I didn't know that Abercrombie and Fitch even made drums...that makes me like the smell of that store in the mall a little better.

But seriously, that gong snare is wild!

Supra

Acrolite

Black Beauty

Dynasonic

Radio King

*Gretsch Gladstone -just because

Ludwig Supra 402.

Slingerland Soundking 6 1/2x14"

Slingerland Radio King, 5 1/2x14"

Ludwig Buddy Rich 5 1/2x14"

Ludwig Ray Mckinley 6 1/2x14"

Ludwig Supraphonic, Acrolite and Black Beauty

Slingerland Radio King

Rogers Dynasonic

For me, after a couple we may all agree on, it's not about specific ones so much as flavors.

First, one must have an Acrolite (any finish). I have to force myself not to put mine on the stand, because if I do, my other nice snares won't ever get played. Desert Island snare.

Next is a flavor. 14x5.5 woody with re-rings, '50's Ringo style. This can be a WFL Swingster/Barrett Deems/Ludwig Jazz Festival or a Slingerland Hollywood Ace, or a smaller builder, but this is an essential tone color for me. I have a Deems (I think)

Another flavor. 14x5.5 brass. I have the Gene Krupa Sound King that goes with my New Rock Outfit, but something similar from another source would do. Brass Supra?

Next flavor is more flexible, I like to have a 14x6.5 around for when I want to go deep and thunderous. The one I have now is a Ludwig Rocker II and I love the sound, so I'll say anything in a nice plywood with no rings. Gretsch perhaps?

Last....hmm, I dunno, maybe add an aluminum Supraphonic in 6.5 for crack and boom, but y'know? Gimme the first or second one on my list and I'll play any gig. The other three are just to add variety if I get tired of looking at the main two!

Here are my picks. Pretty much all the snare drums you'll need to cover every style and job.

Ludwig supraphonic 5x14

Ludwig 71 acrolite 5x14

Tama Superstar Bell Brass Mastercraft 6.5x14

Sonor SQ2 heavy beech 5.5x13

Sonor Phonic Beech Reissue Rosewood 5x14

This thread is all about our personal opinions . It's interesting that so many of the people, who responded to list the five snare drums they consider to cover the entire musical spectrum, listed two or three drums that are quite redundant. I would bet that most of those same people make frequent use of a piccolo or popcorn snare drum. Yet, they didn't include one in their lists.

That wasn't the OP's question. The OP's question was..."If you had to name five snare drums that every drummer should have, what would you say?"

There was no reference to "musical spectrum" or anything like that. The question could be applied to many aspects of ownership -not just what "musical spectrum" they cover. Investment potential, for example.

I stand corrected about my response to the question. I did, indeed, list the snare drums that I would want (and currently own) in my drum arsenal. Although the wood shell snare drums of the same size would seem to be redundant, they each have different sonic properties. I suppose that lovers of the different Ludwig metal snare models feel the same way about those drums. So, those of you listing three or more of them already understand this rationale. I think that the lists we all posted are very interesting.

Yes I agree with you about different nuances in drums the same size and material.....But, in all honesty....(and this may just be my opinion....but I doubt it)...A snare drum, by its design, is a very attenuated drum. The snare wires (engaged) act to dampen and shorten the length of decay of the note. After that, the overall sound produced is a matter of the harmonic overtones and the way you tension the heads and all that other "stuff". I would venture to say that I could take my Acrolite (just for example) and make it sound indiscernible from many other snare drums in a blindfold test, just by tensioning the heads in different ways. So, to me, within reasonable parameters, many snare drums can be set up to sound like many other snare drums.

If a person was to sit and put a snare drum under a sonic microscope (so-to-speak) and just tap that one drum and listen for some kind of definitive "voice" or tone from a given drum, then I'm sure there would be detectable differences...But, in a drum set application, a snare drum's sound takes on an entirely different interaction. And, because of this, I believe the only way to set up a snare drum for a drum set application, is to tune it within the parameters of that given set of drums and then utilize it in an inclusive way -as opposed to isolating the snare drum and trying to determine how it sounds, by itself....UNLESS, of course, you are an orchestral snare drummer and need a drum for that application. In that case, all bets are off! ;)

-my 2 cents