3 mm copper or brass

[NO DRUMS]

Was wondering if can be purchased for the same price and condition ($550) which is a great deal or does it just comes down to preference (sjc or dw) 3mm brass or copper

[MitchLyons]

Both will be great sounding drums but I’d opt for the DW. DW is a tried and true company and is known to make quality drums to last a lifetime and their hardware is top notch, whereas I can’t speak for the hardware quality on the SJC. My good friend has the 14x6.5 DW 3mm brass and it sounds outstanding.

[Josh Conover]

Both will be great sounding drums but I’d opt for the DW. DW is a tried and true company and is known to make quality drums to last a lifetime and their hardware is top notch, whereas I can’t speak for the hardware quality on the SJC. My good friend has the 14x6.5 DW 3mm brass and it sounds outstanding.

I’ll second this. Not only has DW been around for quite a bit longer than SJC, they’ve actually become the industry standard as far as hardware goes. The strainers and butt plates on their current snare drums are very nice, and they have their own proprietary tension rods that allow you to really fine tune your head.

While SJC has made a decent name for themselves, they are essentially what OCDP could have become with a little assistance. They “make” very little but get really creative with their finishes and assemblies. Their hardware is okay but somewhat generic.

My guess is neither DW or SJC make the 3mm shells they use. Odds are they could even use the same supplier...(?)

[drumminjc]

I’ll second this. Not only has DW been around for quite a bit longer than SJC, they’ve actually become the industry standard as far as hardware goes. The strainers and butt plates on their current snare drums are very nice, and they have their own proprietary tension rods that allow you to really fine tune your head.

While SJC has made a decent name for themselves, they are essentially what OCDP could have become with a little assistance. They “make” very little but get really creative with their finishes and assemblies. Their hardware is okay but somewhat generic.

My guess is neither DW or SJC make the 3mm shells they use. Odds are they could even use the same supplier...(?)

I'm riding the fence here. I own the following each with 3mm shells

SJC 7x14 Element Aluminum
3mm shell with 5mm integrated rerings

DW Collector's Series 6.5x14 Copper and Bell Bronze
3mm shells, no rerings

I've also owned the 6.5x14 3mm brass and loved it.

Each snare drum has their own qualities. The brass is going to have a brighter sound while the copper is going to be a bit darker/warmer. The SJC and DW snares I have each come with 3mm hoops, 3mm shells. The DW snares are solid and I don't have any issues with detuning. The SJC on the other hand has a very loose feeling throw-off and I usually have an issue with 1 tension rod that consistently detunes due to rimshots. That being said, those are minimal differences that can be addressed with lug locks. The SJC throw while loose in feel, is solid and never gives me any trouble. I really don't think you'd go wrong with either.

[NO DRUMS]

I'm riding the fence here. I own the following each with 3mm shells

SJC 7x14 Element Aluminum
3mm shell with 5mm integrated rerings

DW Collector's Series 6.5x14 Copper and Bell Bronze
3mm shells, no rerings

I've also owned the 6.5x14 3mm brass and loved it.

Each snare drum has their own qualities. The brass is going to have a brighter sound while the copper is going to be a bit darker/warmer. The SJC and DW snares I have each come with 3mm hoops, 3mm shells. The DW snares are solid and I don't have any issues with detuning. The SJC on the other hand has a very loose feeling throw-off and I usually have an issue with 1 tension rod that consistently detunes due to rimshots. That being said, those are minimal differences that can be addressed with lug locks. The SJC throw while loose in feel, is solid and never gives me any trouble. I really don't think you'd go wrong with either.

Which one is the heaviest and has a warmer tone?

[Josh Conover]

The OP said they were both the same price. To me that means the SJC is way over or the DW is way under.

Just looking at your snares, the True Hoops, tension rods, strainer, and butt plate all are better quality, without question.

So, if I had the option between the two, I’d go with the better hardware attached to the shell.

[MikeyV]

The OP said they were both the same price. To me that means the SJC is way over or the DW is way under.

Just looking at your snares, the True Hoops, tension rods, strainer, and butt plate all are better quality, without question.

So, if I had the option between the two, I’d go with the better hardware attached to the shell.

Agreed if price is equal.

But I have the SJC Element aluminum in 8x14 and have sounds great with no issue with the hardware at all. Also have a 6.5x14 DW bronze. I love both. I got compliments from sound engineers every single time I used the SJC. The DW is far heavier in weight though. If I had to pick one that I like more, it would be the DW bronze.

[drumminjc]

Which one is the heaviest and has a warmer tone?

The copper and bronze weigh in at roughly the same. (20+ lbs) The SJC is much lighter due to it being aluminum. Between the three, the copper has the warmer tone.

[NO DRUMS]

Great, there’s a guy that purchase one and say it too difficult to move around so it up for $500.... Said only Played twice but it’s an 45 minute drive