By Thaddeus Johnson

There’s no doubt about it, drum kits made from quality woods
produce incredible sounds. Depending on the type of wood, you
may experience warm resonant tones or short sustains on your
drum kit. Two of the best woods that you’ll find in Yamaha,
Gretsch, Ludwig, Tama, Pearl, and DW drums are birch and
maple. Though there are other types of woods used such as
oak, beech, African bubinga, mahogany, walnut, and cherry,
the majority of drum sets are manufactured with birch or maple.

Birch and maple drumsets

Play a kit made of birch and experience great tonal qualities.
This is the wood of choice for sounds requiring high frequencies,
warm mids, and a good low end. If you’re looking for a drum set
with deeper lows with even mid and high frequencies, then maple
is the way to go. Each wood is superior in quality and will deliver
what is necessary for required applications.

Wood thickness and characteristics

Aside from the woods themselves, the number of piles definitely
have an effect on the projection of the drum set by the exchange
of energy from the attack on the drumhead. There are three
different wood thicknesses for the kit and each exhibiting their
own characteristics.

Drumming on a set of 4 ply shells (thin), you’ll find that it does
well for recording and close encounters such as clubs and small
venues. The tones are sharp and the shells have higher vibration
qualities. Try a kit of 6 ply shells (medium) and experience an
all-around set that can be applied anywhere. There’s greater
projection and less shell vibration. The 8 and 10 ply (thick) shells
of a drum set are heavily favored for large venues, outdoor and
indoor, because of their ideal projection and response. Those
are the standard shell thicknesses, though they can be
custom-made to order.

Cost

The price of each drum set with it’s specified shell thickness will
vary from one manufacturer to another. You might expect higher
cost for a custom-made kit.

Type of music

One might take into consideration when purchasing a set of
drums the type of music to be performed. This is an important
step in determining the ply thickness of the shells. Thick shells
would be ideal for heavy metal and rock. Medium ply will work
well for all types of music. Use thin plies for a kit to play jazz
and easy listening music.

Which shell thickness do pro drummers choose?

There are so many different types of music as are the many
drummers, and pro alike, that have their own preferences of
shell thickness. Pro drummers are aware of the characteristics
of the shell plies and apply that to the make-up of their kit. The
rules are not cut in stone of how these drummers make their
choices, but knowing the characteristics is a strong starting point.

The right set for you

Make an intelligent decision when purchasing a drum set by
knowing these 3 points: (1) type of wood, (2) wood thickness
and characteristics, and (3) the type of music to be played. With
these attributes in mind, you’ll have the confidence in choosing
the right set.

About the author:

Thaddeus W. Johnson is a writer, professional drummer and drum teacher who enjoys providing tips and valuable information for online shoppers of the best drum sets such as the Tama drum set. Also, for further interest are related products and topics such as woods for drum sets.