YAMAHA SD493 Piccolo Brass Snare Drum

YAMAHA SD493 Piccolo Brass Snare Drum

14 x 3 1/2, brass shell ^LISTEN

This brass snare drum from YAMAHA Drums was made in the late '80s (about in 1987) and stopped about the middle '90s (about in 1994-1996).

This piccolo brass snare it was one of the sd brass - shell snare drums series. There were four models, one of which we'll look at individually. But first, a couple of features that apply to the entire line:

All of the drums feature ten tension lugs, and none of them have any sort of internal damper. (Each drum did come equipped with a clear plastic ring, however, which does a better job of muffling anyway). Overall, the brass shells give a little more depth and warmth than steel or chrome shells, but are much brighter than wood - shell drums. Each drum was fitted with YAMAHA/Remo batter (Ambassador weight) and snare heads. Each drum also had its own serial number, stamped onto the logo badge.

The complete SD series

It was (and still it is in my opinion) the most interesting of the brass series. It's a piccolo snare drum, measuring 14 x 3 1/2. It comes equipped with Power Hoops, and the strainer is a slightly modified YAMAHA standard model. However, the snares extend past the head, and there is an adjustable snare guide that helps you want them.

This drum has more body than I expected from a drum of that size, although I would still be careful about using it as a general - purpose snare drum. It could work well in a quiet setting (three-piece acoustic jazz trio, perhaps), or in a situation where the drums are miked. The drum is at its best when tuned fairly tight, and rimshots sound great.

I have heard Dave Weckl (in Chick Corea Elektric Band live situations of the '80s and in his videos "Back To Basics" and "The Next Step"), David Garibaldi (in his video "Tower Of Groove" and live situations from the past), Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Gadd, Alex Acuña, Larry Mullen (from U2) and more others using this drum (miked), and it was perfect for their tight, crisp styles. It could also be good as a second snare drum. The trend of those days seemed to be moving towards higher pitched snares, in fact this drum became very popular and, in my opinion, it is still an appreciated, wanted and perhaps one of the best ever made brass snare drum. Because the shallow depth emphasises the high overtones, the drum might be too bright for some tastes. But replacing the top head with a brush-coated Evans Rock head, which eliminated some of the extra high end.

MODEL	SHELL	PLIES	SIZE	LUG TYPE	T. BOLTS	HOOPS	STRAINER	SNARE	HEAD BATTER	HEAD SNARE	COLOR
SD493	Brass	-	14 x 3 1/2	Piccolo	10	Power	AP	SN-DL	Remo Ambassador	Remo Ambassador	Classic Brass
SD416	Brass	-	14 x 6 1/2	SD Lug	10	Diecast	E	SN-E	Remo Ambassador	Remo Ambassador	Classic Brass
SD496	Brass	-	14 x 6 1/2	SD Lug	10	Power	A2	SN-D	Remo Ambassador	Remo Ambassador	Classic Brass
SD498	Brass	-	14 x 8	High Tension	10	Power	A2	SN-D	Remo Ambassador	Remo Ambassador	Classic Brass

All in all, the YAMAHA brass snare drums sd series are well designed, and the four models cover a pretty wide range of applications.

An old SD493 spot from 1988 Modern Drummer

Go To The YAMAHA SD493 Details Photos

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SD493	14 x 3 1/2	$505.00
SD416	14 x 6 1/2	$545.00
SD496	14 x 6 1/2	$475.00
SD498	14 x 8	$525.00