DW teams up with Sabian to produce the limited edition Vault Edge snare drum, featuring cymbal alloy rings and old birch wood.

This snare combines Sabian's cymbal alloy technology with DW's Edge snare drum technology. The resulting instrument features a mixture of traditional cymbal building recipe with today's latest methods in drum making.

The Vault Edge bronze rings are cast from Sabian's B20 bell bronze cymbals that were played and worn out by artists on tour. This means that the bronze on this snare drum has made a lot of music with Sabian artists, and has traveled quite far and wide, bringing in their music mojo into each snare. The core of the snare drum is crafted from select Lake Birch wood that is said to be hundreds of years old, bringing its own aged mojo into the equation.

Following DWs strict quality control, each Edge ring are machined to aircraft-quality specifications and press-fit onto the aged wood core. The turret lugs, MAG throw-off system and 3mm steel True Hoops are plated in custom Antique Bronze while the wood core is finished in natural matte lacquer Hard Satin. This combination of finishes result in an earthy overall appearance, which matches the snare drum's dark and warm tonality.

John Good, DW Executive Vice President and Drum Designer, explains: “In the past, we’ve experimented with many different types of metals in our Edge rings. Traditionally, we use brass, but we’ve also experimented with aluminum, zinc and other alloys. The SABIAN cymbal alloy is a completely different animal. We were expecting something very musical, and that’s exactly what we got! In addition, Lake Birch wood is a very dark, mellow sounding wood. It comes from Moosehead Lake in Maine, and like our old Lake Superior drums, it’s much denser because of its age and the minerals that have been added over time. To top it all off, we came up with a custom Antique Bronze plating exclusively for this drum. It’s a beautiful instrument and it really does sound as good as it looks.”

Nort Hargrove, Sabian VP of Manufacturing and Metal Specialist, added: “When I started in this business, partnering between companies was common. We all knew that on our own, we didn’t have the answer for everything. So, when we were approached by DW to help on this project, it reaffirmed that somebody out there thinks we’re pretty good at what we do, and when we agreed, we affirmed the same about them. It’s truly rewarding to see this happen from companies that are still family-owned, which is also a rarity these days.”

Only 50 Vault Edge Snare Drums will ever be built, with each one hand signed by DW Drum Designer, John Good. Each of the 6x14" limited edition snare drums come with DW Collector’s Series features such as the MAG throw-off system with 3P (3-position) butt-plate, True Tone snare wires, True Pitch stainless steel tension rods, 3.0 steel True Hoops and they will come equipped with DW Heads by Remo USA. DW also bundles the snare with a rugged, oversized carrying case.

Scott Donnell, DW Director of Marketing, comments: “We set out to design the definitive cymbal alloy snare drum, one that will set a new standard and stand the test of time. The beauty of the Edge design is that we don’t have to drill into the cast metal; all of the lugs, throw-off, etc., are affixed to the core. This greatly reduces the potential for stress cracks or tension that can compromise the integrity of the shell. Additionally, it’s a hybrid drum, so it’s extremely versatile. It’s a collectable that can be played and enjoyed.”

The retail price for the Collector’s Series Vault Edge is $2,499.99. For more information, you can head over to DW Drums.

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