Let’s face it, every drummer’s dream is to have a massive snare drum collection. If you’re looking to grow yours, you may be wondering what snare to get next. With so many choices out there, it can be hard to decide.
We’re going to look at the Gretsch Brooklyn snare in this article. The Brooklyn is one of Gretsch’s relatively affordable pro kits, and the snare drum is one of the best parts of the series.
The first thing to mention about the Brooklyn snare is that you have 3 options. You get a steel version, a standard poplar/maple version, and then the version that was made with the help of Mike Johnston. The Mike Johnston version has a few hardware differences.
The poplar and maple mix is the main aspect of the Brooklyn snare. You don’t see these woods being combined too often as poplar is a cheaper material, but the combination here leads to a nice warm tone. The steel version of the snare has a cutting strong tone.
The snare is equipped with double-flanged hoops and other useful hardware, including a trusty 20-strand set of snare wires.
The Gretsch Brooklyn is one of Gretsch’s pro-quality series of drums, so the quality of the snare is excellent. One of the best signs of this is when you feel how responsive the snare drum is. All three versions of the snare boast incredible sensitivity.
On top of that, the snares produce a relatively modern warm tone that tends to still stick with the vintage Gretsch snare drum sound. The Brooklyn is a widely versatile snare drum, and you could use it for almost any style of music.
The snare sounds excellent in low and medium tunings, and it tends to keep its responsiveness even in the lowest tuning possible.
The standout pieces of construction on the Brooklyn snare are the 302 3mm double-flanged drum hoops. Compared to the standard flanged hoops that come with most other snares, these hoops offer a more open sound with a very strong rimshot.
The standard Brooklyn wood and steel snares come with 20-strand snare wires. The Mike Johnston one comes with 42-strand snare wires, making it even more responsive.
Each Brooklyn snare has a snap-in drum holder which makes tuning very quick and easy since you can keep a key close by at all times. It’s a small construction feature, but one that goes missed when it’s not there on other snares.
If you’re looking for the best construction features possible, you’d need to choose the Mike Johnston snare as it offers a bit more in this area.
The Gretsch Brooklyn snares tend to have a deep “thud” when you play them. They boast a unique sense of power that is awesome to add to your overall drum set sound. You can tap them lightly to get subtle tones, and then dig into the rims to get the most powerful rimshot sounds.
The versatility also plays a big role in how popular these snares are. The steel version would be a good option for rock or metal whereas the metal version would suit everything else.
A cool thing about the Mike Johnston Brooklyn snare is that it has a built-in internal dampener, allowing you to muffle the tones without placing anything on the top drumhead.
The Brooklyn snares range between $300 and $600. The steel version is the most affordable while the Mike Johnston version has the highest price. The standard version sits somewhere in the middle of that price range.
If you think about it, you could buy a whole shell pack for $600, telling you that these snare drums are quite pricey. However, the quality they bring is highly worth the high price. If you have the funds for it, you should get one. If you don’t want to spend as much as $600, consider getting the steel version.
Just remember that most professional snare drums will cost around $500, so it’s no surprise that the Gretsch Brooklyn has that price tag.
Many drummers love using Gretsch drum kits in studio environments, with the Gretsch Renown being a top contender. The Brooklyn is an even better option than the snare from the Gretsch Renown, so it’s an excellent studio option.
The warm tones make it easy to mix while the strong rimshots will cut through very nicely. The tuning versatility will also allow you to change the tone of the drum to fit multiple settings. That’s exactly what you want from a studio snare drum.
The Brooklyn snare will work just as well at a live gig as it will in the studio. The strong rimshot will be the key aspect in this setting. You can whack the snare so that the back row of the crowd will hear it.
Whether you use the wood or steel version, the snare will sound excellent in a live band setting.
After looking through all the features of the Brooklyn snare, hopefully you’ve seen what a great option it is. Gretsch is an excellent drum company, and their snare drums are top-quality.
The Gretsch Brooklyn would make a great addition to your snare drum collection. You just need to decide whether to get the steel version, the standard wood version, or the Mike Johnston version. Look through all of those and choose which one suits your needs and budget the best.
If you’re looking for more snares to add to your collection, check out our lists of the best snares for rock and metal.
Drum Teacher
Brett Clur has a Drum Performance Diploma from Trinity College London has been playing drums for over 20 years. He is passionate about advanced concepts and uses his years of experience to teach his students about them. While he is a full-time drum teacher, he is also working on growing a YouTube channel where shares his insights. You can see him playing there, or on Instagram where he posts daily videos.
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