I purchased a 'brass/brass Black Beauty one year ago and just recently took Conn-Selmer up on their warranty. Though the 5X14 Blk, Bty. sounds incredible, a few problems had come to the surface. Out of the box, I found that a small flakeof brass plate was missing . This imperfection began to darken a little at first but had become worse. Also, the thumb throw-off was loose and rattled even when it was up in the on position; however, I do like the idea and basic design of this particular strainer and throw-off. One more thing, the black brass plate around the exterior of the drum is absolutely gorgeous but there was a very small ding on the first panel to the right of the strainer. I love this drum as it produces an extremely musical tone and at any dynamic level; I hope soon to have my drum's problems fixed under the warranty ASAP. My dealer and Conn-Selmer were very agreeable on the phone and I am sure they will make things right for me. Thank you.

Obviously it's a beautiful drum, but the sound is truly why you should buy this drum. Once you replace the standard Ludwig head with a remo ambassador you can tune this drum to sound any way you like. From deep and thick, to that famous high crack, you can not find a better snare drum. I get nothing but rave comments from other musicians. It is a bit louder than other snare drums when you want it to be, but it is also the most sensitive I've ever played.

My first impression. I was blown away by the beauty of this drum. It took my breath away. Then I got to play it. wow. The sound is loud and crisp and very easy to control. It sounds good played at any volume and it cuts through the amplified guitars like a knife. I didn't change a thing, it sounded very good "out of the box".

There just aren't any better sounding brass snares. The Black Beauties do it all, and look wonderful too. Just got mine, and it does low/phat or high crack or anything in between. Made my wife really stand up and take notice. Too bad Ludwig doesn't make whole kits like these (can you imagine a 26 x 14" Black Beauty BASS??)! Anyway, this drum has a classic sound and look, and I certainly feel every drummer should own one, at some point. You might never need another snare--except a 3 1/2 & 6 1/2 for a complete collection!

The replacement Brass on Brass, Black Beauty snare drum Ludwig so kindly sent to me in '05 was perfect. It arrived very soon after I had sent the first one back for some minor flaws. The 14'x5" sn. dr. has a very musical tone. It's tuning range offers a lot of flexibility in regards to its use. With a Remo Fiberskyn head on the batter side, an older style '40's to '50's sound can be attained. Tuning the head up a little more definitely enables the drum to play with that sharp, dry crack while retaining more of a mellow sound expected of a fine instrument that it is. Whether I need to play 'pp' or "fff', this drum can cut it. I shouldn't forget to mention either how absolutely beautiful this snare drum is to the eye . I highly recommend adding this drum to your arsenal. Thanyou Ludwig.