Pearl drums have just released the brand new Matt Halpern Signature Snare drum. This is part of the Pearl Signature Series Snare line.
Matt Halpern is a phenomenal drummer and it is great to see he now has a signature snare drum. Let’s see what makes it unique and what Matt wanted it to achieve.
Who is the Matt Halpern Signature Snare drum for?
If you know of Matt Halpern you will most likely know him from his drumming with Periphery. Complex music that is aggressive, melodic and softer at times. At its core, this is what the drum aims to achieve. A powerful snare drum that is also responsive to dynamic playing.
Matt Halpern also had a few other things he wanted to achieve with this snare. He wanted it to have its unique place in the already extensive Pearl snare drum line up and he didn’t want it to break the bank. He wanted a premium grade snare that was out of the price range of the average drummer. We all know how expensive some snares can be!
What is the Matt Halpern Signature Snare made from?
The 14″ x 6″ snare drum is made from a 1.5mm brass shell with a black powdered coat finish. The snare drum also features powder-coated black brass STL Swivel Tube Lugs and black mastercast hoops.
The drum also comes with the great Ultra-Sound snare wires in conjunction with the SR-150 click-lock.
Yes, this snare drum has a lot of black but it looks incredible. The drum also features yellow gaskets and details to finish off the look.
Features:
- Size – 14″ x 6″
- Shell – 1.5mm Brass Shell w/Black Powder-Coat Finish
- Lugs – Powder-coated black brass STL Swivel Tube STL-55MH/B
- Hoops – MasterCast (DC-1410B/1410S)
- Strainer – SR-150 Click-Lock
- Snares – Ultra-Sound (SN-1420I)
- Heads – BATTER Evans Heavyweight Dry, SNARE Evans Hazy 300 (S14H30)
- Air vents – Black Powdercoated w/Yellow Gaskets AH-03B Die-Cast (x3)
Brand new Evans Heavyweight Dry batter heads as standard
To accompany, the Matt Halpern Signature snare drum Evans has also developed a new batter head. This head has to deliver on the goals of the drum.
This led to the creation of the Evans 14″ Heavyweight Dry Coated Drumhead. This head features two plies of 10mil film, a 3mil reverse dot, precision drilled vents and Evans patented UV coating.
This head is extremely durable with a compressed attack and wide dynamic range.
Everything this snare needs to shine.
What does it sound like?
Overall this snare achieves what it set out to do. The brass shell is cutting and lively but yet controlled by the help of the triangle layout air vents and Evans head selection.
This gives you a cutting aggressive sound that is also a little dry when played at higher volumes. When you pull back to the mid-volume hits and ghost notes this drum has more tone with a quick snare response.
Overall this drum has great clarity and an impressive dynamic range.
It is worth noting that this snare also has a wide tuning range so you will be able to find a pitch that is best for your style of playing.
Have a listen to Matt playing his signature snare drum here.
Where can I buy one?
This snare drum is now available in the majority of online music stores or from your local drum shop. If you are looking to order online here are our top picks.
Our thoughts
There is no doubt that this is a great snare drum. I think it looks fantastic and it has everything I look for in a snare drum. Power but yet dynamic where needed.
The bold finish won’t be to everyone’s taste though and that is understandable.
The only thing I think that is disappointing with this snare drum is the price. Matt expressed that this drum was designed to be affordable but this thing isn’t cheap. Brass snares are never cheap but there are many other great brass snares out there cheaper than this. To be clear, this isn’t the most expensive brass snare either. You are still going to be paying more for a Tama Starphonic or Ludwig Black Beauty for example.
Overall, I still think this is a great snare that has sonically accomplished what it set out to. Matt should be proud of this great snare drum himself, Pearl and Evans have managed to create.
No comment yet, add your voice below!