PDP by DW Ace Snare Drum Review

PDP by DW Ace Snare Drum

If you’re in the market for a quality brass snare that will upgrade your sound in any musical style, the PDP by DW Ace snare drum is worth your consideration.

This is one of the Pacific Drums & Percussion (PDP) specialty snares series, PDP’s top line of professional-grade snares. The PDP by DW Ace snares are available in two sizes: 5x14 and 6.5x14. Pacific Drums are made by top manufacturer Drum Workshop or DW.

This PDP by DW Ace snare drum review gives you the pros and cons to consider as you make your choice. We rate the drum too, for easy comparison to other drum reviews on our site.

We’ve added “The Skinny” section below to let you know what drummers who play the PDP Ace brass snare have to say about its sound, quality and playability. Let’s get rocking.

PDP by DW Ace Snare Drum Likes

There is plenty to like about the Pacific Drums Ace snare. It starts with a shell crafted to sound fantastic forever. The Ace Black Nickel snare features a rolled, dual-inverse beaded shell that is both rugged and engineered to project a crisp, warm sound that cuts through the mix.

The bearing edges and snare beds are precisely configured for maximum sound output. Pacific Drums put vintage lugs on this snare that make it easy to tune while giving it a classic look. The PDP by DW Ace snare drum is equipped with the brand’s highly rated side-to-side throw-off. It's buttery-smooth in operation and easy to adjust on the fly.

These PDP snares sound good tuned low/fat, high and tight or anywhere in between. This makes them versatile enough to accommodate your sound and any genre of music.

Finally, you’ll find higher-priced snares, if you want them, but most of them won’t sound any better than this one. It’s used by touring drummers, session musicians, teachers and amateurs, and the vast majority of them give it excellent ratings. It’s a good value in the class of drums a step down from DW/PDP’s absolute best.

PDP by DW Ace Snare Drum Dislikes

If you’ve read the likes, you shouldn’t expect too many dislikes. We wish the snare were available in more than just two sizes. Beyond that, the factory heads are mediocre at best. Consider replacing them before you get started. As a result,  you may want to factor that into your total cost.

You may not like the sound of the snare wires and want to replace them with your personal favorites. As you know, customizing a snare to produce the sound you’re looking for is common practice and part of the fun.

The Skinny: What are Drummers Saying?

We’ve grabbed the best snippets from PDP by DW Ace snare drum reviews written by those who play it. You'll notice that some of the reviews contradict one another. This is likely due to different playing styles and preferences. The acoustics of the room and how each drummer customized their PDP by DW Ace snare also enter into the equation. Here is what they’re saying.

• Sounds great at various levels of tune
• The factory heads are cheap…need replacing immediately
• Lugs are classy and high-quality
• Throw-off/strainer is excellent quality
• Doesn’t tune super high
• Plenty of crack in the sound
• Perfect for large rooms and noisy clubs
• 1.5mm hoops could be thicker
• Might want to add die-cast hoops
• Sounds better with snare on
• Sound cuts through the mix
• Could use longer rods or rod locks if you’re a heavy hitter
• I play hard, and it has never lost tune
• Black finish is flawless
• The Ace badge is big but very cool
• Great for all kinds of rock music

Overall - 4 Stars

The bottom line is that this is a well-built, very versatile snare that delivers superior sound for drummers playing a wide range of music. Therefore, if you want pro-quality sound at an affordable price, the PDP Ace snare drum belongs on your short list of choices. For this reason, we gave the PDP by DW Ace snare a rating of 4 stars.

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