Don't Sleep on the Ludwig Rocker Bronze 5X14 LM305 Snare Drum

After posting the #snaresaturday video on the Ludwig rocker steel snare, many viewers requested a video on the Ludwig rocker bronze snare. After searching for quite some time I found one in excellent condition at one of my local drum shops - Junk Rock Drums. In this #snaresaturday video I'll show you the Ludwig Rocker Bronze 5X14 LM305 snare drum, and why this drum has a sound that's more than a "cheap/affordable" drum.
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Music by:
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Time Stamps
00:00 - Intro
01:28 - Rocker Bronze Backstory
02:02 - Rocker Bronze Specs
03:01 - Low Tuning
03:59 - Medium-Low Tuning
04:57 - Medium Tuning
05:53 - Medium-High Tuning
07:03 - High Tuning
08:16 - Cranked Tuning
09:26 - Rocker Bronze Sound Characteristics
09:52 - Closing Remarks
Don't Sleep on the Ludwig Rocker Bronze 5X14 LM305 Snare Drum
#snaredrum #ludwigdrums #ludwigrocker

[@MarkMonolithOfficial]

You really can't go wrong with ANY Ludwig snare drum. Ludwig has perfected the art of making snare drums.

[@NickCostaMusic]

Could not agree more!

[@jimo3173]

I agree. I used to use a Ludwig Acrolite black galaxy, and it was a very nice sounding snare.

[@NickCostaMusic]

Pretty wild how versatile that black galaxy acro is, too!

[@szi5443]

@@MarkMonolithOfficial Plastic straps on the wires, no perfect

[@that-avr-drummer]

I used to have the 5x14 one back in the 90s and I miss it!! Great drum.

[@NickCostaMusic]

Totally agree. I was surprised by the sound while making this vid

[@Spagz]

It sounds great in all ranges! Cranked surprised me.

[@NickCostaMusic]

Right?!? Just adjust the tuning, and go!

[@djo9941]

I have 2 70s Ludwig Rocker kits and 1 Rocker kit from Taiwan. All really good drums.

[@NickCostaMusic]

Oh nice! What are the sizes of the kits?

[@gnosticnomad8389]

Bronze is my favorite snare tone. My main snare is a legends bronze. I paid $75 for it and it is my top pick even over my high end sonor snares.

[@NickCostaMusic]

So cool! Pretty great when a go to snare just so happens to be super affordable too

[@nickwilkinsmusic]

man oh man that low tuning sounded amazing. really had a nice crack in the higher tunings too. what a lovely drum to boot!

[@NickCostaMusic]

Super versatile for sure - didn't need any modifications, either!

[@timm1139]

That first tuning is all I needed, wow... & great sounding @ the higher tunings also. That's a great drum.

[@NickCostaMusic]

Glad you liked it! I really like the sound of the medium-high, high tuning (but I also prefer higher tuned snares)

[@jkozol]

Spectacular drum. I have one also but I made a few “modifications”. I put on Ludwig die cast rims, put gaskets under the lugs and put on the P88 AC throwoff. It’s sounds spectacular. Dries up the drum just enough.

[@NickCostaMusic]

I bet that thing is like a cannon now! What did you use for the gaskets?

[@jkozol]

I was able to get Ludwig gaskets through Drum Center of Portsmouth.

[@jkozol]

And it sounds like a Tama Bell Brass

[@johnsandbo1]

Any idea of the price of this drum?

[@NickCostaMusic]

This rocker bronze you can find $300 - $375 online any day. Just need to keep an eye out to make sure it's in good shape

[@stanfordkoch1271]

Cool snars

[@NickCostaMusic]

Appreciate that, thank you!

[@alsdrumhang]

Definitely a sleeper! What a fat low tuned sound... and still plenty of meat in the higher tunings. Worth looking for!

[@NickCostaMusic]

AND they're not too crazy expensive...yet

[@szi5443]

This was my main snare for a while, what a sleeper and could use it for anything. Throw off is a pos though

[@NickCostaMusic]

Total sleeper, though prices are climbing so they might not be anymore. Love how Ludwig designed the new p88ac throw off to fit the hole spacing - now you can have a solid throw!

[@szi5443]

@@NickCostaMusic I did put a p88 on it. Much better, stiff knob though. INDe throw offs won’t fit surprisingly, but the INDe fits on my Acro, go figure

[@swingdrums]

I had one. It is 5.5x14, not 5x14. It's made overseas and from what I understand it's the same shell as the Pearl Senitone but with Ludwig hardware. With nice heads and snare wires, they sound good but compared to the Ludwig Superphonic bronze, it's not as full bodied and rich sounding, but that doesn't mean it's not a good sounding drum. If I still had both, this is a drum I could take on a gig and not worry so much about as my more expensive snares, but still do a good job. Only "drum nerds" could probably tell a big difference between this and the pro line superphonic. My bass player definitely could not...

[@NickCostaMusic]

That's great info, thank you for sharing - I had no idea about them being the same shell as the Sensitone! As long as it sounds good, that's all that matters to the general audience

[@garyzapel4022]

Nice sounding snare. I have the bronze Ludwig phonic, i wonder what the difference is?

[@NickCostaMusic]

I think so too! Bronze phonic is a seamless shell, this isnt. The shells might be different thicknesses as well. Besides that, different lugs (bronze phonic has imperial, this has bowtie lugs), bronze phonic doesn't have an internal dampener, etc.

[@kmh993]

Great video! How does this compare with the aluminum Acrolite? Similar shape and hardware, only the shell material differs. Curious to know how it compares

[@NickCostaMusic]

Appreciate that, thank you! I'm not sure how it compares, though I think that needs to be an upcoming video now...

[@brianchisnell1548]

Love my Ludwig's, but, my '75 Slingy brass shell, 6.5 Gene Krupa is untouchable!

[@NickCostaMusic]

That's a great snare!

[@brianchisnell1548]

@@NickCostaMusic I know. I used it for years with my Yamaha kit. Fantastic crack!!

[@stanfordkoch1271]

I got the steel version at a triftshop for about 5 dollars here in the netherlands

[@NickCostaMusic]

That's a GREAT find!

[@jimo3173]

This is a nice sounding snare. The rim hits sound a little thin, but the rest sounds good. I have a 14x4 phosphor bronze seamless 3 mil snare and it's the best one I've ever had. I am a fan of bronze snares.

[@NickCostaMusic]

Totally! Maybe putting a heavier hoop like a die cast can help get a better rim hit?

[@jimo3173]

@@NickCostaMusic That's entirely possible. My snare has die cast hoops and the rim knocks sound sweet. You might also tighten the wires just a little which will also help and may in fact help more than the die cast hoops.

[@NickCostaMusic]

Not a bad idea to try both - thanks for that! Now to see which wires will work best with the drum?

[@jimo3173]

@@NickCostaMusic Ah yes, the old trial and error deal with the wires lol. For good rim knocks though I would stick to 20 strand wires and not those ones that make the underside of your snare look like a BBQ grill lol.

[@nathanowens3]

I wonder what years they were produced, sounds awesome

[@NickCostaMusic]

From what I read, they're from the 90s. www.drumforum.org/threads/information-on-a-ludwig-80s-brass-snare.58046/

[@bobgourley8179]

Ilikeit ,is itaveryezspensive dbarewhat do they generally cosy

[@NickCostaMusic]

You can find them between $300 - $400 USD

[@JackNiles]

Wondering the sound difference between a 80’s Tama bell Brass and a Tama swingstar Steel.

[@NickCostaMusic]

Me too - would love to get my hands on an 80s Tama bell brass, though it's way out of my budget...

[@JackNiles]

@@NickCostaMusic Maybe Tama will send you one to do a Demo video

[@NickCostaMusic]

@JackNiles as a Ludwig educational artist, it might be a conflict of interest for both parties

[@curtislangford6248]

Bronze with 10 lugs gives the snare a warm sound. I wonder trying different heads would brighten up the tone?

[@NickCostaMusic]

It might, though I would think they would have to be thinner to let the drum breathe a bit?

[@catmanisgod8200]

The Drum needs a Ludwig X-Thin Resonant snare side head.

[@NickCostaMusic]

Not a bad idea, @catmanisgod8200 ! What do you think it will do to the overall sound?

[@curtislangford6248]

@@NickCostaMusic The sound of a drum top and bottom heads should be easy to control volume, dynamics, and easy to tune. There are so many varieties of heads today but the important part of choosing the type of drum heads to fit your style is up to you. It’s easy to make your drums sound like a marching snare if you don’t care.

[@wadedixon9890]

Bronze vs Copper

[@NickCostaMusic]

And look at that, I have both! That's a great recommendation, thanks @wadedixon9890

[@JCordoba1001]

People always talk about Black beauty and Supraphonic when the COPPERPHONIC smokes them both!

[@NickCostaMusic]

The copperphonic is a pretty fantastic drum, totally agree ! kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqbNoIlmZt6Irbc

[@Dan-hc1ow]

Not bad for seamless.

[@catmanisgod8200]

It is not seamless. Dude says so in the video, and says that it is seamed.

[@Dan-hc1ow]

@@catmanisgod8200 you're right, of course. Don't know what was going through my mind. It was very late. My mind was thinking seam but my fingers typed seamless.

[@NickCostaMusic]

Seamless do sound great, but that doesn't mean one with a seam is worse. Q Drums made fantastic metal drums, all with riveted seams

[@htkfred]

You didn’t measure it?

[@NickCostaMusic]

I didnt...

[@catmanisgod8200]

I am not overly impressed. It is nothing I would play... or collect.

[@NickCostaMusic]

Ain't nothing wrong with that. What didn't you like about it, and what's your preferred snare?