Isn't Birch relatively "inexpensive" comparatively speaking? It seems that birch/basswood is often used together in "low end" or "beginner" kits.
There's no such thing as a high end wood species in terms of sound, but there is such a thing as high quality wood in the same context. Quality varies hugely in all wood species.
Recording Customs are birch shells, you know that, and they are not inexpensive drums. Birch and maple are equals IMO, just a little different, not much, from each other.
Recording Customs. . .Yamaha??? See, I don't even know.
Does a "quality" board built right, and a "non quality" board of the same material built just as right....does it really matter for sound? Quality of the look is really what quality means, right?
That was a perfect guess for someone who doesn't know
There's a lot more to it. Here's an interesting image that will give you some perspective.
Of course this is just one aspect...there are many other factors like climate and moisture content...but it illustrates just how different the same wood can be.
Larger, I.e., more widely spaced growth rings indicate faster growth.
It's the difference between a real forest and a plantation. Some trees lend themselves to growing as crops, some don't.
The old growth trees were... old, and grew more slowly.
Umm, no. It has to do with climate and water availability. Read this.
https://www.windows2universe.org/earth/climate/CDcourses_treerings.html