When Mike told me he had a new British Drum Company snare for me to check out, I was really interested. That said, when I finally got it home, it didn’t actually turn out to be exactly the drum I was expecting, but as it happens, it was a happy misunderstanding and I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

I may have said it before, but I like a drum with a vibe. 

This particular drum definitely has a vibe; kind of vintage but with a contemporary feel. Plus, it just looks good. I love the grain of the wood and the way the hardware shone against it. I have another drum that gives me a similar type of thing.

The Archer has a 14×6” 10-ply shell made from English Yew and has 30’ bearing edges. 

The 5mm rolled steel hoops are held in place by vintage style mini claws. The drum also features BDC’s Palladium lugs and snare strainer, brass wires and a green Sycamore logo badge.

Sound-wise, The Archer has plenty of versatility. It can do high and low, and everything in between, with ease. It has a nice crispy attack and a very pleasing, pure ring to go with it. 

The Archer is a great drum. I don’t say that lightly, but it really is. 

It’s not cheap, but then again, it shouldn’t be either. It’s hand crafted, looks killer, feels good to play, is versatile and sounds great. What more would you really want? 

The only thing that would put me off using it in certain circumstances is that aforementioned vibe and whether or not it suited the mood of the music, i.e. I personally wouldn’t be using it for speed metal – it could certainly do it, but I don’t feel thats what it should be doing.

This is one great, classy, all round drum. 

More info at – https://www.britishdrumco.com/britishdrumco-the-archer-snare-drum

David Bateman

January 2020