Reddit mentions: The best drum set snare drums

The best upgrades you can do are invest in a good snare and cymbals. You can get a decent sound out of even the cheapest drumset, but a versatile snare will last you forever and dramatically change the way you play. And good cymbals you can get one at a time, used cymbals can sometimes sound better than new ones and are cheaper.

Depending on what you can afford, something like this or this.

For cymbals, check out mycymbal to see what sounds good, and then look on ebay or craigslist for those cymbals. Something like Zildjian A's or A Customs, Sabian AA's or AAX's, or Paiste Alpha's or 2002's.

Playing drums ain't cheap, but you can upgrade these critical parts if you're patient and know what you want. Good luck!

I've been playing on this Pacific maple for years and I get compliments from sound guys all the time. Strong crack, good range, sounds great live and in the studio.
I replaced the bottom wood hoop with a steel one, otherwise it would not fit onto standard backline snare stands. http://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Drums-Percussion-Maple-Snare/dp/B0002E51NK

Great value for $250.

The 13x3" Pearl Brass Piccolo Snare is definitely one of the best on the market.

I honestly can't justify spending more than $250-ish on a piccolo snare simply because they will all sound about the same at this size. The shell material/construction makes quite a difference with larger snares, but piccolo snares are simply too small for the shell to make a huge difference. Like /u/theothernameplate said, they will ultimately spend less time off your kit than on.

That being said, the Pearl piccolo has a killer pop to it, and it is very reasonably priced. You might also want to take a look at slightly deeper 12" and even 10" snares for a higher pop with more crack. Good luck!

That's a lot for an Acrolyte. Top prices in the U.S. (even for a 60's keystone badge model) are around $200 or just a bit more.

Probably cheaper to pay for shipping.

I would also strongly recommend the Supralite:

https://www.amazon.com/Ludwig-Supralite-Snare-Drum-6-5/dp/B00EC9QWF2

This is a current snare with an excellent price point and a lot of that Acro sound. The chrome finish is cheap and needs to be polished to keep fingerprints off, but the drum really delivers the goods.

I'm convinced that the Supralite will be the Acrolyte of the future- the cheap Ludwig snare that sounds amazing that real players are forever searching for.

Glad you liked it! This is the snare I'm using in this video, except mine has a metal rim inside the wood rim. Can't say I'd recommend it, the metal rim loosens and keeps coming out, I have to adjust it every five minutes or so (I do a lot of rimshots, though) and keep in mind a lot of the sound is from eq, compression and slight reverb. Not a bad snare, but you could probably find a better one for cheaper. I've heard Pork Pie snares are good, never tried them though.

Meh.

It's not even that much more to get import Maple or Birch these days and you get a better drum. I understand you want a 14x8 (cause they're awesome) but that snare is a move sideways... not up.

Look at used. If you want new... the Pearl Modern Utility is fantastic for the money... or maybe a midline/import from Gretsch, Tama or Yamaha but a 14x8 might be a hard find.

edit: I'm not prone to recommend Mapex as I've had a couple run ins with not great gear from them (that granted, I bought used so it's hard to point fingers)... but by all objective measures this is just a better drum.

This

It's loud, has great definition, it's sturdy, and it cracks like a mofo. It's also very cheap compared to other snares. I fucking love mine.

I think the Pearl Sensitone Steel snare is the best you can get for your price range. With an Evans genera dry with the little micro perforations around the edge of the head--this snare sounds PRO

EDIT: Can't beat the price

It's a partial kit. I just ordered a Gretsch S6514TH 6.5 x 14 Inches Taylor Hawkins Signature 10-Lug Snare Drum. I know, they don't actually play them and it's just an endorsement, but I like the way it sounds from the videos I've seen and reading comments from people who own them plus Taylor's an influence.

edit

I still need a bass pedal, a snare stand, a throne, and some cymbals.

The Ludwig is nice but for less coin you can get very close.

do you mean this?


http://www.amazon.com/Sonor-Select-Force-14x6-5-Maple/dp/B008YGPZCA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404673402&sr=8-1&keywords=+Sonor+Select+Force+Maple+snare

I didn't learn anything until the end. At the end he tuned his snare another half-turn. I like it. I like really tight snares all the way around. I have a cheap snare: http://www.amazon.com/Mapex-Steel-Piccolo-Snare-13X3-5/dp/B004WBOA68/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1427605276&sr=8-3&keywords=steel+snare+drum

However, I made it tight as hell with this as the top snare head: http://www.amazon.com/Evans-Genera-Drum-Head-Inch/dp/B0002RZZCE/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1427605346&sr=8-3-fkmr1&keywords=mapex+dry+snare+head

It does NOT sound like a pop...but it sounds aggressive as fuck. A flam sounds like a gunshot and anything else sounds awesome...to me. Let me know what you shredding metaldrummits think!