http://cgi.ebay.com/Pearl-FFX-14-X-12-Ma...1QQcmdZViewItem

I'm considering buying this but i want to know from the best(everyone on DLO) if its a good deal.

NOTE:PLEASE don't try to take this snare from me, i've been looking for weeks and this is the best thing i've found.

Looks pretty good to me I would put a bid on it if I liked Pearl drums. I would check on the seller's reviews to see if there are negative ones on things he's sold and what not, but 80 bucks its pretty cheap for a drum and harness if that's as high as it goes. I'm not sure if it's mentioned on the page but see how old it is.

I already emailed him on that subject. Thanks for the advice!

apparently the drum is 10 years old but in perfect condition(i mean no parts need to be replaced)

From what i see the drum is at least 10 years old. I can tell by the strainer brackets. The drum is a great deal. it is perfect for a practice snare. one thing about Pearl's snares is with care they can last 10 15 years no problem.

things to look for and ask: more pictures of the bottom. you want to make sure there is no damage to the bearing edge or shell.

have him take a picture with the strainer off. demonstrate it works.

outside of that i'd say go for it.

Looks like a good drum. We won't know if it'll be a good deal until the bidding starts going up.

One thing I like to see: Mylar on the bottom. Since older Pearl FFX's don't have a reinforcing ring for the bottom head, Kevlar heads tended to warp or compress the shell over time.

so is mylar on the bottom bad?

No, it's not bad at all. If the drum has always had a Mylar bottom head, you can be pretty sure that the shell hasn't been warped or "caved in" by an over-torqued Kevlar head.

Kevlar bottoms aren't necessarily bad, either. Having a Kevlar bottom just means there's a somewhat higher chance that the bottom bearing edge won't be perfectly in round.

Mylar on the bottom is what you want to see... kevlar heads are what will warp the shell.

Okay then, ill wait to the end and bid...My dad has the funds =].

Now on another note, i looked up a black max head for it, and its 40$, that's kinda high. Where could i get a cheaper one or a slightly used one for about 20$ or less

A new head's going to run you $40-45. Cash in your saved pennies or whatever.

If you want to find a cheaper head, you've got two options I can think of off the top of my head: discontinued heads or Mylar. Steve Weiss has Pearl Finalist "Tendura style" heads for $19.95. I've never heard or played 'em so can't say anything about their sound or feel. Woodwind & Brasswind has Remo FaLam natural (yellow) heads for $22.76. Decent Mylar heads like the Remo Powerstroke 77 are also in the $20 range, but they're more expensive than Kevlar in the long run because you'll have to replace heads more frequently. (If you're looking at a Black Max, Mylar probably isn't the sound you want, anyway.)

IMO, you really don't want to spend good money on a used head. When tensioned, a head conforms to the drum and the tension applied to it. If tuning tension wasn't evenly applied or the original drum wasn't perfectly round, you may have a hard time balancing the head after you re-mount it. Also, most used heads were taken off the drum for a reason. They're probably pretty close (or even past) the end of their useful life.