Ten 13 Inch Snare Drums We Love - Which Is Best For You?

[@mitzo4526]

i love how you also use room mics to show how it would sound to people in the room. great stuff guys

[@Joshstix95]

I'm a simple man. I see a video notification by DCP: I click

[@Assimilator702]

My main snare right now is a 13” Tama SLP Sonic Steel. Holy crap it’s insanely good! I have plenty of other snares but that snare has been stuck on my kit for FOUR months now. And that’s a HUGE compliment to Tama since I own a Black Beauty AND a Supraphonic.

[@FanaticDrummer]

Yea I use the 12” Melody Master. Amazing.

[@rhysmorgan5177]

The 13" Sonic Steel is great! I've loved mine for a long time

[@GusOnDrums]

Don't change it, bro! Love Tama's SLP snares.

[@hannes1734]

Tama's snares are great. I just bought a 10x5.5 Metalworks snare as a side snare because it sounded fuller and crisper than all the others below 150€. Heck, it was even better than the Mapex MPX snare for 250€!

[@nairbas392]

That maple Canopus is amazing. But wow I’m also really impressed how good the Mapex birch sounded.

[@markusthedrummer8143]

In full agreement

[@drumlover1687]

The Mapex was outstanding.

[@roybeckerman7843]

The TAMA SLP G MAPLE 13x7” is a great snare. It should be on this list..

[@kennytesta9312]

I agree it’s my go to snare

[@hannes1734]

It really is. The only thing it couldn't do was being a little 10" high tuned side snare. So i had to give it back.

[@pfunnk14]

Canopus was great but so was the George way and yamaha. I'm a fan of 13s though. So cool.

[@Theratron]

Lots of good ones here, the Canopus, Sonor, Dunnett, George Way and Gretsch all sounded nice at high tuning. Another very nice 13" snare that wasn't shown here but that should be of interest to people with a smaller budget is the Pearl 13" x 3" Piccolo snaredrum range. I had one (the maple version) as a side snare for a while and it sounded quite good.

[@jamesspafford5985]

The 13 x 3 brass is an amazing snare drum which I used as a primary snare drum for YEARS!!!

[@Theratron]

@@jamesspafford5985 exactly! The drummer of khruangbin (which is quite a big band these days) has been using the brass 13 x 3 (I think, or maybe the maple) as his only snaredrum for years now!

[@kevinremsen5627]

Best intro ever by DCP. 😂

[@nocellajoseph]

Gretsch, Yamaha, and Sonor for the win. Mapex sounded surprisingly good.

[@af7119]

The canopus and the yamaha were my favorites. Surprised how great they all sounded in low and high tunings. Great cymbals as well!

[@drumcenternh]

Great choices and totally agree on the cymbals!

[@Sonormuseum]

My “go to” snare is currently the 13x6.5 Sonor SQ2 I ordered through DCP. Excellent service.

[@bobsondugnutt7526]

I find myself ensnared by your videos! EDIT: love the use of Final Placement at the end!

[@adamfrost3722]

You win the day for knowing Final Placement 🥳

[@jamesspafford5985]

For the drums displayed, IMO, that Gretsch Brooklyn steel was the stand out with the top three being the Gretsch Brooklyn Steel, the Canopus Maple, and the Yamaha Recording Custom Brass. Though I do have to say I loved ALL of them at either the high or the low tuning. It’s just that the afore mentioned 3 stood out as I like both tunings. My all time favorite snare drum, of the 13” size, though, and dear God I regret selling it, was a Spaun 13” x 6” Carbon Fiber!!! That thing sounded amazing!!! I also love my current DW Cast Aluminum 13” x 5.5”. Honorable mention would go to the Pearl 13” x 3” brass snare drum. It’s way underrated for what it can actually do!!!

[@Russ.Murphy]

James! I whole-heartedly agree with you on the Pearl B1330 13"x3" Brass Piccolo snare. It's been my main snare since 2008.

[@anthonyn1312]

I love 13x6 Gretsch usa custom Solid Aluminum snare drum And DW collector series 13x7 satin black over brass snare drum!

[@MrVoraxTranstellaris]

I see some people in the comments have already mentioned the Pearl Brass Picollo 13x3. Had that as my main snare since the early 1990s. Out of these I think I preferred the Mapex Hydra, Gretsch Brooklyn Steel and the Canopus one. Also pleasantly surprised by the Turkish cymbals. Definitely a brand I'll consider while making a choice for for any future cymbal purchases.

[@Russ.Murphy]

Vorax, Prior to owning my Pearl B1330, I played Lugwig, Rogers, Slingerland, Premier, Olympic, Sonor and Noble and Cooley Piccolo snares. I was disappointed by Rogers and N&C. Some of the metal shell drums sound overly bright to me. However, most of the copper, bronze and brass shells sound well balanced. I've been using Zildjians since 1962. During the past two years, I've picked up a Bosporus Gold Series 13" fast crash and a Bosporus Gold Series 11" splash. They are also in Turkey. You might want to check them out as well.

[@jonnymac86]

I have played some version of a 13 live for a while and love them. They "fit" better (my legs) in the kit if that makes sense versus a 14 for me. I'm 5'11 230 for reference. This is a nice collection of them and I definitely recommend anyone try a 13 if they play live and see how it feels sitting behind the drum and playing the drum.

[@BlastBeatsFTW]

Not only do I watch you guys for basically all my drum recommendations but I straight up watch you for entertainment on my lunch breaks nowadays

[@MeTuLHeD]

My Pork Pie 13x7 Mahogany is one of my go to snares. Love it! May have to make room in my heart for that DW Black Brass. :D

[@joaodepaula]

The Mapex literally blow my mind, absolutely nailed!

[@drumlover1687]

Love the Mapex Black Panther snares.

[@JD-xo2wz]

I love 13" snares. I've had my eye on that recording custom brass for a while, but that Dunett... holy moley!

[@artofthesnare]

DCP does it again... after watching this video, it made me realize I want to add a couple of 13" metal snare drums to my collection. Heading to NH this Saturday to pick up the Yamaha Recording Custom Brass and the Gretsch USA Solid Aluminum!

[@mute_panda]

I’ve used a 3.5x13 pdp piccolo snare for roughly 15 years. It’s been an amazing snare that always brought compliments from other drummers at shows. Looking into getting a deeper 13 for recording. Thanks for covering the 13” world of snares guys!

[@Bluem00n7]

Great job be great to see 13inch sig series snares

[@tsunamijesus]

I just started experimenting with a 13x4 after years of 14x7 BBSS and it's a refreshing and fun change. Tons of attack and sizzle, just the right depth and crack, and you can cram the top mic into the head without it getting farty. Plus the little bit of extra space for my knees on double kick is nice

[@Russ.Murphy]

Try using a Sony ECM100u, 1.5 inches back on the batter and an Earthworks DM20, 1 inch back on the snare side; adjust the mic mixer to taste. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

[@gregorybaillie2093]

Nice work there plus some classy chops as well. cheers

[@jppavon9504]

I’ve just picked up the Yamaha recording brass,and I love it!

[@Josh-fu3mf]

I have a 13x6 Ludwig Supralite that I like to use when I'm playing double bass. The smaller size gives me more leg room so the snare isn't rubbing up against my legs while I'm playing double bass. As a result I've become quite a fan of 13" snares.

[@demonicsweaters]

That Brooklyn Steel has some nice overtones. I also love the way it looks.

[@joc8]

Thanks guys, love your comparisons, not to mention your chops! Plus, your comedic genius! Please keep posting your videos!

[@drumcenternh]

Wow, thank you Joanne!

[@Brento44]

Stand outs for me, Dunnett titanium, Mapex Hydra and DW Black brass.

[@phillamoore157]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 I'm stunned that KZbin hasn't cancelled you, for that brilliant opening. But, I digress... You weren't lying about that Mapex Hydra. That thing sounds GREAT. Wouldn't surprise me if you sold out of them at that price. I know I'm grabbing one. The rest sounded great too. I still think the Benny Greb signatures are the best 13" drums out there, for those who can afford them.

[@giuliocarmassi]

Black Panther Hydra all the way! :) thanks as always for the test! The pork pie patina brass 13x7 is probably the best 13 I’ve tried!

[@dancalabrese3523]

From a sound point of view, I preferred all the snares in the lower tuning range. Again, from a sound perspective, the Canopus Maple snare was by far my favorite wood snare. It was a close tie between the Yamaha Brass Snare and the Gretsch USA Solid Aluminum for the metal drums. To me, these three snares sounded the best in all the tuning ranges. But if I was playing all the drums, the feel of each one might change what I would pick, as the guy's mention at the end of the video. Maybe that's why when it comes to metal snare drums, I always seem to go back to Ludwig's Supraphonic line, sound and feel.

[@howardgreene8720]

Nice choices. My two are a PDP 7X13 20 ply maple/bubinga/maple, and a Pearl 5X13 Omar Hakim mahogany shell. Love 'em both.

[@goodtimejohnny8972]

...And now that I listened through I really liked the Dunnet titanium.

[@TheProgGuy]

What about making a video for all the odd sizes like 10's, 12's, and 15+'s? Side snares have never gotten the focus that they should and they're underrated as an extra for the drum set.

[@Russ.Murphy]

I concur! In concert work, many years ago, I used a Ludwig 15" x 12" snare with gut snares for playing music from "Doctor Zhivago". Do they even make a wood 15"x12" snare anymore?

[@steventodd5983]

Gotta love a 13’’ snare drum. The favourite in my personal collection is the 13x6.5 Yamaha Steve Jordan snare drum. It’s absolutely killer. The Canopus is my favourite out of these. Great video DCP !!

[@munkygrip1977]

My main squeeze is a 13” x 5” Pearl Omar Hakim with Genera Dry on the batter side. Sounds absolutely incredible in almost every setting. I also love the extra space that a 13” snare gives when behind the kit. It could be a perception thing but I just find it a little more comfortable. Love my Acro and my Supra but always grab the Pearl when it’s time to play out.

[@FelipeCandiaDrumsPerc]

I love the George Way 13x6.5 , DW and Dunnett a great too, great job as usual.

[@thepluggy1]

I love my mapex 13 cherry bomb, great tuning range

[@jasonmckinney2705]

Got to get a Canopus snare !

[@drumcenternh]

Some of the very best out there!

[@ronniek7748]

You guys are frickin absolutely hilarious! I played the opening clip of the tape measure for my wife and she laughed her ass off! Like you guys said, I know you can’t play them all, but, my 13 inch favourite hands-down are the Sonor Benny Grebb series, excellent sounding snare drums.

[@daviddabrowski01]

😂😂😂😂. DCP for the win. Nice to see there’s still a sense of humor on the inter webs

[@wesleydavidson7525]

Don’t forget the 13 inches that Shane’s eyes have travelled rolling to this video ;) The George Way sounded great and I can only imagine has so many on-the-fly sound options with that 3-position throw-off. It would be fun to tune that sucker high and then hear the 3 positions. Thanks for the video fellas.

[@joshuatappan2407]

I really like 13" snares, this video definitely shows the differences in sound that you can get from these snares. I bought two Sonor 13" snares there and I really love both of them, Prolite and Benny Greb Brass. Might be time to snag another The Maple snare in 13", that one sounded awesome and I love my 14". The Dunnett Titanium sounded awesome as well. Nice video guys, as always!

[@commonman317]

One 13 inch snare I had wished I bought was the old Omar Hakim 13 inch Pearl Mahogany snare. That thing sounded so good at any tuning.

[@ingemosh5430]

i liked the higher tunings on each and every one of those snares better than the lower tunings. it brings out that crack much better and that`s what i like about 13"s.

[@richboshart1201]

I have no use for 13” snares. It’s not the tone, but lack of surface area and feel that don’t work for me. With that said, that Canopus sounds amazing!

[@Russ.Murphy]

Rich, What are your Tom sizes?

[@richboshart1201]

@@Russ.Murphy Depends on the kit Russ. Some guys prefer 13's. I just believe that for me, 14" is the perfect size. It just feels right. I'll continue to admire the sound of some 13" drums though.

[@Russ.Murphy]

@@richboshart1201 Rich, Back in the 1960's, Barrett Deems had 13"x8" and 14"x8" small toms on one of his kits. It may have subconsciously influenced me in adding timbales to my original Slingerland kit. It sounds like you have more than one kit. What is your favorite set up?

[@lrdrums98]

well guys ive been watching your videos for awhile now and I've learned about a lot of great brands like dunnett and canopus, Noble & Cooley...and Ive really gone down the rabbit hole comparing tons of videos... and after many years, what ive come out with is that... Sonors just the best.

[@drumcenternh]

Can't argue with that!

[@pollevanjut]

i bought the Mapex ,use it at the moment as my main snare ! have also the Velvetone and the Persuader from Mapex and aTempesta and Starphonic Alu from Tama .But nowadays i choose mostly the Hydro !!

[@ryanspeed4671]

Awesome video. I'm wearing Bose headphones & can really appreciate the sound of the snares. The cymbals are very nice to & bass kick if I may add. The Dunnett sounded the best on the low tunning and the first Gretsch, George Way & DW were nice with the Sonor having the best high tunning.

[@neftysturd]

@Drum Center of Portsmouth Any reason you did not include Ludwig Universal 7x13?

[@Ms74Biker]

Canopus and Yamaha brass for my ears. Nice video!

[@Not_Andrew_Huberman]

Sonor's always the head turner

[@SimplicityForGood]

Hi everyone! I'm looking for some advice on snare drums for Funk and Fusion. I'm currently comparing the LP Banda Snare to the 13-inch Gretsch Brooklyn Chrome snare. I mainly play Funk but love exploring interesting sounds and grooves, focusing heavily on hi-hat, kick, and snare to stay deep in the pocket. Would the LP Banda Snare bring a unique vibe to my playing, or is the Gretsch Brooklyn a better choice in terms of quality, detail, and versatility? I’m after a snare that stands out but still complements my style. Thanks so much for your insights!

[@ryandebeer4226]

Haha..great video guys. I have the Tama soundworks 13x7 kapur..great value for money..I think you featured it a while back.

[@DrRusty5]

I have always liked the smaller snares... Whilst not in the same league as some of these snare I currently have a 13" (13 * 5.5) Custom Alloy Pearl Power Piccolo, which I have owned frim new late 1990s.

[@joeldrummer23]

Good stuff as always , God bless guys

[@jjdente7666]

I only play 13's and had the gretsch solid and yamaha on my short list for a while. After hearing all of them that hydra was my favorite. Time to trade in some other 13's for that one. and maybe a dw kit

[@alkingborn]

Provided that I'm not a fan of the metal snares, the only one I liked was the Dunnett but insanely overpriced. The snares that literally shocked me was Sonor & Canopus, simply beautiful, in any tuning range. Followed closely by the Mapex Black Panther, fantastic snare at a very low price

[@Russ.Murphy]

Al! Trick Drums has a 14 inch Titanium snare that sounds much better than the Dunnett at half the price!

[@phonesavanh-98]

Came for the snares, but those 15” hats really have my ear!

[@michaelcavazuti3270]

George Way and The Maple very nice!

[@markkeneson6806]

I'd love to see a video of the George Way 14x8 Aristocrat Acacia snare drum.

[@44amanaplanacanalpanama44]

Nice video. I was just thinking while watching another of your comparisons how I always seem to like the sound of a 13" snare. Your playing seemed inspired today as well. The titanium was nice. Also the Mapex birch, surprisingly. I usually love aluminum but it just wasn't hitting me right with the 13s. The yamaha brass was very Weckl.

[@Russ.Murphy]

Seven years ago, I saw Senri Kawaguchi playing a Dave Weckl snare. An awesome drummer playing an awesome snare!

[@section8usmc53]

Wow. That Mapex Black Panther Hydra has no business sounding that good for $100. That is super impressive. That's a pretty amazing value for anyone. Even just to have as a backup, regardless of skill level. Well done. I love being pleasantly surprised like this. 👍🏼👍🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@mercertj]

Prob because it's a $500 drum. If it was $100 I'd buy two right now

[@michaelcavazuti3270]

Dunnett makes beautiful drums!

[@commonman317]

And pricey.

[@michaelcavazuti3270]

@@commonman317 Aren't all the best drums pricey!! lol....but worth it!

[@kimbye1]

I really liked that Canopus. The Dunnett was really clear and dry.

[@demonicsweaters]

I love how you guys just keep getting weirder, haha. Great video!

[@davegarciaofficial]

There was a deep punch and roundness to the DW that I didn’t hear in the others. Of all these, that’s the one

[@woutervanrenterghem570]

Great video! The Yamaha brass sounds great, but that Gretsch solid aluminum is a beast, absolute favorite!!!

[@TessaAnderson]

I watch just for the entertainment! Even if it’s a product I wasn’t looking for

[@bryandrums32]

Omg, Tessa,,, funny, we cross paths once again lmfao 🤪 holy shit

[@TessaAnderson]

@@bryandrums32 no wonder you are such a good drummer!!! Do you shop with these guys as well!?

[@bryandrums32]

@@TessaAnderson No, I just go to see in here all the different gear, I also like Sam Ash, Maxwell, Sweetwater, guitar Center, drums Center of Portsmouth, and Memphis drum shop”!!!!!!

[@TessaAnderson]

@@bryandrums32 I bought my pdp kit from these guys on clearance. And I have loved it so much. The wood hoops are a luxury !!!

[@bryandrums32]

@@TessaAnderson niceee!!! That’s what I’m talking about!!!!!

[@Timotolas]

I contribute with the following, the PDP 13”x4” E Panda Hernández signature snare. Beautiful Sound. Trust me.

[@Russ.Murphy]

Enrique! I agree! I also like the magnetic throw-off; lightning quick response. I borrowed one 3 years ago at a gig. On line, they want $549.99. Two years ago, it was $449.99.

[@davepounds5768]

I have A 13x6 Gretsch cherry wood that sounds great I am not afraid to use it in most situations It sounds good in lower tunings Are you guys going to sell the Paul Francis cymbals that he is making He has started a company called Cymbal Craftsman Just wondering if you will sell them

[@Russ.Murphy]

I already heard his cymbals, and they sound incredible! However, at $625.00 for a 22" cymbal, it's a little out of my price range. I hope the price drops; and I hope Paul succeeds. He deserves it! He's truly one of the greatest innovators of my lifetime!

[@thomasmoye664]

All those drums sound like drums but that George Way looks and sounds like a better drum.

[@adolfofrano4656]

Canopus the maple y Yamaha recording custom brass!!!

[@tygale7173]

All sound sweet in the higher tunings. But the Canopus . . . .no unsightly overtones in lower range either. How do they do it? Nice, eh, intro. Umm.

[@jamesspafford5985]

I just bought a Canopus Type R “cannon” carbon fiber from DCP and OMG that thing sounds amazing too!!!

[@adamfrost3722]

@@jamesspafford5985 that drum is incredible

[@carolinew6842]

The Dunnett. Crispy, deep fried drops of butter!!!

[@johncollins5552]

About 10 years ago I had a basic mapex 13 by 7 snare that I lent out for use on an upcoming band showcase I was stage manager on, somebody stole it at the end of the night, I suspect it was venue staff but maybe because it sounded great. I never replaced it but I do have 13 inch UFIP zanki hats rumoured to be liked by Stewart Copeland. All these snares sound great!

[@johncollins5552]

The George Way at low tuning was FAT!

[@Russ.Murphy]

@@johncollins5552 John, I'm sorry to hear that. Gig theft has always happened. When I lent gear to others, 95% of the time, they placed it back in my hands in person. Small items have always disappeared on the job, especially microphones. Embedding your name, as large as possible, on the exterior drum shell will diminish theft.

[@drumtarist08]

Black panther won me immediately. Both mapexs were awesome.

[@lesteresteban5727]

How much is the 13 in DUNNET Titanium? 🙏🏾

[@Lupine.]

If you have to ask... lol

[@HankNinja]

Seems to be a lot of that kind of measuring among drummers.

[@daltonidaho]

Nothing wrong with being 1" smaller than average 😏

[@adamfrost3722]

If I had a nickel...etc

[@scrolldier]

Sounds girthy!

[@morganix007]

Iloved the, Sonor in higher tuning!!!

[@CesarVesvre]

Mapex cherry bomb. Cheap and extremely underrated

[@gthelee3412]

I'm not really a fan of 13 inch snares, but your videos are always fantastic! This intro was classic! Your recording technique always makes the drums shine!! 🥁

[@tinterlande]

Thank you!

[@FanaticDrummer]

My first snare was Pearl JJ Signature 13x6.5 back in 2004. Love it. So versatile. I use a Tama 12” Melody Master as my main now.

[@GregBatte]

Canopus or Yamaha for my favorite low tuning. Between the Dunnett and Mapex Birch for high tuning. Visually my I prefer Mapex Birch easily.

[@lucasagustinrafael]

I need to ask why the SLP G Maple 13x7 isn't here!

[@adamfrost3722]

1:48

[@lucasagustinrafael]

@@adamfrost3722 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@kennytesta9312]

I spit out my coffee during the intro

[@Workhorse-ef8mv]

Early TAMA Rockstar anniversary issue '13 125 bills, played it beside a TAMA Swingstar 200+ bills, the Rock sounded just as good if not better, been playing ever since

[@alsdrumcorner7311]

Great video guys! I own the yamaha and gretsch brooklyn, and they're both gorgeous in different ways. I sold my black panther blaster, the predecessor to the hydro, and regret it. I might pick up a hydro at some point

[@drumcenternh]

Thanks and yeah, the Hydra is a KILLER drum!

[@toddkelly6181]

Ha! Best intro ever...

[@jonasstone1520]

Very happy with my Benny Greb brass 13 x 5.75 that you guys covered in another video. Thanks again for a great comparison!

[@gnosticnomad8389]

I’ve got a 13” sonor designer birch snare that is killer! It’s not the size of the rudder. It’s the motion of the ocean.

[@dugeniadugeniadugeniadugen5266]

Once went to a gig and forgot to bring my snare so I had to use the house snare which was a 13". While it sounded great, rim clicks weren't that okay (it had a very tight sweet spot for creating that woody click), but I don't know if this was because of the snare's build or just an inherent quality with all 13" snared. I never got to play on another 13" snare so I don't have any points of comparison. Too bad you guys weren't able to showcase rim clicks with these snares as that would have been great info. Otherwise, great video as usual.

[@Russ.Murphy]

Dugenia! There are lots of 13 inch snares out there! I've been playing piccolo snares since 1965. The sizes I've played range from 13x2 to 13x4.5. Most have been 13x3. They've been made with a plethora of different shell materials. Each one sounds different. Your not going to get a "wood" click with an aluminum shell or steel shell or titanium shell. A bronze shell or a brass shell may come close, but no cigar. In the past, they have actually made: poplar, lancewood, maple, walnut, spruce, beech, and birch piccolo snares. If you want that sound, check out wood 13 inch snares.

[@af7119]

I'm dying from your intro!!!

[@megan2796]

I ran to your website when I heard The Maple Canopus. 😲

[@dmitryshkolnik5233]

ok, so I've liked them all a lot and actually I'm suspecting now I prefer the sound of 13'' over14'', and now what am I supposed to do? buy another snare? oh, well, thanks .. I guess )

[@stromghouls]

a fairly deep 13 like a 13x6 or 13x6.5 is a very good all purpose snare drum. i favor 13 snares.