

Excellent quality except for the ugly badge that faces the audience.

Above average value even after the recent price increase.

Sounds great! It was fine out of the box. But I put an Evans reverse dot head and some DW 3mm thick hoops in place of the 2.3mm and it's unbelieveable. Nice finish. This is the sound I've been looking for from a metal snare for 45 years... and I've tried a bunch, including the big-bucks brands.

This snare is seriously one of the best snare drums I've played in 20 years.      If you like a nice warm snare, with lots of low end, but amazing crack, this is your snare.      And for only $240?      It's a complete steal.      I compared this to a Black Magic in the store, and this one had warmer tones and a fuller sound.      Do yourself a favor and pick this guy up.      You will not be dissapointed.