pull up a stool I'm buying

I've tried all...RK's, Black Beauties, Bradys, Craviottos, Bell brasses, Edges, Keplingers, Dunnets, etc,etc,etc...Just to return to my first love: A Good ol' 1968 Ludwig 402 Supra...Nothing can touch the mighty Supraphonic...

As to most recorded snare in history.. It's quite possible but there would never be a way to quantify that. It's kind of like the SM58 microphone. There are a lot of really great vocal mics available, but there have probably been more live vocal performances on an SM58 than anything else. That certainly does not make it the best vocal mic, but it is certainly an acceptable one.

We didn't really get into the particular style of music for which 400's were being auditioned and found lacking. That may have a real bearing on it's usefulness or not. I have one 400 that suffered from the obligatory chrome peel. It was subsequently powder coated black. It sounds just a tad more "dry", "woody" and maybe a little "darker" than a typical 400, however, it may have always sounded that way. I do like it but I am generally drawn to deeper snares these days.

well im 62 and i do love my supra but i also love a jazz fest ,early one with brass hardware and the rim sizes change through the years try a early one with brass rims try a 6.5 x 14 see how it sounds

I had a pointy badged 400 that sounded better than the Keystone mint that I ended up keeping before I realized the B/O badged one sounded better to me.

For years all I played was my B/O 400 and loved it to death!

But now I only play wood snares like the Jazz Festival or my Tama Superstar.

Love my wood Premier snare too.

[QUOTE=tnsquint;262771]As to most recorded snare in history.. It's quite possible but there would never be a way to quantify that. It's kind of like the SM58 microphone. There are a lot of really great vocal mics available, but there have probably been more live vocal performances on an SM58 than anything else. That certainly does not make it the best vocal mic, but it is certainly an acceptable one. QUOTE]

Good analogy! The SM58. like the Supra, was so widely used that it became a known and understood quantity.

I got my first Ludalloy 400 in 1965. I played it until 1984 in almost every situation.......sometimes tuned tighter that a gnat's a** stretched over a 55 gal. oil drum, and sometimes with less surface tension on the batter head than a puddle of water. It always worked. Wish I still had it. Traded for a 1967 400 recently (sounded almost identical to my Hayman Metasonic) and traded it back a couple of days later.

I've owned a couple of COB 400's. Chromes real pretty, same quality, but not the tonality I prefer. However, my 1979 6.5x14 Black Beauty was a wonderful snare (sold it in 1996 to a serious collector for serious bucks).

Got a 1970 Acro a couple of years ago. Bingo! I think it sounds better than my original 400. Had a couple of guys who heard it live ask if they could sample it. Same shell; different drum.

Yeah, I've heard some vintage Acrolites that I thought sounded better than either of the 400's I've had...

You have every right to your opinion. I don't happen to share it; I love my 402, but that doesn't mean you should. Don't feel ostracized or anything. We've all go our likes and dislikes.

I have some very nice cheap and expensive snare drums. I'm a Gretsch and LangPercussion fan.....mostly.

However,

I have a 1967 Acrolite snare drum....pretty much the same drum as the Supra...except for the 8 lugs instead of 10 and my shell is not chrome.

It's one of my nicest sounding drums. It feels, sounds and looks beautiful.

Hey BB, was is cool about about your thread is that you didn't say "All Supra's sound flat and boring" You simply posed a question about the Supra and it's popularity. No worries there. I have a Supra, a Super COB, Powertone, Dyna, Drouyn S100 and a 502 (bronze Ludwig) and I don't play any of them. If I played a metal drum, I'd play the 502 or the Drouyn (Supra clone). I bought the 67 Supra and I've played it three times. I like wood shell drums. Much better for my hearing. I can't take the loud snares unless I'm using in-ears. At the moment it's a Tama 5" maple snare from the 80's. Lovely! The Supra is a great drum, great engineering; but for me it's to look at, for the moment. Vive la difference!