Birch, Maple, or Mahoganny?

[BoxcarDrummer182]

honestly, what is the difference between the three? is one better than the other, and which one would be best for versatility?

[rendezvous_drummer]

Maple = Warmer sound. Very versatile. Can be used in any style.
Birch = More attack. Punchier and not as versatile as Maple IMO

Mahogany = Not too sure about Mahogany. Someone else will be able to help you there.

[fourstringdrums]

I disagree about Birch. I'd say it's very versatile, but that's just personal preference. From what I know, it's good for rock and funk and there are jazz drummers who have used Birch as well. I had a Catalina Birch set and found it to be just as warm as Maple, of which I've owned a few.

Mahogony...I have a set sitting in my kitchen in boxes so once I get into them I'll get back to you, but from what I've read, they have a darker, warm, slightly muted tone that is considered to be more "vintage" sounding.

[-tarek-]

None is of better quality than the others,. but birch is usually quite a bit cheaper (not because of sound or quality, but just because it's a cheaper wood). I would say that both birch and maple are very versatile, and mahogany is fairly limiting. Birch is my wood of choice. I play a birch Pearl Masters, and it works well for anything.

Maple gives a warm, but not dark, round and full sound with a good deal of resonance and sustain. This is why it is the typical standard drum wood. Maple is my choice for snare.

Birch has less midrange tone, but more highs and fatter lows, giving more attack and punch than maple. They have slightly less sustain, but more character and livliness to make up for it. Birch tends to seperate the tone of each drum a little more than maple. To me, maple toms seem to bleed together, whereas birch toms articulate very clearly.

Mahogany is much darker than both others. I'm not a big fan of mahogany drums, as they sound a bit dead to me. However, if you mix a bit of mahogany in with maple or birch on the larger toms and kick (like the Pearl Reference), it's just GODLY. But, without the higher end tone of another wood, mahogany is less versatile and kind of boring sounding.

Just my opinions.

Hope that helped!

[Ironcobra]

think of it as a chart

High


---------birch


--------maple



L --------mahogany

this isn't completly accurate, but its just more of a general overview of what acoustic zones you are trying to hear when your add and mix different woods together(pearl reference, genius)

[larlev]

Unless you have super hearing.....you won't be able to really tell the diff...

There are WAY to many other variables to consider...heads, tuning, mounts, shell thickness, bearing edges..etc.

[kung_f00]

Throw away any focus on pricetag.

You could spend a billion dollars on drums and not find the sound you're looking for. Oak and Birch are good for finding a brighter pitched sound. So, if you're playing for high-volume venues or just want a penetrating, modern sound.. those are good options.

Maple and Beech are good mid-woods, and allow for a tuning range that gets into the lows of Oak and Birch, as well as the highs of Ash and Mahogany. Maple and Beech are very versatile: you can get them tuned high enough that they can cut through heavy guitars, but you can also tune them low for a more subtle tone for jazz or acoustic music. However, despite what many say, I think Beech beats Maple in terms of overall versatility.

That being said, Ash and Mahogany are darker-sounding woods, but on the spectrum of sound, they offer the warmest tone. You probably won't cut through a heavy mix with these woods, however for lower volume playing, especially in jazz or small gigs, they're perfect for fitting the environment.

[rendezvous_drummer]

I didn't say Birch isn't versatile, I just think you can apply the characteristics of maple to more situations. I would imagine birch would be a bit harsh for a small combo jazz group, but hell, what do I know.