That's a shame about the Supralites........yet also a grand idea by geckobeats. I predict there will be several of those with replaced snare parts. The breaking tension rod would indeed frustrate me as well - though it certainly is just a fluke, rare, & an unpredictable QC issue. (I therefore excuse Ludwig for it).

Supras are great but i love my Rogers Dyna even better-best metal snare i`ve ever owned when it`s dial is set perfectly.

Wayne

Yeah, unfortunately for me, i didn't look the drum over that much.

Just tried it out, and it sounded great, but i didn't take the time to move everything or adjust anything in the shop.. The one time i was excited about a purchase and didn't even closely inspect it.. I guess it was just the excitement ofa new model snare from Ludwig that distracted me DOH

Absolutely.. Although it wasn't a tension rod that snapped, rather a butt plate drum key bolt.. Also, there were a few that came back to the shop, or were resold as used on my local classifieds not too long after they came out..I'd say about 3 -4 months or so.. As i mentioned before, if Ludwig put a P-85 on there, they would have a decent seller, and then, i would certainly get one. ;)

I have mellowed I think... Love the 6.5 Tama Rosewood and it is still my go anywhere snare. I had a Supra way back in the 70's and was always on the lookout for something better. My current "metal shell" gigging choice would be the 6.5 Dyna... (Agree also with Erik that the Festival is a crisp nice sounding drum).

For smaller rooms with volume issues it would be the Acro.. and my absolute loudest choice for "un miked" rock gigs, would be the 6.5 Sound King..

Cheers

John

A drummer friend turned me on to Acros and Supras. He played mostly funk. His snares always sounded great. I have a lot of respect for the technology behind the Supra but once you've played a good COB snare it's hard to go back. $00.02

I got mine, a pointy b/o badge one, for $80. I had been looking for the legendary mystical Acrolite and was willing to pay $100, so when I spotted an ad for a Supraphonic for only $80 I went for it.

It had an advanced case of Supraphonic Acne, so bad that I later had the chrome removed by a professional. Man was that aluminum ugly underneath the chrome. Craters.

This Supraphonic was loud, but it did not have the "magic" that Acrolites were said to have. Later I found an Acrolite for $60 and it DID live up to the hype. My desert island snare, the one that if I only got to keep one snare, it would be the Acrolite.

I'm looking into having the Supraphonic bead blasted to try for a peened finish like a Macbook.

After holding an old Keystone Supra for 2 weeks, I have to say I agree with this. It sits in the mix and never sounds bad - I've had 2 Acrolites and I have nothing positive to say about them - but it's not memorable and doesn't really have a specific character. Wasn't any better than any other snare I played, it's kind of in the middle. Maybe because we've heard it so much, it's 'the' snare sound. I had the option to buy it, but gave it back. The 4160 and the Sound King (in 5") sounded great, followed by the Powertone, then the Supra, then the Acrolite, for what I tried. I like Hollywood Aces over Radio Kings and Jazzfests too, which is atypical, so maybe it's just in the ear of the beholder and dependent on playing style. They say "every drummer worth his salt should have one," but all the holy grail stuff means nothing against what you actually like. Especially for the prices they fetch. Thanks for all the feedback.