From the Primas Barbary Series! Here we have a superb stave Black Walnut shell snare drum.

Primas Drums are hand crafted here in the UK and we recently got the opportunity to meet builder Eddie Hodgkinson and hand select some snares for the shop. The Barbary series snare drum features an 8 lug design with Die-Cast hoops, this is an option you don't often get with wood shell snare drums and we really like that combination of 8 lugs and a cast hoop. There is more give in the playing feel, the drum has an open tone but the cast hoop controls the unwanted overtone and the tuning range and stability is exactly as you would expect. The Barbary is offered as standard in three wood types - Mahogany, Walnut and Padauk. Now we've had a chance to compare and contrast all three we would say the Walnut is the most versatile of the offerings. We've sold lots of Walnut shell snares over the years and they are known for their articulation and warm tone. Combine that with the unique design specs and stave shell build on offer here and you get a more aggressive version in terms of volume yet the snare retains the warm wood shell character and depth of tone throughout the tuning range.

Primas say that the Stave version of any snare will have a more powerful and projecting sound with a shorter sustain and quicker decay when compared to their Segmented equivalent. We certainly agree with this, the Barbary Stave is certainly one of the most extreme sounding snares on the market.

In terms of build quality The Primas Barbary is everything you would expect from a hand built product. The shell build, quality of materials, bearing edges, finish and hardware are all top flight. Every Primas snare comes with an in-depth Quality Control Record with a series of checks the drum must pass before it can leave the workshop.

• 14 x 6.5 Black Walnut Stave Shell
• 12mm Thick Solid Staves
• High Gloss Lacquer
• 8 Lug Chrome Die Cast Hoops
• Double Point Chrome Tube Lugs
• Small Round Over Outer with 45 degree inner bearing edges
• Drum Works Throw-off and Spencer Butt Plate
• Puresound Wires
• Evans Drum Heads
• Hand Made in the UK, all Primas snares come with an owners pack including certificate of ownership, QC record and care and maintenance guide