PDP Black Wax Concept Series Snare Drums

108
| NOVEMBER 2015 WWW.MUSICRADAR.COM/RHYTHM
GEAR REVIEW
P
acifi c Drums and Percussion, the
offspring of parent company DW,
has made a strong reputation of
its own since being launched 15
years ago. Having greatly impressed us in
the past with quality, affordable drums such
as the Mainstage Series and Blackout snare
range, the company has since gone on to
intrigue drummers worldwide with their
Concept Series. This month,
Rhythm gets its
hands on a couple of the latest additions to
the Concept Series, in the form of the newly
released Black Wax snare drums.
Build
PDP’s Black Wax snare drums are available
as a standard 14"x5½" shell, a deeper 13"x7"
and a much more slender 10"x6". For review
purposes we have been sent the 14"x5½"
and the 13"x7".
Each drum comprises a 10-ply, all maple
shell with triple-fl anged hoops, PDP’s distinct
dual-turret lugs, 20-strand snare wires,
Remo heads and DW’s own Mag Throw-off
and True-Pitch tension rods; all fi nished in
wonderfully shiny chrome. The two latter
options are particularly noteworthy as they
are also used on DW’s custom snare lines
such as the Collector’s Series; bringing a
touch of high-end class to the proceedings.
The outer shell is also treated with a
“hand-applied wax sealer that protects its
maple exterior and provides an earthy
matte fi nish”.
The innovation behind the True-Pitch
tension rods is a much smaller thread, which
is designed to allow a fi ner degree of
accuracy whilst tuning and therefore
achieving a more even pitch across the
From £175 Pacifi c Drums and Percussion welcomes new
arrivals to its Concept Series in a unique satin fi nish
PDP BLACK WAX
CONCEPT SERIES
SNARE DRUMS
WORDS: TOM BRADLEY
drum. The batter heads come with
numbered lugs to aid with the
recommended opposite tuning
style. Again, this is also
something that DW do for
their high-end snares,
only more subtly. This
may come in handy
for some newer
drummers, but
isn’t necessary
for the majority
of seasoned
players.
Hands On
When the magic
words ‘matte black’
and ‘chrome’ were
mentioned, I must admit
I did get a little excited as I
suspect most blokes would.
Much to my disappointment
though, the ‘black’ in Black Wax is
probably best described as a dull grey.
A rather uninspiring fi nish that could
scarcely be described as eye-catching.
On the plus side though, the (let’s call it
‘dark grey’ for argument’s sake) satin fi nish
does work well to offset the bounty of
gleaming chrome hardware. As an added
bonus too, closer inspection reveals the
wood grain of the maple shell through the
wax coating.
The fi rst on the stand is the 13"x7", which
is greeted by a strong ‘thwack’ directly to its
centre. The drum produces a very sharp
attack and has an incredibly sensitive snare
response. After fi ddling with the tuning
AFTER A BIT OF PRACTICE, QUICK ADJUSTABILITY
IS ACHIEVABLE WITHOUT EVEN HAVING TO
THROW OFF THE SNARE, WHICH IS A USEFUL
TOUCH FOR QUICK TONAL CHANGES
somewhat, it seems to be most content in a
mid to high tuning range. Strangely,
considering the depth of the drum, it does
not offer a great deal of low-end
frequencies. Despite the all-maple shell, one
might expect a bit more beef in a lower
tuning. That said, there is still some depth of
tonality to the sound, especially when the
snare strainer has been loosened off to allow
the resonant head to breathe a little more.
The 14"x5½" functions rather as you
might expect it to. With a shorter depth (in
comparison to the 13"x7"), there is even
more of a discernible crack from the
rim-shot and the snare wires are minutely
quicker to react to the more sensitive
strokes. The kind of short snap that both of
Also try…
1
PDP BLACKOUT
SNARES
We say: “ We love its
sleek looks, construction
standards are high and
the tone is great ‘from
the box’.”
2
TRUTH MAPLE,
WALNUT AND
ACRYLIC SNARE
We say: “ If it’s maple
with a twist that you’re
after (and money is no
issue) then Truth’s
stunning hybrid snare is
well worth a look. ”
RHY248.gear_pdp.indd 108 01/10/2015 12:23