Show your wood

[Smatch]

I like wood. Here is my 5x14 Bellwether Stave. The shell is Cherry with Birch and Hollywood inlays. The rerings are hybrid wenge and maple and the modded Trick strainer is fitted with African Blackwood. This is my favorite wood snare that I own and Tony does incredible work. The total thickness of the shell is 1/4" with the rerings.







Here is my Sonor SQ2 heavy beechwood kit finished in high gloss American Walnut



Here is a shell I assembled. The veneering was done by drum foundry. 5.5x14 10 ply Keller shell in Mapa Burl.



Sonor S Classix in Rosewood veneer

[Deathmetalconga]

Originally Posted by gaz farrimond

The Signature has an incredibly thin layer of clear laquer giving the drums a waxed look; no staining whatsoever.




The Yamaha's have laquer over stained finishes, so probably they shouldn't be included.

I shall go horsewhip myself with a very large horse. ;-)

HA! I think there used to be a thread here for green kits. You should start one as you have a stunning green set. The ebony kit is incredible.

[keep it simple]

Originally Posted by gaz farrimond

I'm now thinking on what to go for next.

Nice stuff you got there Gaz, but think no more my friend ;)

[HRDW]

This stave kit is made by Unix. African Mahogany and yellow birch. Frank really expressed his love for his craft in this kit.

[HRDW]

Hope the pics attach this time.

[keep it simple]

Originally Posted by HRDW

This stave kit is made by Unix. African Mahogany and yellow birch. Frank really expressed his love for his craft in this kit.

That is a superb piece of work right there! Francois really delivers quality with passion :)

[CBC]

Just Finished my 10" x 8" Tom tom by olive.

[Swiss Matthias]

Beautiful, CBC!!

[keep it simple]

Yes, beautiful indeed. Olive has such a gorgeous appearance :)

[stavebuilder]

Very nice! Olive wood is so beautiful. I've had my eye out for some.

[CBC]

Thanks friends.
It is not only a prety drum, my olive drums also sounds awesome. Someday i will upload a video.
I'm just not sure if i should varnish my drums. For the moment i just put Teak Oil because i want my drums to be as much natural. Any opinion???

[keep it simple]

Originally Posted by CBC

Thanks friends.
It is not only a prety drum, my olive drums also sounds awesome. Someday i will upload a video.
I'm just not sure if i should varnish my drums. For the moment i just put Teak Oil because i want my drums to be as much natural. Any opinion???

Varnish (if we have the translation correct) certainly no. A lacquer might look good, but a stave drum sings best when not coated with layers of acrylic or whatever. A lacquer just adds to the mass.

I would advise keeping the external finish natural, as a regular treatment of teak oil will help keep the wood from shrinking too much. I notice you've turned rerings into the drum. That's fine, but they're not as good at keeping the shell round as rerings made with the grain running around the shell. It's the difference in grain direction that helps counter warpage. Nothing to concern yourself about, so long as you keep the shells well oiled & don't expose them to extremes.

Again, the olive looks beautiful - great stuff!!!!!

[scorch whammin]

Originally Posted by HRDW

Hope the pics attach this time.

I love everything about that kit, except the Pearl mounts...just not not a fan of Pearl mounts..but nonetheless that's a beautiful kit!

[Deathmetalconga]

Originally Posted by CBC

Just Finished my 10" x 8" Tom tom by olive.

Mindblowing. Big, thick, irregular grain is very dramatic. Everyone is obsessed with getting tiny uniform grain so when I see a kit that looks this natural, it is very beautiful and striking. Even the knothole adds tons of character.

If you can, don't varnish them. My ironwood drums have no varnish and no stain, just some preservative. I think it's great to have drums with very little processing, as much in the natural state as possible. Thank you for making this great contribution to the thread and welcome to the forum.

[uniongoon]

This one has been a horrendously long build. It is what I am now 95% certain is Bloodwood. Super hard, sinks like a rock in water. I sprayed the clear, hand wet sanded through all the grits and polished it 3 times. It is a 5.75 X 14 and is about 5/16th of an inch thick. It has all brass plated hardware and pure sound blaster wires. I also re did the edges and bed a couple times, and now it still does not play up to my high standards. The snare response is a little hard, sounds good but not great. So I may tear it down and do a little more tweaking. The dual custom vents give it some good volume, as well as the hard wood shell. Lots of resononant ring. Let me know if the picture sucks, I used my IPad, which does not take good pictures. No stain or colour, just clear 2 part DuPont Urethane.

[Deathmetalconga]

Originally Posted by uniongoon

This one has been a horrendously long build. It is what I am now 95% certain is Bloodwood. Super hard, sinks like a rock in water. I sprayed the clear, hand wet sanded through all the grits and polished it 3 times. It is a 5.75 X 14 and is about 5/16th of an inch thick. It has all brass plated hardware and pure sound blaster wires. I also re did the edges and bed a couple times, and now it still does not play up to my high standards. The snare response is a little hard, sounds good but not great. So I may tear it down and do a little more tweaking. The dual custom vents give it some good volume, as well as the hard wood shell. Lots of resononant ring. Let me know if the picture sucks, I used my IPad, which does not take good pictures. No stain or colour, just clear 2 part DuPont Urethane.

Bloodwood! Even the name is insane. Not many woods sink in water - this has some serious attitude. Looks as good as any stained drum except it is not stained!

[drumkid88]

I love the wood grain on my baby :)

[keep it simple]

Originally Posted by uniongoon

This one has been a horrendously long build. It is what I am now 95% certain is Bloodwood. Super hard, sinks like a rock in water. I sprayed the clear, hand wet sanded through all the grits and polished it 3 times. It is a 5.75 X 14 and is about 5/16th of an inch thick. It has all brass plated hardware and pure sound blaster wires. I also re did the edges and bed a couple times, and now it still does not play up to my high standards. The snare response is a little hard, sounds good but not great. So I may tear it down and do a little more tweaking. The dual custom vents give it some good volume, as well as the hard wood shell. Lots of resononant ring. Let me know if the picture sucks, I used my IPad, which does not take good pictures. No stain or colour, just clear 2 part DuPont Urethane.

Looks like bloodwood. Very expensive, super dense, & usually oily too. These ultra hard woods can be a bit of a bugger to get sounding good in a snare. They're always going to be bright, & overtone control can be a bit of an issue too. The only one I really like in this category, is ebony. It's dry enough to let it's character shine through. that bloodwood should give you a very sensitive & articulate instrument though. Maybe try rounding the edges substantially, especially the batter. That should tame it a little, plus drive some more shell tone into the mix.

Great looking piece though, & as always, superb workmanship :)

[keep it simple]

Posted elsewhere on the forum, but I think this should be included here. I'm not sure I've seen another drum in satinwood, & certainly not a full kit. It shimmers like mother of pearl under lighting, or when you change your perspective. Incredibly soft to the touch too, yet it's both heavy & very hard. Incredible tonewood :)

Sound clips in my signature.

[CBC]

My newest project. Wild oak 14x 5,5 with oak reinforcement rings.
K.I.S. This is ana amazing work on that drum set. How thick is the shell???

[Dirtysticks]

I love the compressed solid maple on my DW Collectors Super Solid 5.5x14 snare!

[uniongoon]

Thanks Andy, yes that Bloodwood can make me sound like Stewart Copeland. Has a strange characteristic, I installed the heads and there was no low - mid tuning, it went from nothing to high end instantly, very weird. I am liking the simple softer woods for sound. It is fun to build with exotics, but nothing beats the Elm, or Walnut for nice tone. Because of this I am venturing into exotic wood veneer. Will be a learning curve, but I want the look of exotic but the sound of simple, if that makes sense.

[keep it simple]

Originally Posted by uniongoon

I want the look of exotic but the sound of simple, if that makes sense.

Makes a lot of sense to me :) I even advise on our website that just because it's exotic or expensive, doesn't mean it necessarily makes for a good drum. For example, we build our classic range from English ash. In woody terms, a fairly humble species, but it has exactly the characteristics we seek for that range. Same with padauk. Ok, a slightly more "exotic" wood, but still not "right up there" in terms of price. Again, padauk delivers precisely the characteristics we're looking for. In both cases, the wood species also works well aligned to the particular shell construction method.

There are exotics that really work however. Woods that deliver a very useable "certain something" beyond their status & aesthetic. I'd put some rosewoods, cocobolo, ebony, purpleheart, satinwood, ovangkol, & a fair few others on that list. If you're going the veneer route however, it's really only aesthetic, availability, & stability that matter, & that opens up a whole world of choice, + economical too. By comparison to the equivalent in solid board, veneers are very cheap, even for the really expensive exotics.

I've lost count of the number of "exotic" drums (almost always snares) that sound like crap. Either because the builder has made little reference to the wood's qualities when deciding on construction, or the wood itself is just not a great tonewood. I've seen a lot of so called "purewood" ply drums that have utilised "exotics" too, & that's just plain wasting money right there. Bragging rights has a lot to answer for in the world of drum building crimes ;) ;) ;)

My real wish is that purpleheart wasn't purple. Stupid wish, I know, but it's colour really limits it's appeal. If you love maple, you"ll luuurrv purpleheart. Sonically, it sounds like maple, but on steroids, then throws a "I'm more maple than you" party just to push the point even further! Absolute bastard to steam bend though :)

[Deathmetalconga]

Originally Posted by uniongoon

Thanks Andy, yes that Bloodwood can make me sound like Stewart Copeland. Has a strange characteristic, I installed the heads and there was no low - mid tuning, it went from nothing to high end instantly, very weird. I am liking the simple softer woods for sound. It is fun to build with exotics, but nothing beats the Elm, or Walnut for nice tone. Because of this I am venturing into exotic wood veneer. Will be a learning curve, but I want the look of exotic but the sound of simple, if that makes sense.

It would be fascinating to see a stave drum with a veneer. Stave is so rare that no one can yet get past its nature - any stave drum must show its staves, the more flamboyantly, the better. That drives use of exotic and incredible looking woods, but limits offerings. How about plain-jane woods that impart great sound, but maybe don't look so dramatic? Why don't any of those go into stave drums? It's ultimately supposed to be about the sound, isn't it?

Don't get me wrong, I like ultrahard woods. I have an entire set of solid shell Cooktown ironwood - one of the few woods that sinks in water and they could survive a house fire. But I was jamming with some people on my mahogany congas (that's a rarity right there) and they remarked how sweet and gentle they sounded. So I am starting to think about softer woods and what they do for drums.

I look forward to seeing stave drums with veneers or *gasp* wraps. To my knowledge, no one has ever wrapped a stave drum, but it would certainly show that staves are becoming less freaky and exotic and more like any other drum, with a similarly wide range of sounds and materials.

[latzanimal]

Originally Posted by Deathmetalconga

I look forward to seeing stave drums with veneers or *gasp* wraps. To my knowledge, no one has ever wrapped a stave drum, but it would certainly show that staves are becoming less freaky and exotic and more like any other drum, with a similarly wide range of sounds and materials.

Part of the problem and reason you haven't seen it is because the wood moves, making it nearly impossible to put a wrap or veneer on it for fear of it cracking....

[wsabol]

Originally Posted by latzanimal

Part of the problem and reason you haven't seen it is because the wood moves, making it nearly impossible to put a wrap or veneer on it for fear of it cracking....

So the shell expands and contracts? even in a stave shell? Or do the shell just settle under the pressure of the heads and hardware? I'm thinking about veneering a stave shell, that's why I ask

[BacteriumFendYoke]

Originally Posted by wsabol

So the shell expands and contracts? even in a stave shell? Or do the shell just settle under the pressure of the heads and hardware? I'm thinking about veneering a stave shell, that's why I ask

It shouldn't be a huge issue given that the moisture content is well-controlled in the construction process. Any change in humidity and temperature would have more probability of expanding or contracting a stave shell compared to a ply shell, though. A ply shell is barely wood any more after manufacturing, whereas a stave shell is much less processed.

[Deathmetalconga]

Originally Posted by BacteriumFendYoke

It shouldn't be a huge issue given that the moisture content is well-controlled in the construction process. Any change in humidity and temperature would have more probability of expanding or contracting a stave shell compared to a ply shell, though. A ply shell is barely wood any more after manufacturing, whereas a stave shell is much less processed.

I agree, a stave shell is going to expand and contract more than a ply shell but come on, it can't be that much! Any amount of contraction enough to dislodge a wrap would probably lead the shell to come apart. Hell, even ply shells delaminate over time. I would think painting could possibly be off-limits, though.

People are still taken with the seeming novelty of stave. When things settle down, people will start wrapping and veneering stave shells like any others. That will open up new possibilities for stave construction, leading people to use woods perhaps not so visually dramatic, but more prized for their sonic qualities.

[stavebuilder]

Here's one that I made for a local drum shop. It's a 14x6.5x5/16" thick blood wood with wenge keys and a beer tap throw with an African blackwood cap. Hand rubbed oil for the finish- that's it.

[Basswood]

I made a stave shell by myself some years ago, and yes, they do expand significantly, especially when they are stored in a humid basement for example.. I ended up with a completely different sound, lol

I put some wax on the inside, it helps a bit and seems to retard the process where the wood is absorbing the moisture.

Stave builder, your snares look great! I am pretty sure they even sound like they look.

[keep it simple]

Originally Posted by stavebuilder

Here's one that I made for a local drum shop. It's a 14x6.5x5/16" thick blood wood with wenge keys and a beer tap throw with an African blackwood cap. Hand rubbed oil for the finish- that's it.

Oooh- expensive, & heavy :) I love the honesty of the finish, as it proudly displays the obvious skill that went into this drum. Blackwood tension knob is a nice touch too.

[stavebuilder]

Originally Posted by keep it simple

Oooh- expensive, & heavy :) I love the honesty of the finish, as it proudly displays the obvious skill that went into this drum. Blackwood tension knob is a nice touch too.

Thanks, KIS. I am very happy with this finish, too. It's very thin and close-to-the-wood, almost as if there is no finish, but it is smooth and soft and had quite a high quality feel about it. I will surely be using this finishing process again.

[Deathmetalconga]

Originally Posted by Basswood

I made a stave shell by myself some years ago, and yes, they do expand significantly, especially when they are stored in a humid basement for example.. I ended up with a completely different sound, lol

I put some wax on the inside, it helps a bit and seems to retard the process where the wood is absorbing the moisture.

Stave builder, your snares look great! I am pretty sure they even sound like they look.

Interesting, I had no idea stave expanded so much. I think regular applications of linseed oil or Watco could preserve the wood by displacing water and eliminating moisture-related swelling. On the other hand, I wonder what effect those oils have on the glue.

[keep it simple]

Originally Posted by Deathmetalconga

Interesting, I had no idea stave expanded so much. I think regular applications of linseed oil or Watco could preserve the wood by displacing water and eliminating moisture-related swelling. On the other hand, I wonder what effect those oils have on the glue.

No affect on glue bonds. Once those bonds are made, nothing's getting in there. Accurate machining is the key to a good stave construction.

Stave doesn't swell any more than any other non ply wood shell (steam bent, segmented, hollow log).

[adam!]

Here is a stave shell snare I drilled and assembled. I got the shell from Fierce Drum Co. (http://www.fiercedrumco.com) and hardware from Ego and Precision. The shell is 14x6.5 Padauk with maple re-rings... Yes, the wood is really that red. Only a clear protective coat applied. Truly unique intense sound...




Andy, I'm sure it's no Guru, but it'll have to do for now!

[keep it simple]

Originally Posted by adam!

Yes, the wood is really that red. Only a clear protective coat applied. Truly unique intense sound...

Andy, I'm sure it's no Guru, but it'll have to do for now!

Don't put yourself or your drum down man, that looks beautiful!!! I love the colour of padauk, & I love the colour it ages to too. You'll find it will go gradually more brown over the years, but still retain that "burnt" glow.

As for sound, there's a reason we chose padauk for our Performance range Origin series drums ;) No one here knows this yet, but we've also chosen Padauk for our new series stave snares, so "chosen well have you, young Skywalker" :)

Treated in the right way, it's one of the kings of tonewoods for me, & it's character is suited perfectly to stave construction, or the other way around :) Either way, it's just a heady combination of punch, bite, & articulation, but with multiple flavours lurking underneath. Padauk likes to work :) :) :)

Only slight negative I can see is what appears to be minor lug splay, but that may just be the photo. In close up photo's with a standard point & shoot lens, it sometimes happens.

If I may make one suggestion, if you get the chance at some stage, try it with "S" hoops. IMHO, they go together beautifully.

Huge enjoyment is coming your way for sure. Nice job man, nice job!

[Deathmetalconga]

Originally Posted by adam!

Here is a stave shell snare I drilled and assembled. I got the shell from Fierce Drum Co. (http://www.fiercedrumco.com) and hardware from Ego and Precision. The shell is 14x6.5 Padauk with maple re-rings... Yes, the wood is really that red. Only a clear protective coat applied. Truly unique intense sound...

Andy, I'm sure it's no Guru, but it'll have to do for now!

Wow! Intense color, totally natural. Love it and good job on the finishing and assembly. If I may ask, what did the raw shell cost, how much for hardware, etc.? I have been thinking of doing something like this.

Also, what brand is the throwoff? I have one exactly the same I got on Craigslist and I love it, but there's no marking. Kind of like a Trick and infinitely adjustable.

[adam!]

Originally Posted by keep it simple

Only slight negative I can see is what appears to be minor lug splay, but that may just be the photo. In close up photo's with a standard point & shoot lens, it sometimes happens.

If I may make one suggestion, if you get the chance at some stage, try it with "S" hoops. IMHO, they go together beautifully.

Thanks man. You're right, there may be a minor lug splay. Even in person, it's so slight that I'm still not sure! haha

How would you say the S hoop would act as opposed to the 2.3 triple flange?

Originally Posted by Deathmetalconga

Wow! Intense color, totally natural. Love it and good job on the finishing and assembly. If I may ask, what did the raw shell cost, how much for hardware, etc.? I have been thinking of doing something like this.

Also, what brand is the throwoff? I have one exactly the same I got on Craigslist and I love it, but there's no marking. Kind of like a Trick and infinitely adjustable.

Thank you. I believe this shell was $230 shipped. Just contact Josh. Really good prices and build quality. He added the re-rings at no cost. I believe he has shells on ebay all the time too.

Concerning the throw-off, I believe it's just Ego Drum Supply brand. It's a great throwoff, as you said, because it holds its tension in any position.

Edit: I found Josh's ebay store here. It looks like the shells are cheaper than I thought. He also offers custom builds and layout/drilling. Great option for a DIY project.

[keep it simple]

Originally Posted by adam!

Thanks man. You're right, there may be a minor lug splay. Even in person, it's so slight that I'm still not sure! haha

How would you say the S hoop would act as opposed to the 2.3 triple flange?

If the lug splay is so slight that you're undecided whether it's there or not, then it's nothing to worry about. There's quite a bit of play in the holes on most triple flange hoops, & just that alone can cause the tension screw to wander outwards slightly.

As for "S" hoops, we just find they work especially well on stave drums, & certainly padauk stave :) They will give you a slightly more focused sound compared to triple flange, a little more control of ring near the rim, & greater tuning accuracy. Think in terms of heading towards the sound difference you get between triple flange & die cast, but much nearer the triple flange end of the spectrum. There's something that's just a bit "cleaner" about the sound, & sympathetic to a stave shell character.

[Deathmetalconga]

Originally Posted by adam!

Thanks man. You're right, there may be a minor lug splay. Even in person, it's so slight that I'm still not sure! haha

How would you say the S hoop would act as opposed to the 2.3 triple flange?



Thank you. I believe this shell was $230 shipped. Just contact Josh. Really good prices and build quality. He added the re-rings at no cost. I believe he has shells on ebay all the time too.

Concerning the throw-off, I believe it's just Ego Drum Supply brand. It's a great throwoff, as you said, because it holds its tension in any position.

Edit: I found Josh's ebay store here. It looks like the shells are cheaper than I thought. He also offers custom builds and layout/drilling. Great option for a DIY project.

Yes, the Ego is similar to the Trick throwoff.

That's a decent price for a stave shell. Great workmanship isn't free.