Natal Aluminum Snare

Some quick comments on my Natal 5.5 x 14 aluminum snare.

• Solid build
• Nice matte finish
• Full bodied sound for a 5.5" drum

My buddy has a 6.5 Supra in the same practice space. Clearly the 6.5 has extra body and that typical Supra "crunch", but the Natal totally holds it's own. It's not a Supra clone, but it has that characteristic alu sound.

I used it for an unamplified gig the other day and it provided the perfect mixture of cutting high end with plenty of body. I actually chose it over my beloved George Way Indy Bronze for this gig. I can also note that it stayed in perfect tune together with the help of a few Gibraltar nylon lug locks.

I can also directly compare it to my 5" Beverley Cosmic 21. The Cosmic, like the Supra, has more of that crunchy sound, but lacks some of the roundness of the Natal. The Natal feels louder, you might say. I should really try to do a head-to-head comparison and post it to YouTube!

In short, it's a fine drum and a totally valid option for anyone looking for a solid aluminum snare.

Update: I just found this video. It's very important to note that the factory Aquarian (Taiwanese) head featured in the video is a beastly thick monster. I changed to an Evans HD Dry to get the sound I wanted. Compared to the drum in this video, mine is more open, with a much sharper crack. Just so you realize what a beast the head featured in this video really is, I put it on my 1982 Tama Imperialstar 6.5" and the Aquarian turned my ringy loud roaring steel drum into a tame super-dry puppy dog.  To put it another way, the Evans HD Dry is dry, but this factory Aquarian is far drier than any head I've heard. It really dampens the drum.

I'm not familiar with the standard Aquarian line, so I'm not sure which Aquarian USA-made head this Aquarian Taiwanese head is copying.  Again, it's a strange choice for a stock head by the folks at Natal. But whatever. Not a deal breaker by any means.