Provenance F4 Phantom Snare review

From the cockpit to the drum kit

  • £1199
  • €1421
  • $1931
Here we have a 14"x51⁄2" snare (front) created from an F4 Phantom fighter jet

MusicRadar Verdict

It requires wads of cash, but this snare is a genuine work of one-off art, as well as a fantastic drum.

Pros

  • +

    True one-off. Interesting tones. Conversation starter!

Cons

  • -

    The price is staggering.

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It's not hard to find unusual materials being used in modern snares - hell, in the last year we've had concrete, bronze and acrylic. That said, we must confess that Provenance Drums' latest snare creation is the first that we've seen recycled from a fighter jet…

Build

Here we have a 14"x51⁄2" snare created from an F4 Phantom fighter jet. The drum is sand cast aluminium with 2.3mm triple-flanged hoops and rounded bearing edges. It also features a lathed shell and 10 chrome tube lugs.

"Provenance has also made drums from a 1966 Jaguar MKII, a 1962 Bentley S2 and a 1962 Rolls Royce"

Provenance has also made drums from a 1966 Jaguar MKII, a 1962 Bentley S2, a 1962 Rolls Royce, to name just a few examples. Owner Tim Broughton explains that he sources such materials from dealers, collectors and fellow enthusiasts. On the company's origins, he tells us:

"I have a fascination with history, historical artifacts and classic design, as well as a passion for music, drums and drumming. In particular I love British aviation, automobile and maritime objects. After visiting an aviation museum, I thought it would be a cool thing to make a snare from a Spitfire. The idea grew from that to what Provenance is today."

Hands on

But is it all a gimmick? Style over substance, perhaps? The answer is a resounding 'no'. It doesn't take long for us to realise how special this drum really is.

This 14"x51⁄2" snare is something more of a muscle stretcher. Well, they don't make those fighter jets out of any old material, you know - and that sturdy Dunnett R Class doesn't help lighten the load.

"A few turns of the drum key and it soon bursts into life with an explosion of sound"

A 5B to the middle of the drum draws somewhat surprising results. It sounds somewhat dead on first impression, bellowing out an ungodly, boomy thud, like a cricket bat to the side of the head. A few turns of the drum key and it soon bursts into life with an explosion of sound, as we find more of a deep growl with a hint of metallic overtone. Cranking the snare to its limits brings a whip-like crack that gets a big thumbs-up from the rest of the band.

Sonically, it's not a million miles away from the EcHo Custom Drums aluminium snares that we reviewed back in May. The drum's tonal capabilities aren't quite as wide-ranging as those found with the recently reviewed Provenance piccolo, but the 14"x51⁄2" remains a solid performer which also packs plenty of body - you can get a satisfyingly full, fat sound jam-packed with resonance.

While the drum is made from metal, there's not a single hint of clang to its sound, instead it's more than capable of a beautifully clear tone, and both kick out a hell of a racket when required.

Of course, this drum is eye-wateringly expensive. £1,000-plus for a snare drum is monumentally pricey, but then we must remember that something being expensive doesn't necessarily equate to poor value for money.

Rich Chamberlain

Rich is a teacher, one time Rhythm staff writer and experienced freelance journalist who has interviewed countless revered musicians, engineers, producers and stars for the our world-leading music making portfolio, including such titles as Rhythm, Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, and MusicRadar. His victims include such luminaries as Ice T, Mark Guilani and Jamie Oliver (the drumming one).