Shell Material..

  • Thread starter Thread starter ez_willis
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ez_willis

ez_willis

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How big of a factor is wood type/thickness on the overall sound of a drum?

And can you tell what kind of wood a kit was made of by looking at it?
 
It am a BIG factor. Think about how violins would sound if they were made of styrofoam, or a guitar made of plastic.

Of the same wood, though:

The thinner the shell, the more low end.

The thicker, the more projection and high end!

The type of wood also affects the tone. I would really love to have a set that is all maple or birch shells. Maple has pronounced low end and high end. Birch has the same qualities with enhanced mids. The cheaper "mahogany" shells can be bright and unruley, but it depends on what type of "mahogany".
 
Meaning Philippine VS. African mahogany. Cheap drums are made out of Philippine mahogany. I'd love to build a kit out of African mahogany, but I can't afford it.
 
You might be able to tell what kind of wood it is by looking at it, but you won't know what it sounds like until you play it.
 
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