Welcome to the Masquerade(s)

Rarity²

Here's one (or rather two) you don't see every day of the week. 

The snare on the left is the production version of the 20th Anniversary "Rock Maple"snare, made to celebrate that anniversary between Mapex Japan and Beyond Shimano. It's a particularly rare snare, as only 100 units were ever produced:  50 for Japan and 50 for elsewhere (primarily the USA as far as I can tell). 

The snare on the right however is the super rare rejected prototype for that snare, the details of which I came across whilst doing one of my regular historical stalking sessions of Lefty Shimano 's Facebook profile.^* Ignore the production number - only 5-6 were ever actually made, as the design was rejected as being too flashy and the shell was changed to maple from steel. 

Not often you get to see the prototype and the final design of one of these rarities, and just goes to show you that not everything goes to plan  first time, even for master drum builders. 

You can see more photos, and read all about both snares on the links below. 

Which would you choose, given the choice?

Which I haven't been.

More's the pity. 

^{* Nothing weird you understand - I asked permission first and Shimano San was happy to have his work documented before he retires!}