What Kind of Wood is This??

Joez4000

Junior Member
Hey guys, I'm trying to do a project drum thing with some shells I have from an older Olympic Premier kit. I have no idea what kind of wood it is or how to tell. The inside looks different to me than the outside and it looks to have many different woods in the multiple plies as shown in the pics. Also, is there a site or manual somewhere I can study to determine woods myself? Cause even with maple and birch I'm just taking peoples word for it...

Thanks in advance!
 

Attachments

  • photo 1.JPG
    photo 1.JPG
    925.8 KB · Views: 227
  • photo 2.JPG
    photo 2.JPG
    859.4 KB · Views: 222
  • photo 3.JPG
    photo 3.JPG
    793.8 KB · Views: 209
  • photo 4.JPG
    photo 4.JPG
    955.4 KB · Views: 215
  • photo 5.JPG
    photo 5.JPG
    916.1 KB · Views: 212
Birch with beechwood reinforced hoops
I'm not seeing any reinforcement hoops?

Olympic was Premier's student model of the day. I remember working part time in a drum store, & Olympic sets would come in with different looking shells from one batch to the next. I can't remember the advertised layup, or if there even was one.
 
Older high quality Premiers used birch. Some late 60's Olympics used the same shells but had cheaper hardware.
But thats not birch.That is luan for sure, note the texture (ropy, with little grooves in it). Its hard to finish well, you might want to paint or re-wrap.
 
It does look like laun,but I remember Premier/Olympic to be 4-5 ply ,using beech,mahogany, birch.I can't be positive,but that vertical grain,is usually,...but not always indicative, of cheap Phillipine mahogany,AKA luan.The same as used on Asian made import drums of the 60's 70's.

I agree with Andy,I don't see ANY rerings either,so they could also be later 70's ,early 80's Asian made shells.

Edit:I just did a little research ,and although beech and mahogany was used,they were horizontal grained wood,with re rings.Are you sure they are Premier made ,Olympic drums,because they're looking more and more Asain import to me.

Steve B
 
Last edited:
Back
Top