by Michael Dawson

Magnus Opus founder and creative director Ron Adams has been fascinated by composite-shell drums since purchasing a Fibes Crystalite set in 1972. He then went on to pursue a degree in metallurgy and materials engineering, and now he’s putting that knowledge to work by manufacturing his own composite drums using fiberglass, carbon fiber, and hybrid shells, including the two FiBro-Tone snares we have for review: a 5.5×14 fiberglass with an inner core of stainless steel ($440) and a 6.5×14 carbon fiber with an inner core of stainless steel ($500). Adams, who makes the shells himself, says that what he was going for with the FiBro-Tone was “to create the pop of a metal snare but with the broader response range of carbon fiber and fiberglass.”

Here’s what they sound like.

Fiberglass/Stainless Steel

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnHZw1LAqVU

 

Carbon Fiber/Stainless Steel

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Dz7L80xbg

 

For more on these Magnus Opus FiBro-Tone snares, check out the complete review in the April 2014 issue of Modern Drummer.