Mate I agree, my coveted Supra COB does not stand up-to my later 60's 400! I can hear that they're close cousins but the 400 has a stronger mid tone and doesn't white out on a heavy backbeat. My 400 is a babe in the studio as is my 402. My Radio King is awesome and I have a 60's Wood Gretsch RB that is stunning. In fact I have around 28 snares. However the 400 makes my life easier, tunes all over the shop quickly and takes it hard or soft(oooh Mrs!)

I have to add though that it can suffer from room/stage accoustics when out playing live where my wood snares don't so much.

For anyone not liking the 400, don't lose sleep, there's plenty more to choose from! Gretsch COB's, those Sonor snares made from Klingon battleship metal etc, Dunnett, Noble and Cooley's. Yamaha make nice stuff. Funny thing is everyone has tried to re-make the 400 and IMO never quite done it better.

Now back to the Cider! Ooo-are

Very interesting replies folks, just to add another element, I have heard it said they are the most recorded snare but since it was only released in the late 50s can this be true considering every other recorded drum prior to that and plenty after that were something else.

I wonder how you go about proving such a thing and I also wonder if the main reason for this legend is that Hal Blaine used one and he played on so many records.

Many session drummers these days seem to have an arsenal of snares to choose from.

I have my suspicions that this is one of those rock and roll myths that becomes generally accepted but in the end is un-provable.

One thing is for certain though Ludwig made a hell of a lot of them and if anything they are growing in popularity.

I will admit I never really liked the 400. I have had a few and tried to like them but they really did nothing for me. But the Ludwig Bronze Supra really makes me smile. I have had four of those and loved every one of them.

As far as the the 400 being the most recorded....I can see that. But just because it records well does not always mean they sound good live. Lots of drums are that way. They sound great on recordings but do nothing for me live.

I would guess the that the opposite is true also.

But then again...I prefere Fiberglass over everything else...Falling Do

One thing I can add... when I get a supra in, it don't seem to matter how good or bad it looks, it moves FAST at a good price. So if the recording thing is a "myth," plenty of people obviously don't agree or care!

And, I'll ditto the above fiberglass comment... :)

Bill

I have a friend who imports US drums into the UK and he cant keep 400s on the shelf either, I'm not doubting their popularity I just wonder how it was decided they are the most recorded drum ever, anybody know if there was some kind of survey?

Are you alone, brushbaby?

Um...

Nope - I'm here.....

oh, I was supposed to read this stuff....ok....be right back!

John

Mitch Mitchell's sounds pretty dang good live or recorded ! :)

Ok - when ever I get one of those go through my hands - what I am impressed with is how easily they tune up. Very well made (engineered!) drums those metal Luddys.

From my little corner over here....I honestly have never been able to afford to keep one! I have flipped several but honestly, as sacrilegious as this sounds - I have never had a Luddy keeper kit and therefore would not buy one to keep. I know they are known as a universal standard, and I respect that. But I have enough matching woodies and some general metal snares that fill that sound and you can all guess that they are all MIJ. I don't think it is a secret that I am a huge MIJ fan swimming in poverty with a smile on my face nonetheless.....

So, my respects to these, but would likely never own one. I do have a Rogers R-380 metal snare that sounds amazing - possibly my best sounding snare I own right now, sitting right next to my homemade 10ply maple I have had for about 15 years now. Now that R-380 is a sleeper snare that sounds as if it cost 3-4 times as much. Oh my...was that outloud?

Someday I will snag up an Acro - but would never leave it alone if it is one of the flat gray ones.....boring and ugly. My grateful thanks to those who threaded about their home-made / custom finished Acros.....someday I will do something like that, as I completely agree how great those Acros sound.

Sorry not to share too much experienced insight on the 400s! Easier to tune than my mid 60s 6.5 COB Slinger I used to own and use (for about 10 years).

John

Thanks for indulging me fella's so it would seem I am not totally alone but I might struggle to fill a small hall, well I guess that's the story of my life, it's never easy to swim against the tide but I can cope with the world loving 400s, there are worse things to worry about.

Like the fact that Justin Beiber has sold more records than Tom Waits, but let's not go there:D