If it sounds good, who cares what it's made of?
Yes, yes, yes.
I love mahogany...good low end..dark. I also love Luan...VERY pourous and cheap kits were built with it which I loved. I'm not a 100% maple guy. I like some kind of filler wood with it. That's why I adored ludwig drums with their filler which I can't frikkin think of now.
100% with you on the maple/poplar/maple (3 and 6 ply) and earlier maple/poplar mahogany (63-68 3 ply) Ludwig shells.
I too, also love a good sounding luan (Philippine Mahogany, Lauan, Meranti, Balau, etc). Tama's early Imperialstar (and Royalstar) shells were 9 ply Philippine Mahogany with a Zola coated interior. Some guy names Stewart Copeland kinda made a name for himself playing one of those kits
I have a Royalstar kit with those shells. Almost a baseball bat type bearing edge ..... gives 'em a really warm, round, vintage tone.
My Yamaha Manu Katche Jr. kit is Philippine Mahogany shells. Surprisingly deep sounding, for such small sizes. (16, 10, 13 kit).
And my Yamaha 8000's are Philippine Mahogany sandwiched between Birch. Yamaha was late to the party, in coming out with a maple shell (1991 Maple Customs). Pearl was first at it, in the late 70's (some say Keller shells, drums assembled in Tennessee). Tama second (1986 Artstar II). I think the Japanese were trying to get that warm, American drum sound, without going to maple. Philippine Mahogany was their weapon of choice.
How would one tell the difference if they're thinking of buying a kit or drum being labeled as mahogany. Oh, and what's mahogany sound like?
Case in point.....
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These particular type kits are built to capture that early American drum sound. Ludwig was probably the "best known" mahogany shell, but Slingerland also made beautiful mahogany shells. Even at 1935, Gretsch used maple/poplar/maple in the Broadkaster. There's argument over at "another" forum as to if Rogers ever used mahogany (perhaps a single ply) ...... suffice to say it's the early Ludwig/Slingerland sound drum kits like your George Way example are built to capture. One look at that center lug design ...... screams Club Date ......