Okay guys. Just saw Weckl in clinic with the new Absolute Hybrid Maples.
They sounded f#$kking awesome. Before he played the kit, he hit each tom once so everyone could hear them clearly. I melted into my seat when he hit the floor tom. Very solid, tons and tons of bottom end...dynamics, punch, nice attack, etc etc. Very nice tonal balance. Something about the attack seemed different to me than the MCA's...more attack or faster or something.
I know the Wenge ply is supposed to 'anchor' the shell, being the hardest ply in the center...I can say that the Hybrids sound different than MCA's for sure....but why...who knows.
BTW, the kit had coated Ambassador batters and clear ambassador resonant heads on everything. Yes, coated Ambassador on the bass drum.
I specifically asked Dave what he felt the difference was sound wise between the MIJ Absolute Maple Customs and the new Absolute Hybrids - he said that while he's only played the new kit for three days now, he said they seemed to have more low end than the older MIJ MCA's (which he did not like or play, BTW), the Hybrids not as boomy - and that he thought the Maple (Chinese??) in these drums was softer but also had more bottom end than North American Maple....something else about the Wenge center ply, don't remember. He was "ridiculously happy" with the new Hybrids.
They certainly sounded huge and dynamic with tons and tons of low end punch, but it's hard to say how much of that was drum and how much was PA. It was a sold out 200 person crowd and fairly good sounding room...
This is the 30th anniversary tour of Dave being with Yamaha ...starting pretty much now - he will be doing a full U.S. Tour with these drums, so get out and see them, your ears will make you a believer.
The clinic was excellent...my third time seeing Dave, brilliant as usual. Inspiring.
Neal