How Does the Drum Shell Affect Its Sound?
There are many variables that determine the sound of a drum. One of the most important variables is the drum shell. The sound of the drum is affected by the type of wood used, the thickness of the wood, the size of the shell and the depth of the shell.
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Why are Drum Shells Made of Wood?
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Although some drum shells are made of plastic and metal, the majority of drum shells are made of wood. As a rule of thumb, the harder the wood is, the better it will sound because it will vibrate more evenly. Drum shells are usually made out of these three following woods: maple, birch and mahogany. Drum shells are typically made out of wood simply for the fact that it sounds better than other materials. Though there are many types of woods harder than maple, birch and mahogany, they are the most economically practical to mass-produce.
Maple, Birch and Lauan
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Luaun is the softest and subsequently the least expensive of the three woods. Because of this, it is often used in cheaper drums. Maple and birch are more dense and thus are used in higher quality drum shells.
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Tonal Qualities
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Maple generally has boosted lows with balanced mid and high frequencies. This means that it will be bassier or "boomier". Many people would consider maple to give off a warmer sound. Because of its relatively balanced frequency range, maple is good for virtually any style of music. Birch generally has boosted lows and highs with slightly cut mids. This means that the tonal quality has more presence and may cut through the mix a bit more. People generally regard maple as "bright". Mahogany is the worst kind of wood to be made into a drum shell. Its lows are boosted extremely high and the tone is very muffled. The softness of the wood allows the tone to resonate too much.
Shell Thickness
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Drum shells are made out of multiple plies as opposed to one solid block of wood. Because of this, the shell has more strength and thus is more durable. The thickness of the drum shell determines how low or high the pitch will be. Thicker drum shells will have a higher pitch and thinner drum shells will have a deeper, lower pitch. The number of plies used determines the volume of the drum. The fewer plies there are, the quieter the drum is going to be. Conversely, the more plies there are, the louder the drum is going to be.
Shell Sizes
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The drum shell size is also important to the tone of the drum. The bigger the diameter of the drum, the deeper and boomier it will sound. The depth of the drum affects the volume. A deeper drum will be louder and is considered to be more ideal for Rock and Roll music. A shallow drum will be quieter; however, the tone is more clear and the resonance will be better. Shallow drums are ideal for jazz.
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