Here we have something extremely special from Noble & Cooley. This is one of only 15 Sassafras Solid Shell snare drums. Out of the batch of 15 only three 14 x 8 snares were made making this extremely exclusive. This is the last drum made during this limited edition run No.15 of 15. 

Originally sold by us back in 2021, this snare has been kept by a very careful collector and comes in immaculate condition.

What Noble & Cooley Say about the Ltd Edition Sassafras

Native to North America, sassafras is a durable and beautiful wood that has traditionally been used in shipbuilding and furniture-making, as well as a key ingredient in tonics and root beer. It’s been said that it can cure all human ailments. And while our lawyers won’t let us legally stand behind that, we can boast that it has the potential to bring instant joy to drummers everywhere. While the wood grain represents that of an oak or ash, the sound is somewhere between an ash and a tulip. It’s a softer wood that produces a dry, forgiving and fat tone that works well at a variety of tuning ranges, with a ring that doesn’t become overbearing even when tuned high.

To give you a constant reminder of this unique wood variety, the inside of each drum has been dabbed with root beer oil to create a lasting scent. Yes, you read that correctly. These drums smell like root beer!

The Solid Shell Series

Striking a perfect combination of elegance and resonance, The N&C SS Classic snare drum is a tried and true go-to for artists everywhere. As Noble & Cooley’s first product in the professional drum arena, the SS Classic solidified their reputation as the leading manufacturer and original maker of The World’s Best Drums. These snare drums were the first steam-bent, solid shell drums of the modern era. They have been used on countless recordings since their introduction in the early 1980s and continue to be the instruments of choice by professional players today.  

N&C's snare system is the combination of the snares, the throw-off, and the snare beds, all their snares come with Noble & Cooley patented cam action snare wires designed to allow tight tensioning without choking the bottom. These vibrate beautifully at medium and loose tensions, and can be tuned up or down as needed. The N&C brass throw-off is smooth and simple, allowing the snare wires to be engaged or disengaged easily.

Nodal Point technology is Noble & Cooley’s very own patent. By placing the lug post at the nodal point of the shell’s natural wavelength, N&C drums ensure that the intrinsic tone-creating vibration is unaffected by the mass of the lug. Instead of all drumhead sound, the shell itself adds to the ultimate tone of the drum.

The bearing edge is the point of contact between the shell and the drumhead. The accuracy of this bearing edge determines the drums tone and tunability. SS Classic Snare Drum edges are lathed to create maximum resonance and projection. True to 1/10,000th of an inch, these artfully customized drums have hand cut bearing edges that are checked twice on a machinist's grade granite flat, ensuring consistent pitch.

Since 1983 the SS Classic is still the industry standard for its versatility. 

• 14 x 8 SS Classic Sassafras Snare Drum

• No.15 of 15 hand signed inside by Nick Jones

• 1/4" Solid Sassafras Limited Edition Shell

• Hand dabbed inside with Root Beer oil for a beautiful long lasting scent

• Finished in Natural Satin

• Chrome 2.3mm Hoops fitted as standard

• SS Classic Gold Badge

• Nodal Point Brass Lugs

• N&C Brass Throw Off

• N&C Cam Action Lever Snare Wire

• Hand Made and Custom Built by N&C in America

• Hand signed by Nick Jones (7th Generation of the Cooley Family)

More About N&C.

We are very proud here at Drumazon to be exclusively representing Noble & Cooley Drums in the UK. This is a brand that we have all been life long fans of and it is an absolute privilege to be stocking these drums.

Noble and Cooley started in 1854 and are now being ran by the 6th and 7th generations of the Cooley Family.  By the mid 1980's N&C were in the beginning stages of leading what would become the 'Custom Drum Movement', offering new pioneering approaches to drum design and finishing. Products started to come thick and fast such as the Solid Shell Kits & Snares (SS Series) , the Star series drums which probably were the worlds first short depth toms and the Horizon series offered up the original hybrid shell, all ideas way ahead of their time that are now imitated by many other brands. All these drums offered more innovations such as nodal point mounting, precise bearing edge design, symmetrical venting and furniture grade finishing.

If you haven't come across N&C drum sets, you probably have seen, played or heard one of their Snare Drums. Many professional drummers and recording studios have at least 1 or 2 N&C snares in their inventory. N&C offer some of the worlds finest Solid Shell, Ply Shell and Alloy Shells available, they also made a very famous snare in collaboration with Zildjian in the early 90's now in high demand on the vintage market.

The company is still located in Granville, Massachusetts, all their drums are hand made, hand finished and are built to last. Whether you buy a Kit or a Snare, Noble and Cooley drums will deliver pure joy! The way they play, the way they sound, the way they look, even the way N&C pack them, they are very special. These are drums from the worlds best drum makers that will hand down to future generations and continue what already is a great American Story.