I have no experience, but I have heard the same thing.  Yamaha says that copper has a sound that lies between the sound of brass and steel.  It's kinda like the Beech of metal. :)

I personally just LOVE Brass.  I have a Pearl Brass Sensitone in a 14"x5½" size, and I just love how it records.  It's so..... brassy!  It has a bit of a woody tone to it, too.

Thanks Tim!

I have been checking out your kit,- looks nice! I have a green Stage custom myself, the new ones with yess mounts. The snare I have been considering is the Roy Haynes signature snare. I think it looks very interesting with hand hammered copper shell and the internal mute.The problem up here in little Norway, is that even the biggest drum stores don't have that many snares at store, so you can't try them out before you order.

I have the Yamaha Drum Sampler CD's that came out a few years back.  The Roy Haynes snare drum has a dry sound due to the hammering, and it's ....well.... what kind of sound do you want in a snare drum? :)  I'd hate to see you get that snare and find out it's not the right one for you.

Thanks for the comments on my drums!  :)