Shell
Metal shell drums
Brass, aluminum, steel or bronze, and here always a snare. Ludwig's Supraphonic started in brass and moved to Ludalloy aluminum, the Acrolite is aluminum and the Black Beauty is brass in black nickel. The Gretsch 4160 and Slingerland's Krupa Sound King are chrome-plated brass, the Rogers SuperTen is steel, Sonor's HLD 590 is cast bell bronze and Pearl's Free Floating snare is brass. A magnet won't tell brass from aluminum, so go by weight and the maker's own tells.
9 drums we cover.
Ludwig · Supraphonic
SnareLudwig Supraphonic LM400
Supraphonic 400
- Years made
- 1960–present
- Era
- 1960s
$575–$1,150 typical ask
42 on eBay
Ludwig · Acrolite
SnareLudwig Acrolite
Acrolite
- Years made
- 1962–1994
- Era
- 1960s
$340–$725 typical ask
89 on eBay
Ludwig · Black Beauty
SnareLudwig Black Beauty
Black Beauty
- Years made
- 1920s; revived 1977–present
- Era
- 1920s
$850–$1,100 typical ask
53 on eBay
Gretsch · 4160
SnareGretsch 4160 COB Snare
Gretsch 4160
- Years made
- 1961–1977 (in the catalogs we checked)
- Era
- 1960s
$1,175–$1,200 typical ask
1 on eBay
Rogers · Dyna-Sonic
SnareRogers Dyna-Sonic Snare
Dyna-Sonic
- Years made
- Early 1960s–1980s
- Era
- 1960s
$600–$1,175 typical ask
65 on eBay
Rogers · SuperTen
SnareRogers SuperTen Snare
SuperTen
- Years made
- 1973–1980s
- Era
- 1970s
$350–$440 typical ask
4 on eBay
Slingerland · Sound King
SnareSlingerland Krupa Sound King
Gene Krupa Sound King snare
- Years made
- 1963–1978
- Era
- 1960s
$310–$420 typical ask
13 on eBay
Sonor · Signature
SnareSonor HLD 590 Bronze Snare
Signature HLD 590
- Years made
- 1987 on
- Era
- 1980s
$7,650–$7,675 typical ask
1 on eBay
Pearl · Free Floating
SnarePearl Free Floating Brass
Free Floating brass snare
- Years made
- 1983–2011 (vintage run)
- Era
- 1980s
$550–$700 typical ask
14 on eBay