I have played them at the Chicago show and they sounded good, but nothing extraordinary. I will have a pair of Carbon Fiber shells here to build out soon. I'll try to remember to chime back in after...

I have heard and played The Ti shells and to me, they different enough from my steel shells to invest in one....

And just to throw another log on the fire, I played a magnesium shell. Even took it over to a buddies for us both to play and hear. To be honest, the mag didn't sound much different from his late model Black Beauty. Since I prefer my hammered Bronze to the BB or mag, I keep what I have...

[IMG]http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n632/PurdieShuffle/homer-simpson-drooling.jpg[/IMG]

My fav metal for snare drums!

John

[SIZE="3"]Dolt![/SIZE]

[IMG]http://iknowcss.com/jj/Bronze%20004.1%20(Small).JPG[/IMG]

I'll see your, D'oh! and raise you one, D'oh!

[IMG]http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n632/PurdieShuffle/HBz1.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n632/PurdieShuffle/slingybrass.jpg[/IMG]

John

... and I'll raise you both with my 1982... ( first model/issue ) ... Ludwig Hammered Bronze! Take note of how SHALLOW the hammering was on the first series of this snare drum! Very subtle, which gives it a "to die for" articulate yet incredibly WOODY sound... but with the "cut/clarity" of a metal shell. ALL these model snare drums share the qualities I have described here of course.. BUT! .. the very shallow hammering on the first run shells seem to be even moreso. GREAT snare drums... and this from a devout Rogers guy! CLICK on the pic for a larger view!

Tommyp

Mine has the small hammer pattern but it is much more distinct than on yours. The hammering on your shell is subtle and I'm sure it affects the sound. Mine probably sounds a bit drier than yours, which is the purpose of the hammering to begin with. I absolutely love mine. I too was impressed with the very rich -woody- tone it has. Best of both worlds if you ask me, the perfect metal for a drum shell.

Considering the fact that so many drummers are aware of the hammered bronze snares, it's surprising that they haven't nosed black beauties into second place. The hammered bronze is a better sounding drum than any modern black beauty I've ever played. An example of how powerful a role a 'brand name' can play in a product line. When drummers discover hammered bronze the days of the black beauty being number one are over.

The hammered bronze is one of the greatest sounding snare drums that company ever produced. Pre-serial COBs are the only thing that can compete with it.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4npJ3q6vWi8[/ame]

John

Well hey John!...

True enough on most all points you have made!... although the hammering on yours is akin to "golf ball dimples" compared to mine! And, yes indeed... yours will be just a taste drier with the depth of that hammering. That's one of the reasons I sought out a first run shell/model as I had noticed that the hammering was getting more and more pronounced as the years went by, and I wanted a touch more "cut" on mine for the music I play. Finding a 1982 model was actually pretty lucky. There don't seem to be a whole lot of them out there. I suspect it's because only LATER did guys start catching on to just how NICE these drums are. Now... where did I see/hear this model in action originally? Buddy Rich!! He played the Hammered Bronze and just the Bronze as well during his LAST Ludwig endorsement. I was SOLD!!!! LOL!!

Completely agree with your BB statement. Of course we all know that so much of this is totally subjective to personal opinion... but that said... yeah, Hammered Bronze!!!

Tommyp

I have both hammered and non-hammered bronze supras(6-1/2 x 14, from the 90's). I took the pepsi challenge with them 2 years ago, and what I found was that the hammered one was drier and darker.......but NOT by as much as one might imagine. That being said, the non-hammered one, the louder of the two, is my go-to for a lot of live dates, especially outdoor and unmiked ones, and the hammered one gets used mostly for recording. It is simply awesome for that.

Ludwig has made so many incredible-sounding snares that it's almost unbelievable.

Dan

> Now... where did I see/hear this model in action originally? Buddy Rich!

I was watching a concert on TV featuring Bun E. Carlos's new band, Tinted Windows. The second I tuned it in, the first thing that caught my attention right away was the sound of the snare drum Bun E. was playing. I think I said out loud, "What the hell is he playing? That thing sounds GREAT!"

I'm friends with Bun E. from another forum so I wrote to him immediately and asked him which snare drum he used on that tour. The answer came back; Ludwig hammered bronze supra. (Deep-dish, Bun E's was a 6.5"x14".)

Two weeks later I had mine! Very highly recommended snare drum for any drummer regardless of style. If you play the drums... you -need- one of these.

John

Gotta agree here. Hammered Bronze is one of the greatest snares made.

The same buddy that tried the Mag drum with me and I were having a discussion among drummers and the question was, "If you could have any snare to play out with, what would it be?" The answer was the hammered bronze but not for just sound alone. Not only does it sound great, will cover most any style/tuning, but it has the most bang for your buck, is easily replaceable, and if you spill your beer on it, so what? A drum that is still reasonably priced, sounds good, and if stolen, can easily be replaced.

I have several custom and expensive snares and I had to agree, for sure practicality, the Ludwig hammered bronze is the THE ONE...