$60 Snare Drum With $400 of Upgrades 🤑

Glarry Snare Drum: bit.ly/2V5fR3q
Have you ever wondered what a budget snare drum with $400 of upgrades sounds like? I took this Glarry Snare Drum and upgraded basically everything except for the shell. Brass tube lugs, air-vent, brass coated die-cast Ludwig hoops, Brass DW Mag-Throw off and 3 Position Buttplate, the whole 9 yards... Was it worth it? Let me know what you think!
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$60 Snare Drum With $400 of Upgrades

[@rdavidr]

would you spend $400 to upgrade your snare? 🤑

[@Sam-hc3zb]

I dont have that kind of moneyy

[@donfurcio4080]

No

[@tObito687]

no I'd spend $400 on a good snare lol

[@lukewoods4985]

absolutely not, i don't have that kind of money and if I did I would spend that on a good snare in the first place. good job tho man

[@rufushayday6990]

Ooh evans heads on the fives kit, looks a clean kit

[@Ribbityibzki]

The brass hardware over that crazy wrap is like showing up to an 8 year old's birthday party wearing a 3 piece suit. I love it.

[@TheCymbalProject]

That is figgin' hilarious.

[@MatthewClise]

Brilliant analogy

[@bigmich485]

Lol

[@kahlilgarcia3995]

I wore a three piece to my cousin quince 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@dtebarrett]

i’m that guy

[@WallyPeterson]

I think heads and snare wire would have made 98% of that difference.

[@jambambadamba]

yes but that’s been done so many times, this is just being ridiculous for the sake of being ridiculous

[@Assimilator702]

@@Avedis_ He means spending $400 to upgrade a cheap snare when anyone can easily purchase a quality snare for $400 or less. Even David agrees with that assessment.

[@Assimilator702]

@@Avedis_ Yeah I get it. David stated at the end of the video to comment on what our thoughts are. He even stated that he doesn’t think it’s worth it.

[@troypeterson6057]

The thing that always seems to become apparent in videos like this is that almost any functional instrument sounds good in the hands of a great player

[@koalanectar9382]

He also had a good recording setup for the kit. It always boggles my mind when people do demonstration videos for drums and record them with a cell phone!

[@koalanectar9382]

@@rahrahamunrah1 Well I guess that depends on how you define what it actually sounds like :) Micing it up and treating the situation as if it were in a recording studio gives people an idea of what the drum is *capable* of, which is what is important. Most drums aren't gonna sound great when you just plop a cellphone in front of them in a typical untreated room. It's unfair to the drum and all the craftsmanship that goes into making them to showcase them in that way..

[@reeeeeee3966]

I mean some good tuning doesn’t hurt

[@deafbyhiphop]

It sounds good because everything else in his kit is high quality and well tuned. That one drum thats a little off gives it character and a certain panache. I preferred the snare before the upgrades lol

[@winteryynfl]

@@deafbyhiphop same

[@ffrjegs08]

i love that Glarry sponsored this video for you to just tear their drum apart lmao

[@rdavidr]

They were into the idea! haha

[@SkatePunkBanana]

Glarry seems to be big into their instruments being modded. And it's great cause their guitars are perfect for just that, although they don't sound too bad stock either.

[@edgarblumenfeld9479]

I think the catch (a great marketing idea) is that the the contrast showed that original snare didn't sit that bad on the mix after all. I personally liked it better.

[@meribor]

Shows that their drum is good without the upgrades, so why not!

[@EMCproductions]

I'm into the strap. ...wait a minute 😳

[@rdavidr]

😏

[@bentlysmith9983]

Hey, I know you.

[@durrant_kieron]

We waiting a minute or just getting straight to it ? Hahahah

[@RedstoneManiac13]

o mai

[@Pure_KodiakWILD_Power]

😬

[@lukefreeman970]

If you add all of that up you can find a used black beauty lol

[@mikedaknight8854]

Not in the UK 🤣

[@stuartsimon7471]

no...a used lm402? yeah

[@lukefreeman970]

@@stuartsimon7471 $460 if you look hard at all you can find one. I’ve seen them out there

[@stuartsimon7471]

@@lukefreeman970 lol no

[@lukefreeman970]

@@stuartsimon7471 sorry you’ve never seen one that cheap😂 I missed out on a bb for 375 an hour away from me. Just have to actually look

[@TheCymbalProject]

Definitely like the after snare better... more overtones... more my flavor. However, $59 for a brand new snare, case, sticks AND a stand? That's a good deal.

"Strap, if you are into that ..."

[@David-tq8ok]

I thought I had misunderstood that line when he said it

[@jasonzurlo1543]

Should've done a comparison with just the new heads.

[@lemmystop]

We probably wouldn't have watched that...

[@jasonzurlo1543]

@@lemmystop well obviously he'd still have the finished product, but he could've included an intermediate comparison.

[@krusher74]

yeah, i think the heads did most and then maybe the diecast hoops. but the rest I would thing hardly altered the sound at all, shame that he had all this stuff and did not do it in a couple more stages

[@Pure_KodiakWILD_Power]

Stephen Taylor just did that.

[@jonnycap7974]

They both sounded good! I think most of what we're hearing is just the difference in heads.

[@PJBonoVox]

Yeah, I agree. There's a place for every kind of snare drum IMO. I liked the cheap one more than I expected.

[@luweewee]

The snare surprisingly sounded amazing without the mods. With the mods the sustain is controlled and refined but not as good.

[@rosemarybeyer8752]

amen

[@mentalitydesignvideo]

strongly disagree

[@BruhToasty]

I’m shocked how good the snare sounded in the first vid

[@TimNewton0829]

I wonder what it would’ve sounded like with just the new heads without replacing the hardware.

[@blackgamerbrasil]

I particularly liked the controlled sound of the first version, since the updated version sounds with more open harmonics and a more metallic sound

[@Meatlooaf]

Would have been cool to hear the stock drum with new heads. But really cool video, also nice playing David - you're getting really good at this whole drumming thing.

[@AaronTremblay]

Your snare tuning seems to always be so spot on, even the stock snare sounded good but it definitely sounded better after!

[@kslipknot14]

I actually liked the original sound more than the modded one. The modded one had like a weird overtone with every hit, the original was drier in a good way.

[@lucabanks6581]

Agree. It sounded almost painfull

[@samsmelser_]

Kinda had a st anger vibe

[@user-bk3gk7td7y]

Yeah, so cheap drums with professional tunning can also sounds awesome!

[@andrewpensinger9891]

This is a great homage to your earlier videos of pimping out/"upgrading" cheaper gear to make it look/sound better. Love it

[@gabe1775]

Ok I know this is a drum channel... but I have my own drum kit as well... anyway I bought a new guitar off glarry and it was so worth it... cheap shipped pretty quick, and it doesn’t sound like a cheap guitar.... yet again I know that this is a drum channel and I have also bought stuff for my kit from glarry

[@Havron]

"Let's go with all brass hardware." Ooh yeah, that'll look great with the blue! "...and let's get a drum wrap." 😐

[@bobstar76]

Ship of Theseus springs to mind again this weekend. trigs broom all over again. What a vision....

[@frankcianciarulo7823]

I love your videos. Pretty sure most would agree that spending $400 to upgrade isn’t worth it but I enjoy seeing the experiment. Keep them coming!

[@sebastiengreen1517]

It would have been interesting also to compare the sound with just changing the heads and wire and hear if changing the hardware really makes a noticeable difference.

[@kingkoopa85]

I agree I would have just upgraded the heads, but that wrap reminds me of an old movie theater floor, I would definitely keep that.

[@emanuelegiannoni1641]

my expectentions was not to high but this confirm that the shell means everything.. it is better than the stock snare but i think, for 400 bucks, the upgrades in terms of sound is to low!! thank you for the stuff you put put on YT!

[@SopranoPizzaJMFNJ]

First of all I enjoyed the close-up of your left hand technique. I agree that changing JUST the heads would have been almost as good. The Stock Sound would be good for live rooms and distant mic placement. The Modified Sound would be a better better for close mic placement imo. Thanks for sharing!

[@whyhatestrangers]

Personally, I thought the snare sounded nearly perfect before you modded it, at least with the tuning and eq you put on it. Had a good fat sound, good resonance. After the modding it sounded more punchy and stiff, more controlled perhaps, but it lost that fat sound.

[@matthewpayne9861]

Got a 14x10 Clarry marching snare for free. Already put new heads on and will add a quality strainer and butt plate, and new snares and straps as well. Won't be as expensive as this mod but hopefully will yield an inexpensive but decent "snom". Thanks for actually trying a Clarry at all! Thanks again and love your videos!

[@mikem3457]

dave, mike here. been a fan for 5-6 years now. you may know me from the numerous instagram dm inquiries. just letting you know that this is the content i live for😎

[@jonny555ive]

STOCKER...... 🤣

[@jaredmcintosh4178]

Stock sounded fine. New batter head and diecast hoop makes a good difference.

[@richardrussellabalos9586]

I personally like the upgraded version of the 60 dollar snare drum because it kinda sounds more alive. :D

[@mitchmaule6517]

Well its a completely different drum so.. Lmao

[@donaldtoleco378]

for this kind of snare if given a chance by rdavidr i'd would use this on stage. definitely there's a difference in tone for before and after.

[@enricosimonotti7239]

You should do a video, sound testing all the parts you change indiviadully, so that people invest the smart way into their snare basing on the sound. I thinks are batter hoop and heads are 90% of the sound.

[@aaronswearingen3708]

Night and day difference!! The new wrap really comes through in the mix...😁

[@ipodgolfer13]

Dude the stock sound was pretty amazing honestly.

[@sircompliments5380]

Lol it's still better than my snare 💀

[@hansgrueber8169]

I know a guy with a new Ludwig throw-off he doesn't want...

[@iyogunprincess7636]

Yo man! Would love a video showing die cast hoops on toms, or a comparison of different hoops on a whole kit, nobody has this, just snare...snare...snare...subbed with two accounts!

[@malamute8257]

I mostly learned to drum when I was younger and couldn't mod stuff so it's kind shocking how simple and easy it is to build drums from the ground up and how you can just cover up any old holes with a wrap.

[@mat4410]

For $460 you can get a DW nickel over brass. But it was a fun project all the same! Thanks Dave

[@megadroberto1891]

I've restored a cheap snare payed 15 euro, changed the heads and it sound very well, if you know how to tune well you will make sound good everything.

[@JohnnyCashavetes]

RDR throwing money around like this, I don't recognize this man.

[@fredpasta6488]

and the last vid I watched he showed how to make snare straps for free. What??

[@IvAncientJ]

I love transform my cheap but amazing sound snare. I have the design of the wrap. It is awesome to work in a custom snare ..

[@crlaw75]

Nice deal. The blue finish looked good to.

[@Erakko-]

This reminds me of my snare drum video where I upgraded an old, dirty and beaten snare for about $200-ish. I've been using that snare ever since! ;)

[@lssoundcompany5034]

I can hear the difference, sounds good. Nice job RDR !

[@jmanzemail]

Could you do a video about proper Hi-Hat setup? Those are working Sooooooo Niceeeeee! And YEAH, that Snare is NOW HITTING! Sounds GREAT! The stock sound WAS pretty good, but your build is very good!

[@pietroverile3125]

Great Look! Beautiful Wrap and hardware ♡

[@aa04092]

I personally liked the upgrade sound, she was full sounding while still maintaining a little bit of a snap from the original hardware and heads

[@szymonobrebowski3055]

thick cast rim after upgrade gives higher louder shot, however rdavir knows how to play snare so his sound is very very good even with cheap thin bent sheet metal rim //

[@FransvandenBergeMuziekschuur]

The new hardware makes that drum soooo much better!!

[@FransvandenBergeMuziekschuur]

I really feel your craftmanship shines through.

[@RHDrumLessons]

Man, the drumming from 5:31 to 5:51 is super tasty.

[@spoonermcgee]

Dude yes, that sequence got super groovy and I had to replay it several times!

[@randallbrack2130]

Well... If you had recut the bearing edges and snare beds, as well as 2 coats of wipe on poly inside, outside and edges, and add a second vent, THEN it would sound perfect with the die cast hoops and all the upgrades you invested in. 😁👍

[@wheelmonkey00]

it would be interesting to see at where the tipping point between the standard drum vs modified actually has a biggest improvement, sanding the edges and nice skins maybe the best adjustments to make

[@350125]

I like the double crash at 5:54

[@randycassidy198]

Really diggin the cymbal setup on the last couple vids..another great vid.. thanks man!

[@ratatattater]

It definitely sounds better with those new heads on it. I probably would spend that much more on it if it had a solid black wrap; that's all I would change.

[@ArborGeist]

I dropped $300 to customize my 80's acrolite. No regrets.

[@drumjedi5301]

Yeah, but... that's an Acro. Totally worth it on an Acro.

[@frankspikes7858]

@@drumjedi5301 I concur. Lol

[@ZXMaverick]

That's basically what I'm gonna be doing to my 80's 14x8 Granstar Birch snare drum

[@ZXMaverick]

That's basically what I'm gonna be doing to my 80's 14x8 Granstar Birch snare drum

[@ryanwilson5782]

What exactly did you do, if you don't mind me asking? Looking to do the same with my Acro

[@omarcortes5754]

That wrap looks great with the golden/brass hardware.

[@stevevorass]

Congrats to Garry to sponsoring this video and making a quality snare drum that kids can afford! Btw that upgraded snare sounds great!!!

[@elijahlangston]

I love he got an okay snare that all it needed was new heads but he spent 400$ for us! rdavidr your the🐐

[@GodsOfAudio]

Not gonna lie.....I like the stock snare sound as it is. They both sound pretty great!!

[@gibby3350]

What made the most difference: Drum Heads, Snare Wire

[@kingjeb33]

The stock snare drum should be fine IF you put the Remo CS Black Dot on the batter side (like in the modded version) and upgraded snare side head (probably the wires too).

[@ikigai47]

I'm amazed at just how not worth the expense and effort was. Cheap snare sounded great. Would have liked to hear pure clicky rim shots in the mix though assuming the upgraded hoops were die cast (you may have mentioned if they were, I skipped forward)

[@valentetorrez3398]

Yeah this just shows that knowing how to tune your drums & practical factors like bearing edges, drum size, drum heads will make a bigger difference. I also feel like the upgrades chosen were mostly superficial or aesthetic.

[@nickferrence8593]

Thanks David for the cool comparison video. Double thanks for the free drum maintenance videos. I really appreciate your time and effort in organizing great tips and tricks into videos. Cheers. Love your out of the box thinking videos

[@hamadbernes1980]

Snare drums Sounds Good when you use: Good Quality of : Drumheads , rings, lugs , Throw off , snare sides etc.... Even poplar wood..... That´s the SECRET:)👌

[@MadWinter889]

The problem with soft woods like poplar is that the bearing edges are gonna collapse over time under the head pressure, and that's an essential component of a good drum sound.

[@timbit2006]

It'd be interesting to hear the modded drum but with the Glarry skin put back on to it just so we can really tell exactly how much of a difference the hardware made.

[@chuckc7375]

You definitely made it sound better with your upgrades, but as you already know the type of wood used on inexpensive drums is just cheap plywood. I have to admit that you did a really nice job on that drum though, but you’re right, buying a better snare drum makes more sense. For a beginner who has never played before, the 60 dollar snare drum is fine. My first snare drum was a piece of junk, but I learned on it and that’s really good enough for a beginner. I’ve had many snare drums in my life, expensive ones and not so expensive ones. The funny thing is, i play on a not so expensive one right now and I love it, go figure, I guess it’s not always about spending more money. I liked your video, good job.

[@drumminggouda]

I love the Mag-throwoff Its just the best....

[@1955DavidH]

I could live with either set up . I would have sprayed clear varathane . Make it a little more bright.

[@user-bk3gk7td7y]

I really think that the original sound is awesome, it sounds like a really decent and playable drum, with professional tunning, it sounds brilliant. The snare drum after upgrading can obviously sounds more expensive, I mean it sounds with more strength, more powerful and more thick, but it has more overtone, that's a natural pleasant overtone, some people like it. Well I think both sounds great, for the low budget users, a cheap snare is decent enough, if you tun it carefully.

[@kajetanpilarski3866]

The comparison would be better f you would record, orginal, only new heads, and then all the upgrades. Probably would be easier to tell because only the heads made ton of difference imo. Great video anyway, as always! 😁

[@Ranger1216]

Check the Ludwig Classic Maple for $525 burgundy pearl- but you would be able to build a $900 drum for say $550 in terms of quality with your design.

[@dwightlewis3876]

I did similar with a stock Catalina maple snare. I had the bearing edges and snare bed done, new heads, strainer, nylon washers....BOOM, it turned out to be one of my best snares. Prices for overhaul about 100 bucks. In stock form, it sounded so terrible 😫, I wanted to sell. Guitar center said they would have given 30 bucks for it. So let's say 130 bucks total for a sweet maple snare.

[@koolBOY8323]

i think i spent around 300 to refurb my 13" pearl piccolo with black hardware and lugs, and tried everything under the sun to get a trick strainer on it.ended up getting the stock pearl style in black for about another 50 bones. looks and sounds great now though.

[@damianleejr9804]

The stock drum sound reminds me of when you would go and play for a church and you know the drummer that plays there uses his personal snare. So when it’s you time to go up and play, you have to use the snare that goes to the drumset 🤣

[@mentalitydesignvideo]

I think monetarily this is absurd, but there's an distinct improvement in sound. And that teaches us that shells are only a small component of the overall sound and that having good heads, rims (on a snare -- die cast or single flange) and lugs, plus a good snare system, is crucial.

[@miguelluigisantoslopes1528]

I wonder if the snare before modding should of been tested with the new skin before hardware was replaced, then we could of heard what the difference in sound was with just the hardware too

[@OliverBurden-1019]

5:04 Rare footage of David using Evans drumheads.

[@ramiroezequielmoreno1774]

I'm a guitar player (and a very pro-lever air drummer who loves watching videos on drums and cymbals) and on Guitar KZbin the Glarry brand has been making name for itself as a go to brand for the begginer. Lately they've been realeasing "premium" versions of their models (a.k.a. maybe better tuners and pickups) and they're not too shabby according to most of the guitar youtube guys who tried 'em (remember, it's for begginers, a couple upgrades can be a universe of a difference for someone who's learning). I hope the guys at glarry get a hold of this video and do the same for drummers. Yes, upgrading a 60 bucks snare with 400 bucks worth of premium upgrades is kinda crazy (that's what makes it such a fun watch!) but, maybe with a couple tweaks, Glarry can take some notes and do what they did with their guitars on their drum department.

[@williamrobertson1563]

What band do you gig with? If you do so when are you all playing next?

[@GUSCRAWF0RD]

And now to muffle that beautiful ring we can hear after the mods!

[@ReverendHellbilly]

I'd say yes.i really like the improvements. That sounds awesome. The glarry stock wasn't bad but the upgrade. As a producer.Im gonna say. I love that snare. Cheers

[@DrumMenace]

Curious if you still have this snare 2 years later? What do you do with the projects that you don't keep? Strip them for parts for future projects? Sell them? Inquiring minds (or maybe just me) want to know.

[@lesobliteres]

Thats my thoughts also . buying a good mahogany shell and build it from scratch With natural finish

[@firdeye2681]

Very nice video. I usually play guitar but this has helped me.... learned a lot watching this

[@iam_duck1796]

Y'all better subscribe because this man spends his money for our entertainment

[@nairbas392]

Wow you got a chrome Fibes kit. Beautiful

[@weschilton]

I mean it definitely sounds better... maybe it looks better, if you're into brass and that wrap (*shudders*). But you could be a killer used Ludwig or DW snare for that money, which would be a way better snare.

[@tristjohnson9943]

Line your drum head logos up batter and reso for even more style points

[@jmfrdrums]

does it sound better? hell yes! but that's because you put the parts of a mercedes in the shell of a honda. after spending all that for just parts, it's best to get a better shell or just buy a premium new snare. im thinking about doing the same with an entry level snare, but more so about the paint job. ill just be replacing the hoops, snare wire, and snare throw

[@bryanmunroe4593]

Wow, that is a stark difference between the two set ups. Goes to show you, heads and hardware are important.

[@trertdr]

Tone is really better!👍

[@hydorah]

You should have tried with just new heads and maybe new snares for a more realistic upgrade path. $411 on stuff is just insane. I was surprised at the stock drums tone. Pretty nice. A little ringy maybe but not at all bad. It's amazing what proper tuning can do for a drum!

[@hydorah]

I commented to early! You basically said all that at the end of the vid. Nice

[@DashingGinger]

I'm impressed 10 lug snares can be purchased for that price, to be honest. I would've thought 6 lugs for that price.

[@giuliocarmassi]

I guess both snares could be totally usable in different mixes. And potentially the same drum heads would had brought them super close to each other without the rest of the expenses. All considering the $60 one wasn't bad at all!

[@mrcz2u2]

Both b 4 & after sound great.

[@marvinhanson9391]

I'd never be able to pull off that sweet gig bag dave