12×6″
PDP recently released some new artist model snare drums and as part of that, possibly the biggest part of that, were the three Chad Smith drums.
All three of these models feature a seamless clear shell and are available as 12×6” (6 lug) & 13×7” (8 lug) versions – listed as being side snares – and a 14×6” (10 lug) main snare.
The drums feature a special badge, Chinese-made Remo heads, triple flanged hoops, MAG throwoffs, dual turret lugs, True pitch tension rods and 20 strand wires.
All of the drums had a nice sound and decent tuning range. They obviously sound like acrylic drums, but the range on the 13 & 14” drums particularly went from high to low with plenty in the middle. My favourite of the three was the 13″ model though.
13×7″
This drum had the ‘tin can’ sounding highs but also went ‘soggy’ very easily, which I wouldn’t normally associate with a drum of this size.
I have to be honest, I wasn’t expecting these drums to be quite this good. I mean, I was expecting them to be decent, but just not as good as they actually are.
First off, they look cool, although arguably you can’t go wrong with clear as it goes with most kits. They have a solid build quality to them and the seamless shell design means they’ll sound better and probably last longer too since there is less potential for cracking/splitting/weak points at any shell join. However, the sound is what I liked the most. All three drums sound strong, even with the stock heads on them – something that doesn’t always happen – and they feel great to play too which, considering the price of them, to me makes them an even better buy.
14×6″
I would politely disagree with the position that the 12 and 13” drums are side snares though. I would be happy use either as a main drum, the 13” more so, but the 12” would still be loud and full enough to pull it off in the right situation.
As an all-round snare drum, these probably won’t replace a more regular wood or metal model full time for most of us, but as an additional colour (or indeed, side snare), I think these are a great option. If I didn’t already have some acrylic snares, I probably would have bought the 13” for myself I liked it that much.
More details at http://www.pacificdrums.com/snaredrums/concept-ltd-signature-snares
David Bateman
December 2018
