Types of woods and sounds

[tankman]

Im looking to get another snare drum, i really like the Tama Starclassic. Now whats the diff between maple and bubinga? what kind of sound can i expect from these?

thx
tankman

[drummer]

Maple... warm but really projects.
Bubinga... I have no idea.

[pastor_bob]

Bubinga is also known as African Rosewood. It is supposed to offer a wide range of tone, from deep lows to a bright top end. The maple shells offer more low to mid range tones with some top end brightness, but not as much brightness as the Bubinga shells.

I would suggest that you take the time to hear the different shells at a local music store, if you can.

[Andy_TAMA]

I agree with PB, I never buy something until i've heard it, even if I think i know what it sounds like because ive played a freinds etc. I still make sure I get a chance to play.

[vinnysimmo]

Im looking to get another snare drum, i really like the Tama Starclassic. Now whats the diff between maple and bubinga? what kind of sound can i expect from these?

thx
tankman

Bubinga is heavier and darker than Maple.

[tankman]

thx guys
i did hear/play a Ddrum (7x13) snare that has bubinga wood and it did sound really nice and the best part was that it was marked down to $150 from $200 not bad for the money

Thx
tankman

[el presidente]

Albasia Falkata:

Woods like Albasia falkata are used as a substitute for American hardwood maple as well because it will finish extremely well and is cheap. To my ear it imparts a bright attack tone and is most appropriate as an inner layer.




Maple:

Maple is a general overall warm sounding product, it can reproduce frequencies of the drum fairly well across the spectrum. True slow growth old forest maple trees are most prized due to the narrow growth rings and straight grain. The wood resonates extremely well and the finishes are well accepted. Newer and reforested trees do not have as tight a growth ring habit and are not as prized as old growth timber. Solid shelled snare drums made of burled or Birdseye maple are very warm in overall tone but also impart a very bright attack. Maple is generally thought to have very even tone across the spectrum and is prized by many drummers.



Mahogany:

True mahogany from USA or Honduras will have about a 20% increase in low frequency resonance over the maple drum, mid and high frequencies will be the same from a reproduction point of view, but because the Mahogany has the 20% low end increase, the perceived tone is warmer. Certain deep red timbers from South East Asia are sold as a 'Mahogany', or 'Mahogany Finish' although they are not true Mahogany from USA or Honduras. It’s most likely called mahogany due either its common appearance (dark red) or due to the nature of the forestation being depleted and the stigma attached to it. Asian 'Philippine Mahogany' is often sourced from the endangered Dipterocarp forests of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Dependant on the source tree the timber types are often known as Meranti, Lauan and Keruing. Hence the name Philippine mahogany. The species known as Khaya Nyasica or African mahogany are more plentiful yet still endangered and therefore, not plentiful at this time.



Birch:

Birch is a very dense tough wood, blond in color that tools well. It will have about a 10% loss in reproduction of low end compared to Maple and about a 20% increase in the high end, with the mid range remaining about the same, so the Birch kit will definitely be a “harder” and “brighter” sounding kit. Birch is derived from fast growth trees that are commonly large in diameter and finish reasonably well. Birch is often referred to as a naturally “EQ’d” drum set. This came from its popularity when used in recording studios where the attack portion of the sound was an important ingredient in recordings dating back to the late 60’s. It made it easier to get the drums to cut through the mix with minimal effort.



Poplar:

Poplar is derived from fast growing straight medium hardwood trees and is a less expensive alternative to Birch and Maple. Its finish can be somewhat green in color and is therefore used in the inner ply layers as substitute for more expensive and less plentiful woods. To my ear it takes on more of the tone of birch or mahogany than maple.



Basswood:

Basswood is a great less expensive hardwood that mimics the sound of Maple to some, mahogany to others. Yet it is more plentiful and gives the manufacturer a price advantage. It in many ways is an upgrade to luaan, or ramin and is often used as a core wood with a bit more of the lower register tone to it than realized out of maple. For this reason I tend to think of it more like mahogany than maple.



Lauan, Luaan or Luan:

By any spelling is a less expensive alternative to woods like basswood and “true” mahogany. To my ear it does not sound like true mahogany, but more like that of birch. This is a inexpensive filler type wood. It is in fact a species of endangered wood called “ramin” and or “meranti”. Actually, several other woods fall into this category too and are often referred to as "lauan" by various spellings. Lauan is “a coarse textured stringy wood with a wavy interlocked grain pattern, it has a pale creamy-red colour. Light but strong and durable it accepts stain and varnish well and can be polished to a high finish but remains somewhat porous. Red Lauan (Shorea negrosensis) is the mother tree of true Meranti. Natural inhabitants of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, they are large trees; 61.5m (200 ft) in height with a trunk of up to 2m (6ft 6in) in diameter. Asian 'Mahogany' is often sourced from the endangered Dipterocarp forests of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Dependant on the source tree the timber types are often known as Meranti, Lauan and Keruing. Hence the name Philippine mahogany.

[saturn]

el presidente just finished the discusion.
bravo

[32ndHeartBeat]

Go for the Bubinga Starclassic. Bubinga has an unmatched sound and range, hands down.

[Roaddebris]

Albasia Falkata:

Woods like Albasia falkata are used as a substitute for American hardwood maple as well because it will finish extremely well and is cheap. To my ear it imparts a bright attack tone and is most appropriate as an inner layer.




Maple:

Maple is a general overall warm sounding product, it can reproduce frequencies of the drum fairly well across the spectrum. True slow growth old forest maple trees are most prized due to the narrow growth rings and straight grain. The wood resonates extremely well and the finishes are well accepted. Newer and reforested trees do not have as tight a growth ring habit and are not as prized as old growth timber. Solid shelled snare drums made of burled or Birdseye maple are very warm in overall tone but also impart a very bright attack. Maple is generally thought to have very even tone across the spectrum and is prized by many drummers.



Mahogany:

True mahogany from USA or Honduras will have about a 20% increase in low frequency resonance over the maple drum, mid and high frequencies will be the same from a reproduction point of view, but because the Mahogany has the 20% low end increase, the perceived tone is warmer. Certain deep red timbers from South East Asia are sold as a 'Mahogany', or 'Mahogany Finish' although they are not true Mahogany from USA or Honduras. It’s most likely called mahogany due either its common appearance (dark red) or due to the nature of the forestation being depleted and the stigma attached to it. Asian 'Philippine Mahogany' is often sourced from the endangered Dipterocarp forests of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Dependant on the source tree the timber types are often known as Meranti, Lauan and Keruing. Hence the name Philippine mahogany. The species known as Khaya Nyasica or African mahogany are more plentiful yet still endangered and therefore, not plentiful at this time.



Birch:

Birch is a very dense tough wood, blond in color that tools well. It will have about a 10% loss in reproduction of low end compared to Maple and about a 20% increase in the high end, with the mid range remaining about the same, so the Birch kit will definitely be a “harder” and “brighter” sounding kit. Birch is derived from fast growth trees that are commonly large in diameter and finish reasonably well. Birch is often referred to as a naturally “EQ’d” drum set. This came from its popularity when used in recording studios where the attack portion of the sound was an important ingredient in recordings dating back to the late 60’s. It made it easier to get the drums to cut through the mix with minimal effort.



Poplar:

Poplar is derived from fast growing straight medium hardwood trees and is a less expensive alternative to Birch and Maple. Its finish can be somewhat green in color and is therefore used in the inner ply layers as substitute for more expensive and less plentiful woods. To my ear it takes on more of the tone of birch or mahogany than maple.



Basswood:

Basswood is a great less expensive hardwood that mimics the sound of Maple to some, mahogany to others. Yet it is more plentiful and gives the manufacturer a price advantage. It in many ways is an upgrade to luaan, or ramin and is often used as a core wood with a bit more of the lower register tone to it than realized out of maple. For this reason I tend to think of it more like mahogany than maple.



Lauan, Luaan or Luan:

By any spelling is a less expensive alternative to woods like basswood and “true” mahogany. To my ear it does not sound like true mahogany, but more like that of birch. This is a inexpensive filler type wood. It is in fact a species of endangered wood called “ramin” and or “meranti”. Actually, several other woods fall into this category too and are often referred to as "lauan" by various spellings. Lauan is “a coarse textured stringy wood with a wavy interlocked grain pattern, it has a pale creamy-red colour. Light but strong and durable it accepts stain and varnish well and can be polished to a high finish but remains somewhat porous. Red Lauan (Shorea negrosensis) is the mother tree of true Meranti. Natural inhabitants of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, they are large trees; 61.5m (200 ft) in height with a trunk of up to 2m (6ft 6in) in diameter. Asian 'Mahogany' is often sourced from the endangered Dipterocarp forests of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Dependant on the source tree the timber types are often known as Meranti, Lauan and Keruing. Hence the name Philippine mahogany.

No OSB?

[el presidente]

Oriented strand board, or OSB, or waferboard, or Sterling board (UK), is an engineered wood product formed by layering strands (flakes) of wood in specific orientations. In appearance it may have a rough and variegated surface with the individual strips (around 2.5 by 15 cm (~1 inch by ~6 inches) each) lying unevenly across each other.

It is manufactured in wide mats from cross-oriented layers of thin, rectangular wooden strips compressed and bonded together with wax and resin adhesives (95% wood, 5% wax and resin). The layers are created by shredding the wood into strips, these are sifted and then oriented on a belt or wire cauls. The mat is made in a forming line, the layers are built up with the external layers aligned in the panel's strength axis with internal layers cross-oriented. The number of layers placed is determined partly by the thickness of the panel but is limited by the equipment installed at the manufacturing site, however individual layers can also vary in thickness to give different finished panel thicknesses. Typically a 15 cm layer will produce a 15 mm panel thickness. The mat is placed in a thermal press to compress the flakes and bond them by heat activation and curing of the resin that has been coated on the flakes. Individual panels are then cut from the mats into finished sizes. Most of the worlds OSB is made in the USA and Canada in large production facilities. The largest production facilities can make over 1,000,000,000 square feet of OSB per year.

Different qualities in terms of thickness, panel size, strength, and rigidity can be imparted to the OSB by changes in the manufacturing process. OSB panels have no internal gaps or voids, and are water-resistant, although they do require additional membranes to achieve impermeability to water and are not recommended for use as an exterior. The finished product has similar properties to plywood, but is uniform and cheaper.[1] It has replaced plywood in many environments, especially the North American structural panel market. The most common uses are as sheathing in walls, floors, and roofs.

While OSB does not have a continuous grain like a natural wood, it does have a specific axis of strength. This can be seen by observing the alignment of the surface wood chips. The most accurate method for determining the axis of strength is to examine the ink stamps placed on the wood by the manufacturer.

All wood-based structural use panels can be cut and installed with the same ease and types of equipment used with solid wood. In 2001, 19.4 million m³ of OSB panel was produced in the US. The US is Canada's largest OSB market, receiving 98% of its export product in 2005.[2]

Some manufacturers may treat the wood chips with various borate compounds which are toxic to termites, wood boring beetles, molds, and fungus but not mammals in applied doses. Buyers are recommended to seek borate modified wood products for construction, particularly in warm moist climates.

[pauldrums]

my enire kit is Bubinga and i just sums up what a drums are all about for me lots of low end on my toms and lots of attack! my snare is a 14''x6'' bubinga omni-tune and ive had nothing but compliments mate

[ThePloughman]

How much Bubinga do you get in a bubinga drum? Is this merely a 3/32 or thinner veneer over a maple or birch or unknown shell? or is this a bubinga ply shell? I think theres a crap load of marketing hype and coolaid being served by the industry these days.