Once again we come across Tama snare drums offered at very affordable prices on the market. Does the price reflect the quality of workmanship and sound? In our opinion, Tama have once again managed to produce a low-end instrument with values that far exceed our expectations!
1. Test
The snare drum was tested in our new Luta Recording studio. Our live room is 40 square meters in surface and the roof is 6 meters high. We used the Rme UFX+ interface, Rupert Neve preamps and DPA microphones for the recording session (shout out to the Skene company for handling the purchase of the microphones for us).
2. Basic product specs:
Tama Woodworks Black Oak Wrap 14″ x 5.5″
- Size: 14″ x 5.5″
- Shell: Poplar (8 plies), 8mm
- Snares: Steel (MS20R14S)
- Hardware: Matte Black
- Hoops: Triple Flange Hoop 1.6 mm (8 holes)
- Colour: Black Oak Wrap (BOW)
- Finish: Laminated veneer wrap
- Tuning key included
3. Product and sound
One shouldn’t be too fussy considering the fact that this instrument costs just about 150 euros and more or less the same in US dollars. For this amount, however, we get a very well-made snare drum with a fairly standard sound, characterized by a solid midrange with a nice, unobtrusive treble. The snare drum behaves correctly in the three most popular tunings. Unfortunately, the reduced number of screws (which is eight) causes the instrument to detune quite quickly. We can, of course, use tension rod blockers to prevent such a situation from happening. The tuning itself is not too cumbersome or time-consuming. The rims look very good against the body (matte black). Visually, the snare drum may give the impression of a more expensive instrument. In our opinion, it is an ideal snare drum for beginners, although such an instrument can also be used by a professional as a concert backup.
We wholeheartedly give this product a rating of 4.6
Here’s the score achieved by the 14″ x 5.5″ Tama Woodworks Black Oak Wrap snare drum:
Appearance: 10
Sound: 8
Innovation: 8
Price: 10
Quality: 10
TOTAL SCORE: 50
Disadvantages – None
In-between: The instrument detunes relatively quickly
Advantages – Good craftsmanship and sound in relation to the price
The total score is: 4.6
Here is our video presentation of the 14″ x 5.5″ Tama Woodworks Black Oak Wrap:
