I don't have a preference.
I like all of the wood choices.
I own kits of several woods including Maple, Mahogany, Poplar, Basswood. I have played kits that were made from just about every wood.
I grew up in the 60s. We didn't think about wood and shell composition as much back then as we do now. We just tuned and played our drums of the day.
I can hear the difference in the different woods but I simply don't have a favorite.
If I tune a drum and it sounds good I don't care what it is made from.
Well if you like all those woods then you should definitely add Walnut to your list. My buddy just got a brand new Bubinga elite kit and his kit sounds just like mine. I think my thinner shells project a bit better.depends the sound... my top three are 1) bubinga 2) oak 3) mahogany.
but i also LOVE maple.
birch/ash/other woods are nice, but i've found that bubinga is like maple on steroids, and oak and mahogany have this warmth that no other wood has.
Another to add to the lovely low end spectrum species is sepele. Very similar to mahogany, but often with a more striking appearance, at least in younger commercially available timber.Well if you like all those woods then you should definitely add Walnut to your list.
Another to add to the lovely low end spectrum species is sepele. Very similar to mahogany, but often with a more striking appearance, at least in younger commercially available timber.
Bubinga is out on it's own as a big sounding species. To my ear, it lacks a certain balance, but makes up for that in presence. No doubting it's a great timber to make drums from. It excites the bottom end of the spectrum with minimal input (very much depending on the construction, of course), & that gives it the ability to sound full at lower volumes. A bit like permanently engaging the loudness control on your home stereo system. That same characteristic also reduces it's dynamic potential imo, in so much as it's sound doesn't get much bigger when you really open the taps, it just gets louder. Again, imo, it claws that lack of dynamic back when used to produce very thin shells.
It's not rare, but as with any timber, getting good quality stuff is a time consuming occupation. Some basic detail I lifted, because I'm lazyI have never heard of Sepele. Were does it grow? Is it a rare wood?
Actually, there's many variations in grain style of sepele. Extract from my previous post detailing grain styles:Thanks KIS. It is pretty but almost looks man made, like a fiberglass. Not much variation in style.
I'm thinking warm and woody with nice bottom end,but clarity and projection as well.
Steve B
Sorry Steve, but we (Guru Drumworks) only make stave & solid steam bent shells. We could mix 3 timber species in a stave construction, but I'm dubious of the sonic benefits. I personally don't subscribe to the mixed timber benefit position. It's popular with standard construction multiple ply builders, on the premise that it's the inside ply that contributes most to the resultant sound. Another view I don't subscribe to.When I originally saw those shells,I thought it looked familiar.I just looked at the back of my Taylor(which I never really look at) and its the same pattern.Do you have any sound samples,and would you consider a maple/bubinga/sepele shell?I'm thinking warm and woody with nice bottom end,but clarity and projection as well.Beautiful stuff those shells.Now you have me thinking about sell off some stuff..LOL.
Steve B