Supraphonic / BB : 5" or 6.5" ?

[Allan Speers]

I have recently become aware of my desperate need for some new metal snares in my studio arsenal.

 

I have a number of high-end maple and birch. I also have a lovely N&C 4.75 alloy classic, but I don't really think of that as METAL, as it is too controlled and woody.

 

I'm talkin' razzy, obnoxious COB or Ludalloy, with as little damping as possible.

-The kind that annoys the neighbors when you really lay into it.

 

-So I'm ebaying like mad, spending money faster than George Dubya, and I need some advice, as my personal national debt is climbing.

One can't exactly go to the local store and A-B pre-serial # Supras.

 

These snares will primarily be used for big craking rock backbeats. For live, it would be a 6.5 automatically, but I have read many times where someone prefers a 5" in the studio, and a 6.5" live.

 

My only references are two 5 X 14's : A Keystone acrolyite and a wonderful 70's supra (ludalloy) The Supra is beefier, tunes quite low, and does the rock thing well, but it doesn't quite have that "sledgehammer in the gut" feel that I like. The Acro is nice, but a rock beast in 'aint.

 

I know Bonham used a 6.5 ludalloy Supra, tuned very tight, so I suppose that's one known quantity. If it weren't for Bonham, I wouldn't even be considering another ludalloy, as old Supras and Black Beauty's are pretty much the studio benchmark. Then again, I LOVE my 70's ladalloy.

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I guess that raises a separate question: Ludalloy vs COB.

 

-And perhaps the "size question gets answered differently for COB than for ludalloy snares? Cob's are darker and meatier, so maybe the 6.5's COB's are too fat and wooley for recording, whereas the brightness of ludalloy compensates for the extra size?

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OK, give me some thoughts.

Just ramble on about sizes, tunings, differences in alloys, etc.

People with recording experience only, please !

 

Here's another good question: How does a cob supra compare to a cob Black Beauty? Same basic sound, or are there really differences?