Innovation & Tradition United To Create One Timeless Instrument

We invite you to experience the passion and craftsmanship that has gone into the creation of the Zildjian 400th Limited Edition Alloy Snare. This snare drum features a new, innovative shell casting process, using 100% pure Zildjian alloy direct from our cymbal foundry. The sound qualities of B20 Zildjian bronze inspired us to re-imagine a cast bronze snare from the ground up. While the Zildjian 400th Anniversary Alloy Snare Drum maintains the extreme volume ceiling, projection, and sonic power that cast bronze drums are known for, this drum was designed to be an expressive, deeply versatile instrument, and is equally at home behind an orchestra, in front of walls of amplifiers, in a jazz quartet, or as a platform for creative modern muffling and recording techniques.

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Shell specifications and hardware design were developed in collaboration with Aaron Latos of Latos Drums, a craftsman and instrument designer with a passion for creating timeless, heirloom-quality instruments. Each and every element of this instrument was examined and built with purpose.

The raw shell casting is precision machined to exacting specifications, with a final shell thickness of 5mm. The batter side features a round over edge with a 30-degree inner cut, while the snare side edge utilizes a sharper 45- degree geometry to maximize crispness and sensitivity. The 8” wide snare beds feature a hybrid of modern (wide and shallow) and classic (deep pocket) designs, with the effect of showcasing the shell’s unique character, while also allowing more centered articulation than cast bronze shells are typically capable of.

All hardware components are bespoke and machined from 304 stainless steel with an electro polished finish. The vintage-inspired flangeless counter hoops employ a Half Cast design, utilizing a fully cast 3.2mm ring, with precision welded eyelets. This process allows for superior precision, rigidity, and durability. Designed specifically to enhance and complement the sonorous properties of the Zildjian alloy shell, the straight Half Cast design provides the tuning stability of a cast hoop without choking the drum. Lug bodies, tubes, and tension rod snare fully machined, and along with custom stainless steel washers ensure tuning is accurate, efficient, and consistent.

The drum features Latos Drums’ patented throw-off and patent-pending butt plate, as well as a matching Latos drum key, engraved with a Zildjian “Z” for this special occasion. Smooth, simple, and reliable, the minimalist throw-off has a drummer-friendly, modernized vertical-pull design, with tension adjusted on the player side and plenty of drop distance. The butt plate features a simple, yet ingenious, integrated drum key holder, keeping the accompanying drum key conveniently at hand.

The drum comes equipped with Vic Firth Canopus 26 strand snare wires. Made from premium Japanese steel, the wires feature narrower-than-standard bronze end plates offering more tone with less sympathetic buzz and more dynamic range.