Noble & Cooley 6.5x13 Walnut Ply Snare Drum-Matte Black From Noble & Cooley

The walnut line of snare drums was designed to complement the Noble & Cooley drum kits. Excellent condition

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What We Think

Right out of the box, we fell in love with this Matte Black walnut ply snare drum. Visually, the matte black finish with the negative relief of the classic N&C logo is a knockout. The walnut series uses the revolutionary shell design that delivered a distinctive sound from the Horizon series. The Horizon shell is a multiple ply design of maple with an inner veneer of mahogany to provide a softer and warmer tone. These walnut plies are placed horizontally, with the exception of two stabilizing plies, which increases stability and resonance. Think of this as tonally similar to solid shell snares but with the strength of a ply drum. The use of walnut- known for its dark fundamental timbre - results in a deep, complex tone with exceptional attack and cut especially when cobined with Noble & Cooley's 45-degree bearing edges and shallow snare beds. The eight lug configuration also lends a helping hand with the lower fundamental note making this a serious backbeat drum that will be incredible in a live or recorded situation. The drum is accented in black chrome and finished with triple flanged hoops. This drum also features the familiar Alloy Classic tube lugs and the symetrical venting used throughout the CD Maple line.

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Manufacturer's Description from Noble & Cooley

Noble & Cooley is a custom drum shop and make their drums to order, not to fulfill any particular marketing niche or price point. These are pro-level drums and so they use nothing but the finest in materials and workmanship. They are a research driven company. What that means is that each drum they make has been painstakingly designed to provide the best sound possible.

Noble & Cooley has found a simple, transparent solution to the common and bothersome problem of drum detuning. The lugs are fitted with delrin inserts that create a cold form around the inherent thread imperfections of any given tension rod. This effectively locks the tension rod in place virtually eliminating the usual drum detuning that stick impact creates.

Noble & Cooley researched the impact of venting. They found that multiple venting holes, placed correctly, made a difference not only in the sound of the drum, but also in the feel. Symmetrical venting lends the drum a more consistent rebound at various locations on the head. They also placed the vent holes in line with any other holes that need to be drilled in the shell (lug mounting, e.g.). This reduces the inhibiting effect that drilling has on shell vibration. In a nod to aesthetics (and looking good always counts!), we designed our lugs in such a way that allows the vent holes to be completely out of sight.

About Manufacturer

As a company, Noble & Cooley has a rich heritage that is as singular and remarkable as the drums themselves. Founded in 1854 by Silas Noble and James Cooley, the company has been producing drums for over 140 years. We were one of the primary manufacturers of marching drums for the Union Army during the Civil War. Still owned and operated by direct descendants of James Cooley, the Noble & Cooley Company of today is run from the same rustic location in Granville, Massachusetts.

For many years, Noble & Cooley served primarily the toy drum market. It was in 1980 that company vice-president Jay Jones (Great-great-great grandson of James Cooley) decided to enter the professional drum arena. Working closely with designer Bob Gatzen and pulling out of retirement a steam bending machine old enough to have survived a company fire in 1889, N&C introduced the Solid Shell Maple Classic snare drum in late 1983. The drum was a huge success and revolutionized the drum industry to a degree no one could have expected.

It is precisely this combination of innovation and tradition that fuels Noble & Cooley to this day. Attention to detail and the relentless pursuit of perfection are the motivating ideals of our company philosophy. Our commitment to excellence is the reason why Noble & Cooley are called by many "The World's Best Drums."