by Michael Dawson

Brady snare drums are coveted by top studio and touring drummers for their unmatched power and thick, meaty tones. All of these limited instruments are handmade in the company’s facility in Australia, and they’re offered with traditional ply shells, one-piece solid shells, or block stave shells formed by gluing together vertical chunks of wood. Brady creates its drums from super-hard indigenous Australian timbers, which also contributes to the accentuated attack and focused sustain.

New for 2014 is the Baritone series, which was devised by drum builder and company founder Chris Brady in order to lower the fundamental note of the shell for drummers who prefer deeper snare tones. To do this, Brady carves in the center portion of the outer wall of the shell, between the lugs, lowering the overall mass and thickness, which translates into a lower natural pitch. Company rep Kelly Brady says that Baritone drums “behave as if they’re thinner. It’s like a cross between a block and a ply shell.” It’s an ingenious idea, so we were very curious to check out the results.

Brady sent us two Baritone snares: a 8×14 Lemon Scented Gum and a 7×13 Jarrah/Lemon Scented Gum. Each came with a Remo Coated CS batter head, ten tube lugs, 2.3 mm triple-flange steel hoops, and washers on the tension rods to help maintain tuning. Advertisement

For more on these drums, check out the complete review in the May 2014 issue of Modern Drummer.

 

 

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