With working drummers, students, and "weekend warriors" in mind, the Drum Workshop, Inc. has introduced its new Blackout series of stealthy, expensive-looking maple snare drums that despite their shiny retail appeal, are surprisingly affordable. The Blackout series snares feature a go-with-everything black on black appearance to match with nearly every drum kit.

The Blackout Series of all-maple snare drums come in four sizes, listed as follows in inches: 6 x 10, 4 x 13, 5 x 14, and 6 x 14. All of the snare drums have an all-maple shell, a high-gloss black lacquer finish, side-to-side throw-off, oval lugs, and Remo heads.

Easy-view list of Blackout Series all-maple lacquer drum sizes and prices:

• 6" x 10" ($218.99 MSRP)
• 4" x 13" ($272.99 MSRP)
• 5" x 14" ($272.99 MSRP)
• 6" x 14" ($272.99 MSRP)

Vice President of Sales, Jim DeStefano, explains, "It's obvious that drummers are seeing better values than ever at their local drum shops. Long gone are the days when drum companies can down spec products and still get the sale because the price is right. The fact is that the market is flooded with really good sounding stuff for a fraction of the price of what drummers used to pay, even ten years ago.  We think our Blackout snares are [the] answer to today's expectations."

These snares look pretty snazzy for those prices. Why are they really so cheap, you ask? If you could get a close-up view of the snare's badge in the photo above, you would see that it says prominently, "Made in China," right there, front and center. That could be why.

In any case, the new Blackouts are now available from the Drum Workshop and from DW drum dealers. For more information about the snares, please visit the Drum Workshop Web site at dwdrums.com.