Upgrading the snare changes a drum kit's sound more than any other single piece. Choose it in three steps: the size, the shell material, then the heads (which you can always change).
Size
A 14 x 5.5-inch snare is the standard and works for almost every style. 14 x 6.5 is deeper and fatter, popular in rock. 13-inch and 12-inch snares are tighter and higher, and 10-inch "side snares" add a second, poppy voice next to the main one.
Shell material
| Shell | Sound | Models at Thomann | Cheapest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood (maple, birch...) | Warm, round | 428 | $108 | $627 |
| Steel | Bright, cutting | 70 | $81 | $365 |
| Brass | Rich, loud, warm ring | 62 | $152 | $883 |
| Aluminium | Dry, sensitive, clear | 49 | $224 | $771 |
| Copper | Dark, warm | 24 | $163 | $1,084 |
| Bronze | Complex, powerful | 20 | $999 | $1,299 |
Thomann had 687 snare drums in stock on October 19, 2026, half under $640. Steel is the cheapest way to a good, versatile snare; brass and bronze are the classic "upgrade" metals.
Good snares for each sound
Yamaha Stage Custom 14 x 5.5 Steel, $189
A 1 mm steel shell, triple-flange hoops and Remo heads: bright, versatile and cheap. One of the highest-ranked snares we track: #1 of 55 14" steel snare drums.
Yamaha Stage Custom 14 x 5.5 Birch, $189
The same size in birch, for a warmer, rounder sound. #1 of 235 14" wooden snare drums.
Yamaha Recording Custom 13 x 6.5 Brass, $613
A 1.2 mm brass shell in a deep 13-inch size, crisp and powerful. #1 of 5 13" brass snare drums.
Pearl Sensitone 14 x 6.5 Brass, $687
A 1 mm brass shell with a bead: warm and full with plenty of attack. #1 of 47 14" brass snare drums.
Mapex Atomizer 14 x 6.5 Aluminium, $521
A 2 mm aluminium shell for the dry, finely detailed aluminium sound. #1 of 45 aluminium snare drums.
Questions
What size snare drum is best?
14 x 5.5 for most players. Go 14 x 6.5 for a fatter rock sound, 13 inches for a tighter, higher crack.
Is a metal or wood snare better?
Neither. Metal is brighter and louder, wood is warmer. Many drummers own one of each.
How we measured. Every snare drum Thomann listed as in stock on October 19, 2026 (687), by Thomann's shell categories (signature and other snares aren't in the table), converted from euros at the European Central Bank rate. Products show today's price and rank, updated every night.
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Denis Kataev runs AudioFu. Every night the site records the prices of more than 38,000 instruments and studio tools at Thomann, and he writes about what those numbers show: what got cheaper, what just arrived, and which discounts are real.
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