ASBA Rémi Serafino snare | Three woods, 14x8

ASBA, a French drum maker that dates back to 1927, has built a signature snare for Rémi Serafino, the drummer in Igorrr.

Igorrr jump from baroque harpsichord to breakcore to death metal, sometimes within a single bar.

So what do you build for a drummer like that? ASBA’s answer is a 14” x 8” drum made from three different woods. Let’s take a look.

What is in the shell?

The shell is the whole story here. It has seven plies made from three woods, which Drumming News Network reported on 28 October:

• Japanese Tamo ash on the outside, for that wild, rippling grain
• European beech and spruce in alternating layers through the middle
• Figured sycamore maple on the inside

ASBA says the beech and spruce layers give the drum its “body, attack and definition”. The maple inner ply is there mainly for looks.

It’s handcrafted in France. The announcement doesn’t list the hardware, snare wires or finish name.

What does ASBA say it sounds like?

Nobody outside ASBA has reviewed it yet, so here is the maker’s own pitch. ASBA describes the drum as “built to deliver both authority and nuance”. It also says the drum is “capable of handling aggressive playing without losing the subtle details”.

That’s the right brief for an 8”-deep snare. Deep drums go loud easily but can blur ghost notes. We’ll believe ASBA has fixed that once we hear it.

How much is it?

ASBA’s site lists the “ASBA x REMI SERAFINO” snare at €1,199. ASBA builds its drums to order, and the site doesn’t give a lead time for this one.

Who are ASBA?

Alfred and Simone Boudard founded the company in 1927, and it’s still based in Lyon. It began with accessories and later made nearly everything in-house, from heads to shells, even running its own foundry.

The original company stopped trading in the 1980s, and the brand returned in 2017. It now makes kits, about eleven snare models and hardware, all built to order.

Serafino already plays ASBA’s Simone and Metal kits. His artist page calls them the most refined and personal instruments he has played.

Final thoughts

It’s a boutique price, but not a standard shell with a name added: three woods in seven plies is an unusual recipe. Whether it really hits hard and stays detailed is the open question, and we’d love to hear Serafino play it.

For other artist drums, see the Ebenor Aaron Sterling brass snare or Benny Greb’s Sonor signature 2.0. If you’re choosing your next snare, our snare drum buying guide covers how shell wood and depth change the sound.