What is it?
Every instrument has its ‘holy grails’, and as far as snare drums are concerned, there are many. But while so much of our industry looks towards the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s for its definitive sounds, there are, of course, plenty of standout products to emerge since then. Bell Brass snares are one, and the archetype is Tama’s Bell Brass model – first introduced in the ’80s, and finding fame as the provider of huge, heavy backbeats for rock legends including Metallica, Nirvana and Rage Against The Machine to name just a few.
The Japanese giant reissued its Mastercraft Bell Bronze model for 2024, but with a price (albeit justified) that will make your eyes water faster than its sound will split your ears, it seems there’s an opening for a more affordable entry point into the market.
Step up, then, DrumCraft, the Thomann-owned drum manufacturer, whose name was revived in 2022 after laying dormant for 12 years, and its 14” x 6.5” Bell Brass Snare. But, this isn’t strictly a brand new product released in haste to extract the milk from the cast shell cow. In its previous incarnation, DrumCraft produced a similar (but not the same) Bell Brass model, and here we see it redesigned for 2024, and available to buy for £759.
But, before we get into the specifics of this drum, it's time for some housekeeping. What exactly is a Bell Brass drum? For a start, the term Bell Brass is something of a misnomer. That’s because ‘Bell Brass’ is actually bronze. The nom-de-plume was conceived by the Tama model and has stuck ever since. So what we’re really talking about when we refer to a Bell Brass snare is largely identified as a cast, solid-shell bronze snare drum. If it’s 3mm thick then it’ll stick to the blueprint, and the classic model is 14” x 6.5”.
That’s exactly what DrumCraft has done. The previous DC model featured a thicker 6mm shell, which has been reduced to 3mm here. It comes fitted with DrumCraft triple-flanged hoops (in place of its predecessor’s die-cast rims) as well as DrumCraft’s Nickelworks throw-off and includes DrumCraft-branded Remo USA heads straight out of the box (coated CS Dot for the batter side and a clear snare side head).
Pricing
- Full price: $942/£749/€903
Prices have largely stayed the same since launch with only slight fluctuations due to exchange rates and other market forces.
The major downside to a popular snare design such as this is the demand, which unfortunately for many, has led this snare to be out of stock for long periods.
All is not lost, as there will be more available within 12-15 weeks and while that will feel like a long time, our advice would be to get your order in quickly, because we're sure that they'll sell out again at this price.
Performance
If you’re unfamiliar with cast/heavy-shell snare drums then your first impression of this drum will begin before you’ve even opened the box. It’s heavy, and reassuringly so. Our review model tipped our scales at 7.06kg, despite it being listed as 12kg on Thomann, meaning you won’t want to place this drum on a feeble stand. Not only is it a heavyweight, but it’s cast, so if you drop it, there’s every chance the damage could be terminal rather than a light dent.
The drum arrives with both heads tuned just past finger-tight, and our initial tap with a stick yields a sustained, tom-like note, which while not usable, does give an indication of the drum’s core tonality. With the snare head tightened to a fairly taut tuning (around three-quarters of its range), we got to work trying to find the drum’s range.
Now, ‘dead’, heavily muffled sounds aside, a low tuning is a great test for many drums. Things can often turn boxy and toneless quite quickly as there isn’t enough tension on the head to really excite the shell and bring out the sound of the drum. Not here, though. With a full turn applied to the key across all of the 10 lugs, it’s low and punchy, but with life to the sound.
The Bell Brass offers a strong overtone that’s present throughout its tuning range, but unlike some drums and materials, it remains musical. We tamed some of the ring with some light dampening and were rewarded with ’80s-style punchbag beef.
Moving into more ‘medium’ tuning ranges puts the drum into what could be the go-to for many drummers. It’s instant classic rock with plenty of body and fatness. The overtones remain, but at this tension it’s a bit more controlled – think Chad Smith, Matt Cameron, Brad Wilk etc. Of course, the overtone can be removed entirely, pushing it into that Nevermind zone. But to dampen this drum too heavily would be a little bit like taking your prize bulldog for the snip. Overtones contribute to the overall power and cut, and removing them entirely – particularly in a live environment – is a surefire way to find yourself buried in the mix.
In recent years, higher-tuned snares have made a comeback, and, if like for us they never really went away, you’ll be reaching for the drum key to put some pressure on this drum. Yes, you can opt for a smaller shell diameter and depth (or a combination of both) to achieve a higher pitch, but the Bell Brass is all about room-filling sound.
As the Remo glue begins to snap and crack under a couple more turns of the key, playing a rimshot is enough to make us jump (and wince) at the resulting sound. Tuned up, this drum becomes even more aggressive, and the resulting volume really was a surprise.
You can crank any snare of this dimension and produce something approaching that Deftones-style ‘crack’, but what’s often lacking is the body. The Bell Brass stands firm, with attack by the bucketload, and enough girth to avoid the weak-sounding, timbale-like ‘pop’ that occurs when a drum is choked past its upper limit. Intrigued, we keep going, determined to find the point that the Bell Brass would top-out.
With the batter head under what we’d describe as ‘extremely tight’ tension, it shows no sign of giving up. What’s more, the tension rods still feel smooth with more travel easily left in them at near-Amen, Brother tuning.
We didn’t want to damage the shell or the head, so with our point proven, we decided to just play the drum instead. In a large room, with good ambience it’s an absolute joy in the higher tunings, and will surely appeal to fans of Abe Cunningham, Mario DuPlantier and Sleep Token’s II.
Verdict
There’s so much to love about this drum, particularly if you were raised on a diet of albums (knowingly or not) that featured this type of snare sound. Across its tuning range it provides a huge amount of attack and full-bodied power, and while that is the defining feature of a Bell Brass snare, it’s important to point out that it is dynamic too. Tune it well and adjust the strainer for less snap, and you won’t have any problems using this on quieter gigs.
The satin chrome hardware is likely to be a divisive feature for some people, and it would be great to have the option to spec a more traditional hardware finish on this drum. That said, it is DrumCraft’s uniform hardware style, so don’t expect that to become an option any time soon.
Similarly, the Bell Brass would likely benefit from die-cast hoops (or at least on the batter side) if you’re looking to control the overtones and maintain a little focus. But, these are minor gripes. Keep in mind that this drum – while by no means ‘cheap’ – does present itself at a relatively low price when compared to more premium offerings. With that saving in mind, a hoop change isn’t going to break the bank and isn’t wholly necessary either.
