Reviews
We let our fantastic customers speak for us!
from 147 reviewsThis snare came tuned perfectly out of the box and has a great tone. The vents make this thing crack and cut with tons of sensitivity. It's like having a compressor on your snare IRL. Perfect for rolls and blasts. Brian was super helpful with my questions and I got my snare within days. I thought I would be waiting months but apparently it was in stock! For a custom drum built in the USA this snare is a great value as well.
Awesome sounding snare, beautiful finish. Great job on the craftmanship from Spaun.
I purchased the Frankenstein snare and absolutely love it. I am fond of deep snares and and chose the 7x14 not only because of it's depth, but also because the Frankenstein photos are nicely framed between the lugs and rims with this size. After all, I didn't buy the drum because I needed it, but because it looked so cool and I wanted it. I was instantly attracted to the drum when I first saw it on-line and I thought, "Wow, what a neat creation!" I am a Frankenstein movie fan so I knew I had to get it. The drum looks exactly like the photos and even better in hand. It looks great with all my drum kits . This maple snare sounds great right out of the box and I didn't change the tuning at all. I only added a tone ring on top which I do for all my drums. The build is high quality and perfect. I previously purchased the Spaun 20th Anniversary heavy brass snare drum back in it's day. I love that drum which is also perfectly made. It's my favorite brass drum. I generally use brass snares for outdoor gigs and wood snares for indoor gigs. I would liked to have purchased a full set of Frankenstein drums, but we currently have drums in nearly every room in our house. Fortunately for me, my wife is the bassist in our band so she understands that a drummer can never have too many drums. And when I tell her I am all done getting more drum, she just laughs. I will add that Brian Spaun is great to work with and is always available for any questions you may have. I have communicated with him by phone and email. I think it's neat that he takes time to communicate directly with his customers. He builds a wonderful product and you won't be disappointed. I am very happy with his drums.
These drums are amazing.
Warm, round tone. Huge dynamic range.
Awesome craftsmanship. Beautiful look.
These drums are keepers for a lifetime.
I can't say enough about this Olive Ash Burl Snare that Brian made for me. The ordering process was easy and Brian was a joy to work with. The ability to customize the drum made it even more special. This drum looks absolutely gorgeous!
The shirts fit great, the new kick is EXACTLY what I was looking for, and the entire purchase process was absolutely effortless! Thank you soooooo much
Shallow snares have a noticeable metallic sound, and deep snares lose out to the volume of other instruments. This is a specification that solves those problems well. The 40-ply thick wooden shell absorbs the unpleasant sound of metal and does not produce a grating treble sound. This snare can be used for any genre of music. However, it is very heavy.
Another great build from Brian..I have this Oak Stave Snare Drum in a 6.5 x 14 version and it sounds amazing ! . The shell is extremely durable and creates a drum that will stand the test of time. The thick shell and double 45-degree bearing edge creates a penetrating and loud back beat, brilliant cross-sticking sounds and carries limitless headroom that can cut through any amount of excessive stage volume. I have this drum tuned fairly high and it still offers a nice warm all around solid crack when played I have the brass tube lugs and hardware on it that accents the oaks natural wood grain beauty very nicely. SPAUN ALL THE WAY !!! THANKS Brian !
I really love how this snare sounds and looks. Very sensitive and loud. It's great if you like clear and loud ghost notes. Also, you can tune it very low to very high. Very unique design. Highly recommended.
Brian built this 40 ply maple snare drum for me again but adding a chrome wrap and candy blue hardware. This drum is just like my other 40 ply has a lot of crisp high end crack to it when tuned up tight. The 4 vents really allow you to hear the ghost notes when playing. I love this drum and is another great build by Brian. I also have the matching popcorn snare 8 x 10 to go with this drum. Brian also added a personal touch by including my signature on the drum badge kinda making it my own signature snare. SPAUN.....ALL THE WAY !!!
This is my drum Brian built for me. This acrylic snare has a bright loud sound that is different from traditional wooden drums. The transparent shell produces a punchier and louder crack with more projection than typical wood drums.This acrylic drum has a distinctive look that makes it stand out from the crowd.I love the candy blue hardware on it makes the drum really pop and stand out.
SPAUN....All the way ! I use a Remo coated emperor coated batter head and a Remo Diplomat bottom. Can't say enough amazing things about this build.
This is definitely not your typical snare drum. With 40 plies of solid maple, this is a very heavy snare and is a very serious drum, built for extreme tone and ultimate control. From very subtle dynamics to a very loud powerful crack, this 40 ply Maple Snare is all about the attitude massive, fat tone, with a powerful attack and a crisp, biting decay. This is one of my go to snares for when I need a really loud drum to go over the screaming guitars. The 4 vent holes offer the ability to hear ghost notes extremely well and has a great over all balance to it. I have it tuned very high and tight and it offers a superb sounding crack. You can't go wrong with this drum. I use a Remo coated sound control black dot batter and a clear diplomat bottom. I also use just a very small drum dampening circle to control the overtones a bit...The snare is the centerpiece of a drummer’s kit, and an expression of their personality..the looks of this drum is amazing too Thanks Brian for another great drum build !!! SPAUN....All the way !
I have this drum in a 7 x 12 version and it sounds amazing. A loud attack and quick decay due to the density of this exotic wood.It has it's own sound characteristic as with any wood drum.This drum has a nice round open controlled sound and has no problem cutting through the mix of all the other instruments.This is definitely a great drum if you are into the higher pitch sounds a snare can give. The beauty of the wood is amazing as well with a bit of satin lacquer spray to finish it off giving it just the right amount of shine without taking away from the natural beauty of the wood. Brian did n amazing job on this drum. SPAUN.....ALL THE WAY !!!!
I believe I'm the 1st to have this drum... I asked Brian to build me this to similar specs to the Van Halen Signature Ludwig Supraphonic drum. What turned out as a concept to me became an amazing sounding drum. The looks are absolutely amazing too. The Copper plating accents the aluminum shell and I couldn't be more happier. I put a Remo coated sound control black dot head and taped the underside of the batter head and sounds pretty close to that iconic Van Halen snare sound. Ive tuned this up tight and it sounds amazing the snare delivers a crisp attack, great resonance, and a distinctive crack. This drum also has amazing punch Brian really came through on this build for me...SPAUN all the way !!!
I got this snare some time ago and this snare drum may make all the other snare drums obsolete! This snare has become one of my favorites, and This drum is similar to a black beauty without all the unwanted overtones only a little sweeter in the punchy mid section. Out of the box,this drum sounds great - put a hazy on the bottom torqued tight as you can, and add a coated Emperor on the top tuned fairly tight and you wind up with one of the best sounding snares money can buy. Tune it down when needed, but enjoy the strong mid punch and solid crack at most any top tuning. I can't say enough about this drum...