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DW Concrete Snare Drum

Firstly I would like to say a big hello to you all and introduce myself. Although I play Rock-Metal-Fusion Drums, I am known as Jazz-Man.

This is my first review here on Loopermusicgear.com, So hold tight, we might be in for a bumpy ride.

Now, I will say this straight off the bat, I really like DW Drums and to have people like John Good in the business of making fine musical instruments is something special and makes for some really innovative creations for all of us out here in Drummer Land but this is where things can sometimes go wrong. Too much creative freedom is not always a good thing!

Enter the Concrete DW Collectors series snare drum.

I’m sorry, did someone just die at the DW factory? This snare looks like a gloomy day with a good chance of rain!! They call the finish “Soapstone” and have used saturn hardware on it.

To be honest, Nothing shines on this drum (Not even the sound). The shell is constructed from a resin mixed with concrete dust and is available in 14″x5″ and 14″x6.5″. All of the hardware is the standard deal we have come to know on the collectors series drums, but only available in the saturn finish. They cast the resin to produce a one piece solid shell 5.5mm thick with 45% bearing edges and stander cut snare beds.
The construction is, as you would expect from DW, top quality so for anyone wondering if a concrete shell would be brittle, you can rest assured, there is nothing to worry about here!

Now the sound: See dry…….no precipitation, any Dune fans here? Yes like I said, dry but with a really dull almost lifeless tone. It’s as if it is Un- Eqed if that is possible? You do get volume and a decent crack but it is a soulless sound.

Now for a DW snare, A brand new and innovative concept with futuristic materials no other drum company is using, it seemed to have a lot of promise but really, in my own opinion, it has come up well short of its mark. Sure there will be a few people who might look at this thing and think it is exactly what they are looking for, hell they might even like the sound, but it is NOT for everyone.
I find this to be extremely puzzling why DW went this way especially with someone like John Good, the “Wood Whisperer” on hand.
Now just to clarify, I am not bashing DW, I am not a DW hater, Nothing could be further from the truth!
I own a DW Collectors series drum kit, which I call “The Green Meanie” and use a 14″x7″ DW edge snare with that kit. That snare is amazing, it will bring a tear to your eye, it is full bodied, warm, articulate with volume and back beat crack to spare!

Such a contrast to this new creation of theirs.

I give this snare drum a score of 87 out of 100.
Most of that score is due to the fact it has been put together so well and the quality of the drum is top shelf, the look and the sound just isn’t my cup of tea.

My next review will be on the DW/Sabian snare drum, limited to only 50 drums, all of which sold out prior to release date……so you think you missed out?
Stay tuned, I know where to get one!

Til next time, may all your cymbals shine, even when the lights are low!

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