Life is too short for bad drum heads, the same is true for snare wires! The snare drum is one of the most important parts of a drum set. Snare wires are what sets them apart from the other drums. They are responsible for the signature sound a snare makes.
Snare wires are placed on the resonant head (the bottom) head of the snare drum where they are held in tension by tension rods. They give it that give it that classic crispy snare sound as the drummer strikes the batter head. Loosen the wires to get an open, resonant sound. Tighten them to get that classic snare crack with a fast attack sound.
My top recommended snare wires are the PureSound Super 30 Series. These are big snare wires that produce a crisp sound of great quality.
My second recommended snare wires are the Pearl S022 Snare Wire. These are affordable snare wires but are a classic for a reason.
Starting this list with these big snare wires. The PureSound Super 30 Series snare wire is 14 inches consisting of 30 snare wires. These wires are medium gauge and densely weaved. You get a crispy clean sound from these wires.
If you play some older music, like rock and roll, blues, or jazz, you are going to love the Super 30 series. It packs great quality and sound at a reasonable price, so you shouldn’t worry about your budget suffering for this buy.
Coming from a famous manufacturer, Pearl’s S022 is a 20-strand wired snare for 14” drum heads. It can be mounted on the drum with wide straps as well as with the classic plastic, see-through straps that come with it in the package.
This is a classic, stock, snare wire that is cheap, affordable, and middle-of-the-line. Coming from a big-name manufacturer, you can be sure that this is a decent-quality product.
The sound coming from this snare is just a classic 20-strand, 14” snare wire, crispy and loud, and will give a whole new life to your snare drum.
If you thought the 30 strands of wire is a lot on a snare, what would you think of when you see this 42-strand snare? Made for a 14” snare drum, this 42-strand wire snare is produced for jazz and rock music, but mainly for live performances.
When you have Gibraltar SC-4471 Snare installed, its high amount of wires packs quite a bit more punch than smaller ones. If you’re looking for a 42-strand snare wire, look no further.
If you didn’t actually need one and just want to experiment, then consider buying it as it’s cheap and affordable, just to try it on. It will light up your old drum if nothing else.
Another of the PureSound classic snare wires, the Blaster series is a 20-wire, 14” drum snare wire. It comes with 20 strands of wire made from premium grade steel alloy, with bent end clips, which produce the magnificent crispy sounds they make.
These wires come with black straps, but you can always buy transparent ones if you want them that much.
Blaster series is a true, American-made high-quality snare wire. This is an industry standard so you won’t make a mistake buying this snare wire, whatever the music genre you’re playing maybe.
This is another PureSound Snare Wire. This time it’s the Equalizer series with their 16-strand snare wire, built for 14” drumheads. This is perfect if you’re looking to go more minimal with your wires.
The specific design of this snare wire is that, differently from all of the others, it doesn’t have a middle section of the wire. Basically, it’s split into two matching 8-piece strands of wire with a gap in the middle of the snare.
Included in the package you will get just the snare wire without any straps, so be prepared to buy that separately.
6. Tama MS42R14S Snare Wire
Affordable, Powerful Sound
Inexpensive, 42-strand steel snare wire for a snappy sound.
The Tama MS42R14S is a large, steel snare wire that adds a lot of resonance and snap to the snare sound. This 42-strand wire allows for that traditional sound to cut through and has a really good reputation when it comes to longevity.
The issue with 40+ strand snare wires for most drummers is that you sacrifice sensitivity for snap and punch, however, if you have a chance to test this one out live, do so to see if it suits your style of music and preference.
The bottom line, this steel snare wire adds volume to your snare sound and comes at a very good price range so it’s worth considering.
7. DW SMTT2014 Snare Wire
Balanced Tone
Balanced brass snare wire with precision soldering.
The DW DWSMTT2014 is another modestly-priced snare wire and serves as a great replacement for 14″ drums. With 20 strands, the DW TrueTone series snare wire has precision soldering to ensure the wires won’t loosen.
What makes this wire stand out is the brass end clips for a consistent mounting surface as well as promoting longevity. The quality-to-price ratio is excellent on these wires so if you’re looking for something that will last and sounds great, the DW TrueTune series snare wire is the way to go.
Conclusion
I hope that this list helped you in finding the right snare wires for your drum.When you’re buying snare wires, you will find a lot of options on the market, so it’s worth trying out a few options to see what works best for you.
My top snare wires pick is the PureSound Super 30 Series, they’re big snare wires that produce a crisp sound of great overall quality.
My budget snare wires pick is the Pearl S022 Snare Wire, they’re affordable snare wires but are considered a classic for most.
I've been playing drums for over 18 years. I work as both a session drummer and a drum teacher, and I love to share my knowledge and tips on this site. You can also find me on the Electronic Drum Advisor YouTube channel.
