How much sound difference will I get between maple and birch?

[felix]

Your a genius.

[guerrillawar]

i've always wondered about that

[Ratamatatt]

I recently asked that question of Mr. Acrolite and his answer, along with what I already thought, is that maple is brighter and louder, with more resonance and sustain, birch is deeper and and more focused with less resonance and sustain.  

The Yamaha Recording Custom (which is birch), is the legendary recorded sound of Gadd, Weckle and others, and is preferred for recording for its controlled sound and easy tuning.  

Ratamatatt

[felix]

I respectfully dissagree on maple being "brighter"...louder, yes, but with less attack than birch.  I agree it has less sustain which is a byproduct of having less resonance.

Do you guys remember the older yamaha webpage where they had a graph with the frequency response/characteristics of different woods.  Well they took it off and now they are contradicting what they previously said about birch!  They previously advertised birch as having more attack and less sustain and had a graph representing that.  Now they are touting birch as having more "low end punch".  Whatever.  To me, birch drums have more attack, which is comes from high frequencies.  

Right now I could give a poo...I could just go for another kit and guess what, I'm pissin' mad cause I can't afford one after buying that darn pedal!

I'm just going to get an older set of ludwig classics and forget about it.

[drwalker]

Now they are touting birch as having more "low end punch".  Whatever.

Felix - for WIW, I just put the Evans G2/G1's on my Birch Custom Absolutes and they have a heck of a lot more punch then they had with the factory remo's or the pinstripes.

I guess YMMV right?  ;)

dw

[felix]

Did you get clears or coated?

Is that a good thing or did you dig the other heads.

Man my drums just sing for days with the clear g2's but then again I PLAY SONORS!!!!

[JeepnDrummer]

Pearl also has a little graph showing the frequency response of their birch, maple, and mahogany drums.  Everything I've read says birch is higher in tone than maple, but very close in the low range.  With birch there's a noticeable attenuation in the midrange.

Tom

[Mister Acrolite]

Pearl also has a little graph showing the frequency response of their birch, maple, and mahogany drums.  Everything I've read says birch is higher in tone than maple, but very close in the low range.  With birch there's a noticeable attenuation in the midrange.

Charts and graphs are great, but to me the best (really the ONLY) way to hear the difference is to PLAY these different drums.

To me, it's very hard to talk (or write) about sound. But I know in a split second when I HEAR it. If you don't live near a major drum shop or music store, make a pilgrimage to one. It'll be worth it. Your ears will tell you what you need to know. Yamaha maple drums sound different than Pearl maple drums. Premier drums sound different than Fibes.  It's hard to describe, but easy to hear.

There are well-equpped drum shops and music stores scattered around the US. I used to drive many hours to Nashville, or take trains up to Chicago to check out drums and cymbals. And you can learn so much talking to people who hang out in drum shops.

As seriously as most of the people on this board take drumming, I think you owe it to yourselves to hear these things first-hand.

Get your basic facts here - this forum is a TREMENDOUS resource. But take the next step, too. Get out and HEAR these instruments!

[Full Collapse]

Personally, I love birch.  I'm the type of guy who wants lots of attack, not much resonance.  I have a Starclassic Performer and loving it...I like it better than the Starclassic Maple.  The only thing I'd get maple is my snare drum.

[dtxrx]

bottom line, they're both good and you'll be happy with either one.now is red better than blue?i heard blue was better.

[alanwatkinsuk]

Maple rules?  Birch rules? Synthetic heads rule? Calf heads rule?

No........your EARS rule...what is right for YOU.  The rest of us aren't going to be playing in your band.

Music is a lot about decisions.....when......how....shall I.....shall I not.........everyone has pitched in but at the end of the day I think the original poster has to go with HIS  ears, not ours.

And now on to sticks........... ;D

Kind regards,
Alan M. Watkins

[alanwatkinsuk]

Drummers are kinda like wine connoisseurs...   ;D

I think we are a lot different.  I've seen some of those wine connoisseurs spit it out......we never do that.

;D

Kind regards,
Alan M. Watkins

[felix]

Ok, this thread is really going to put me in the funny farm, you guys are great for putting up with it too btw.

Check it out, I played my yamahas last night for the first time in oh, at least 2 months.

They are birch/mahogany.  And yep, I couldn't believe the "low end punch" LOL that was on tap.  It was fun.  They are actually "punchier" than my sonor birch set which is more resonant.

Anyhow, I need to get a life.

[Mark Schlipper]

They are birch/mahogany.  And yep, I couldn't believe the "low end punch" LOL that was on tap.  It was fun.  They are actually "punchier" than my sonor birch set which is more resonant.

see, birch for "punch" + mahogany for "low end" = "low end punch"

its simple wood math  ;D

Anyhow, I need to get a life.

me too ... me too ...

[boose44]

Well, after a lot of hemming and late night obsessing, I've ended up in the birch camp.  ::)

Picked up a 4 piece shell pack of Pearl Masters Studio in Antique Gold last night. 10x8, 12x9, 15x14 and 22x18. Nicest drums I've ever owned, almost too pretty to play.

Out of everything I heard they were the most pleasing to my ears. And as has stated often, that's the final judge.

Now all I got to do is to decide what snare to get! lol

Any suggestions for un-amped blues work? Maple, Birch, Brass? Zildjian custom alloy @ 2 grand? :)

-bruce

[Louis Russell]

Blues?  You want Blues?  Man-o-man I have more blues shuffles than Clinton has girlfriends. ;D  I love my TAMA SC Maples, I love my old Gretsch, and I even love the Yamaha E-drums.  Its Blues man, whatever you play there should be some reason to have the blues.  I do have lots of cymbals and different ones work better for different moods.  Forget the charts, forget the math, forget what everyone else uses.  All you have to do to play the blues is get one big bad mama for a girlfriend, an old truck that won't run, and dial-up internet access (no way can you play the blues if you have DSL), then you can play the blues. ;D

[boose44]

lol. Too funny Louis.

As far as the blues...well, I guess I qualify.

1. Big Bad Moma Girlfriend - got that covered. And she's a 2nd grade teacher -- you do the math. :)

2. Beat up truck - well, got a beat up '95 Windstar van that has a gas gauge stuck on FULL, door sensors that are posesssed, only one door I can unlock, runs when it wants too. And I just paid it off last month!!

3. Dial-up access. Said to say I don't qualify here, though I do have Roadrunner, which is so inconsistent and overpriced it's enough to give anyone the blues...esp. when the bill comes due.

(sung to the tune of Caledonia)

As far as cymbals and snares go, well, I'm off today to pick up the fud-ugliest things I can find...



-bruce