The Ludwig Drums Chrome Steel Shell is a snare drum made by one of the best classic drum manufacturers around.  I've used this snare drum numerous times for recording even though I am not a drummer myself.  I has a pretty deep sound and definitley provides a good clean crack as well as full bodied sound.  It is a very sturdy drum and is made by a reliable company so you know that you can trust that it has been made well.  Like most engineers would, I record this snare drum with a Shure SM57 and this definitely gets the job done.  I will also use another 57 on the bottom of the snare in order to give me choices when it comes to mixing.  It has a good sound for all types of music, but I mostly use it for rock and pop sessions and it works fine for these.  I don't record too much jazz, but this doesn't seem like the type of snare drum that would be good for jazz so I would recommend sticking with pop and rock for this guy, although it wouldn't sound bad if you used it for other genres.  It has a good look to it and has a large enough body to give off a really full sound that works great in the studio but will also work for live shows.  The price is very reasonable as it doesn't cost much at all as far as snare drums go.  While Ludwig definitely makes better snare drums, as far as price goes the Ludwig Drums Chrome Steel Shell is one of their best deals.  I would definitely recommend checking out this snare drum if you are in the market for a reasonably priced one as Ludwig is a reliable company with a great reputation for a good reason!