Aluminium is a weird material, as it takes lots of it to be stiff; but it is not very dense, so it remains light despite the large amount of material needed to make it stiff. I have never played an aluminium snare. Acrolites are aluminium.

I think of when I was building bicycle frames: Aluminium is light and can be punishing on the rider. But a few companies figured out how to tame the sting by manipulating wall thickness and tube diameter. I imagine that it's not quite as ringy as steel. But those who have experience with Aluminium snares could tell you better.

I do like Sabian's aluminium ice bell.

My experience with aluminum snare drums is limited to Acrolites and a couple of student model Slingy snares. I grew to detest the sound and the feel of playing on steel and brass shell snare drums. I am big on that intangible "feel" aspect of playing on a drum. The Acrolite feels and sounds like a wood shell snare drum. Therefore, I like it. The aluminum Slingy that I have is almost as "wood like".

If you think about it, aluminium can be worked like wood with wood working tools. I can see how it could be wood-like in sound...

Aluminum must be cheap because most of the new drums available are much less expensive than brass shells.This will be a learning experience for me since i,ve only used wood shells for over 35 years.

It is relatively cheap. I think if anyone really started working with it like they did with bicycle tubing, it would get HELLA expensive in a hurry!!!

I am thinking of all of the cool things that could be done with aluminium. Dude- it could be done up with MONSTER results!!!!

Aluminium is relatively soft, which is why it isn't a particularly dense material. It is actually somewhat (relative term for metal, I realise) porous as far as metals go. This is why it has a more wood-like sound than steel or brass. I would guess that the sound is between maple and brass. Just a guess, I realise...

Seems not to many of you play aluminum snare drums.Is it because of the unknown factor,and just not enough exposure to this metal?

If you played an Acrolite, then you played aluminium. I played Premier and Olympic when I was in school...

I have played several different Aluminum drums,Ludwig acrolite,blackrolite ,supraphonic,and a student slingerland,plus a cadeson,and compared an acro and a supra with a bronze hammered supra,and a brass world max black dawg,and a rogers COB dynasonic.The Alum drums were dryer than all the other drums mentioned,with the hammered bronze supra being warmest,and the next dryest.Out of this group the brass were the brightest and least dry,actually I would not even call either of them dry.An aluminum drum IMO is going to be a lot less bright in general compared to a steel drum,especially the cheaper steels.I have briefly played other aluminum snares that were on the bright side but they still had a dry factor to them.out of the luddy drums mentioned they all had a little warmth to them,with the plain acro being warmest,then the blackro,then the Supra.But in general I do like Aluminum snares,they,in my experience are good general purpose snares.

eamesuser-

Aluminium (or aluminum) is such a great metal for so many things!!! I haven't played an acrolite, but knowing what aluminium is like for a bike frame material, I kinda see where your comparison comes from.

I almost want to see if I couldn't do a thin-shelled aluminium drum (i.e. under 1.5mm thick), or a thin-shell with carbon fibre over it. I think this could be a revolutionary concept- just wish I could spin an aluminium shell... I don't have a relationship with a machine shoppe any longer...

I also wonder what an aluminium shell done up like a Peavey Radial would be like...