Noble & Cooley 5x14 SS Classic Birch Snare Drum-Nat Gloss  From Noble & Cooley

The SS Classic was Noble & Cooley's initial offering in the professional drum arena, and served to establish our reputation as a manufacturer of "The World's Best Drums."

SOLID SHELL: The heart of this drum is the shell. We take a piece of 1/4" solid birch, hand-picked for grain consistency, and run it through a steam bending process that hasn't changed since the Civil War. A single piece of wood will vibrate far more freely than a piece constructed of multiple plys. Accordingly, a single ply shell will vibrate (resonate) more freely than the multi-ply shells that are most commonly used in drum manufacture. This resonance is what gives the SS Classic it's characteristic warmth and legendary bite. These drums are available in Maple, Oak, Cherry, and Tulip either 3 7/8", 5" or 7" deep for a completely customizable sound.

NODAL POINT LUG MOUNTING: Sound, as every grade school student knows, is produced and travels as a wave pattern. Although not nearly as apparent to the naked eye, a drum shell vibrates in much the same manner as a guitar string. By placing the lug post at the nodal point of the shell's natural wavelength, the intrinsic tone-creating vibration is virtually unaffected by the mass of the lug. The shell rings true. Instead of all drumhead sound, the shell itself adds to the ultimate tone of the drum. Nodal Point technology is a Noble & Cooley patent. Our choice of low-mass brass lugs also serves to counter the inhibiting effect mounted hardware has on shell vibration.

SNARE SYSTEM: Of obvious importance to a snare drum is the snare system itself. This includes the snares, the throw-off and the snare beds. Our patented cam-action snare wires are designed to allow very tight tensioning without choking the bottom, resonant head. They also will vibrate beautifully at medium and loose tensions. This creates a very versatile drum that can be tuned up or down as the playing situation or material requires. Our brass throw-off is smooth, simple and elegant. The snare wires are engaged or disengaged quietly and evenly. It is cast of low-mass brass and lacquered to a brilliant finish.

BEARING EDGE: Arguably the single most important aspect of drum crafting, the bearing edge is the point of contact between the shell and the drum head. It is the accuracy of the bearing edge (perfectly flat, no nicks, marks, etc) that will determine the drums tone and tunability. All of our custom drums have hand cut bearing edges that are checked and rechecked on a machinist's grade granite flat (true to 1/10,000 of an inch). This exacting process is an art; a perfect edge takes serious time and experience to create, and makes the difference between a good drum, and a great drum.