dw super solid

Duck Tape

Platinum Member
What's the difference in sound between these and a stave/block or hollowed single piece of wood?

I have played one (loved it). And I have played a brady block (loved it). Didn't play them side by side though.
 
I owned a Super Solid, technically a Super Solid Edge, and hated it. Extremely dry with no warmth. The drum was well built and gorgeous from an aesthetic sense. Just sounded horrible to my ears. That wood compression may do wonders for the ability to shape and bend wood but in my non-expert opinion, it adversely affects the wood's natural sonic qualities. I was glad to find a buyer for that drum.

My Brady block drum (wandoo) on the other hand will stay in my stable of snares as long as I'm still playing. Amazing tone and versatility. One of my favorite snares.

Experts like Andy will be able to speak more accurately about this but the Super Solids and staves are entirely different animals. The vertical grain pattern of stave blocks will transfer energy to the reso head in a very different manner than horizontal grain construction. Staves tend to have a very focused sound with a quick decay.
 
It seems like compressing the woods structure is a dumb idea. What is the logic again?

Andy is milling out compressed wood, John Goode is compressing it on purpose. Why? For density? I thought resonance was the direction drum makers were supposed to be going in.

It doesn't surprise me that it didn't appeal to you steadypocket.
 
The super solid shell form is a totally valid choice in shell selection. The process of compression breaks bonds in the wood at a structural level to allow bending, sometimes in extreme thicknesses. Irrespective of shell construction method, such a thick shell is never intended to offer high resonance, quite the opposite. If you want a highly focussed drum that's articulate, then super solid is a choice worthy of consideration, alongside very thick multiple ply shell offerings.

Aside from grain orientation difference between super solid & stave shells, the resultant resonance profile is completely different. Also different to a traditional steam bent shell, which it's closer to, in theory.
 
All I can say is that my Super Solid Edge sounded very harsh and toneless to my ears, and those who heard it. Of course the Edge consisted of three pieces of compressed wood (walnut ring and two maple rings into case). Don't know if that made a difference compared to the regular, one piece, Super Solid. With all that said, some of the a Super Solids I've listened to online have sounded great. Perhaps I simply had a lemon. It happens.
 
I drool over super solids. Id just have to custom order one to get edges that would match my Gretsch kit. Now the concrete snare. Ugh. sounds like an industrial toilet.
 
All I can say is that my Super Solid Edge sounded very harsh and toneless to my ears, and those who heard it. Of course the Edge consisted of three pieces of compressed wood (walnut ring and two maple rings into case). Don't know if that made a difference compared to the regular, one piece, Super Solid. With all that said, some of the a Super Solids I've listened to online have sounded great. Perhaps I simply had a lemon. It happens.

That's interesting. Well the one I played was standard depth, some sort of mocha/coffee finish and it had a very nice tone. There was a pearl 20 ply reference next to it.. Now that thing was very dry and prob lacked character.

From my experience with block shells and thicker shells, they do decay a bit faster. Or the higher pitch has less of a presence or something, and it makes them sound a bit dry.

I'm liking the dry sound right now. I've been using control rings and moongel on my snare.
 
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