Product Recommendation #1: Yamaha SFZ Marching Snare Drum

     The Yamaha marching snare drums have always been widely popular across high school marching band, college marching band, and even... "Marching Music's Major League", Drum Corp International. I've been a member of each of these platforms, and in a majority of the marching ensembles I have been apart of, I have used the Yamaha SFZ snare drum. Therefore, I thought I could relay my own experience with you all!

      For starters, this drum is moderately durable. I have toured all across the country, unloading and loading this instrument. In all of my experience, I found this instrument to hold up fairly well. The snares that come with this drum will serve you well, and the screws/miscellaneous parts will remain in good shape with proper service. However, I do prefer Pearl's 16 snares, in comparison to Yamaha's 10. Mostly because the more snares you have to work with, the wider range of sounds you can produce.

     Personally, I think the different sounds that resonate from the core of this instrument are warm-sounding, and full. The shell of the drum is made with birch wood. This is important because this particular type of wood provides for a frame that is more manageable in the marching environment. More importantly, this frame is designed to harness the resonance of the sound waves, allowing for a rich sound to be portrayed. In contrast, I will say I prefer Pearl's maple wood selected for their snare drum series.

     However, this snare drum does have it's weaknesses... The chrome feature that is included on most drums is thin and will wear out easily. Cracks and scrapes will emerge if not taken care of with diligence and rust will occur frequently if moisture is allowed to seap into the drum. The Yamaha SFZ also lacks with regards to its usability. The harnesses that are required to carry this drum have been modified to ease the pressure from solely the lower back, to a more proportional amount throughout an individuals entire body. Unfortunately, these same harnesses rely on the dependability of its "whale-tail", or the supporting back-plate on the device. These plates are much too lightweight
and break easily. If this feature gets damaged, it calls for an entire re-fitting of the harness to adhere to the user's body.

 

 

     All in all, for an average price of $700, the Yamaha SFZ will give you a terrific run for your money. It is long-lasting, while having the ability to produce a terrific, memorable sound. Not to mention that Yamaha will allow you to customize your drum with colors that reflect your personal preferences. If you are looking for a all-purpose marching snare drum with outstanding performance capabilities at an affordable price, look no further!

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/marching-band/yamaha-sfz-marching-snare-drum