Studio Drumkit poll Birch or Maple?

[Seti808]

I have heard many people say that birch is better for recording for various reasons
and I have also heard other people say maple is better for recording for the same reasons.


So how much does it matter?

[edvdr76]

Actual it depends on the style of music youre recording. Its all a matter of taste. I actually have 2 kits at my studio to choose from. I have a Tama Starclassic Maple and a Tama Starclassic Birch kit. I'll usually use the Maple kit cause it tends to be a little brighter sounding than the birch kit. But there are times when a darker sound is needed, and that is when I'll use the birch kit.

[Bishbashbosh]

Depends how bright the room is, what heads you have on it, and how they're tuned, the angle of the bearing edges, the weight and type of hoops, the thickness of the shell, and whether it has stress rings or not.
It also depends on the amount of grounding created by the mounting hardware, and also the proximity of the nearest walls....

After that comes wood type.

But given that all those factors are equal (the previous poster is a good example of this) then birch is slightly fatter sounding, and maple is a little brighter and ringier. All down to personal preference, and music style.

Personally I love my maple/gumwood Jasper shelled Gretsch......

[Bishbashbosh]

And mahogany Ludwigs

[Bishbashbosh]

I also like the Yamaha Beech custom a lot

[brownmouse]

As usual it depends on the kit, etc... but I have a definite preference to birch over maple.

[max cooper]

I have to vote Jarrah/Marri because the most incredible kit I ever heard was a Brady.

So I set up to rehearse some stuff with this guy who had a Brady kit, and when he went for a tom fill, I almost messed my pants.

OMFG!

Very nice tone all 'round. I'll never forget that kit.

[chrisso]

Originally Posted by Bishbashbosh

Depends how bright the room is, what heads you have on it, and how they're tuned, the angle of the bearing edges, the weight and type of hoops, the thickness of the shell, and whether it has stress rings or not.
It also depends on the amount of grounding created by the mounting hardware, and also the proximity of the nearest walls....

After that comes wood type.

You forgot the drummer - the biggest factor IMO.
I agree with you though.

Personally I love my maple/gumwood Jasper shelled Gretsch......

I agree with that, plus your Ludwig comment.

Really IMO, trying to make a distinction between Birch and Maple for recording is like holding a poll between Neve and Api. they are both good, plus there are as many other good options.
I have a Craviotto Birch snare that's one of my best snares. His Black Cherry is almost as good.
Many older kits are made of a variety of materials (maple, poplar, mahogany).
Older kits record beautifully IMO.
Finally, if you need any more evidence, most of the worlds top studio drummers play an amazing variety of kits, made with a variety of different materials. If maple was best, they would all be playing maple, likewise birch.
Go out there and look for a nice sounding studio kit (rent a few to try if need be) and forget about the shell material.

[lucey]

it's not as important as heads-tuning-drummer-room, but i prefer maple for analog, birch to digital

try them in your room with your pres

[ToddF]

I hear most Birch drums as having a little more attack than maple and a little less sustain and low end. The maple warmer thicker.

I usually prefer maple as I like a fatter sound but a high end kit such as Yamaha Absolute etc. of either wood would both work equally great.

Todd

[dlmorley]

Birch all the way for me.

[jayfrigo]

There are no absolutes, and different kits and different woods work better or worse in different situations, but maple tends to work better more often. A Gretsch Jasper Maple kit comes to mind as one example.

[dubrichie]

Pearl Masters Mahogany for me.

it's the only kit i've got but i've sussed how to get the kinds of sounds i want from it, by tuning, skin selection, playing style, room treatment, mic selection and positioning, yadda yadda yadda...

sounding goddamn sweet at the mo!

fat, warm, vintage-y. but that's what i have learned to get from it.

and hey, it looks damn sexy!

regards,

richie.

[dubrichie]

just another thought i thought i might share, a heads up.

on our most recent recordings i used GT33 mics on the toms, plugged into RND Portico mic pres with Silk turned on,

these toms sound absolutely SPOT ON!

of course, this is probably 99% due to the skin selection, tuning, dampening and room treatment.

but anyway, they sound SPOT TE F*CK ON! no eq or anything required in the mix.

little bit of body, sustain, but only slight, still very dry, but the note, the tone came through perfectly.

whod-a-thunk-it eh?

regards,

richie.

[Slipperman]

Bubinga.

Sonor.

Prepare to go broke.

HOHOHO.

Ahh me.

Working on my birthday.

I'm a friggin' idiot.

I should burn the place down...








With me in it.

SM.

[vernier]

Whatever Earl Palmer had is what I'd get.

[Drumsound]

Originally Posted by vernier

Whatever Earl Palmer had is what I'd get.

Nice!

[84K]

I like maple kits and birch snares so how do I vote?

[Bishbashbosh]

Originally Posted by vernier

Whatever Earl Palmer had is what I'd get.

Man he's the king!!!!!

But he kinda proves my point regarding shell material....

Much of his earlier recording was done on a Rogers kit (maple shells, maple stress rings), but then his main LA kit from about '83 onwards was a Yamaha 8000, which is a mahogany/birch shell, no stress rings.

These two kits could not really be any more different in terms of construction...but, whatever, he still sounds like Earl Palmer...

[toolskid]

My Tamburo Opera has a few different woods in its plys and is possibly my favourite modern drumset (especially in smaller sizes)!

[Jay Kahrs]

Originally Posted by slipperman

Bubinga.

Sonor.

Prepare to go broke.

Yeaaahhh...you love those friggin' Sonor things thing's don't ya?

You and about six other people on this planet!

I had a chance to buy a maple Sonar kit that had been stripped of most hardware...lugs & rims and it's wrap for like....damn it was cheap...maybe $150-200?

I was in college at the time, didn't seem like it was worth the effort...

Now I keep freakin' kickin' myself!



I dunno...

My preference is for "good" drums with new heads. Maple sounds good. Birch sounds good...either can sound bad if the heads are trashed & there's some jackass tuning the kit.

BTW...my birch kit is for sale...

kit & hardware for sale here!!! Click Me!!!

[bradydrums]

Originally Posted by max cooper

I have to vote Jarrah/Marri because the most incredible kit I ever heard was a Brady.

So I set up to rehearse some stuff with this guy who had a Brady kit, and when he went for a tom fill, I almost messed my pants.

OMFG!

Very nice tone all 'round. I'll never forget that kit.

Cheers for the compliment, Max! My dad (Chris Brady) has done a pretty good job at bringing something unique to the industry. I'm glad other drummers appreciate it.

Take care,

Kelly Brady

[ArnieInTheSky]

Originally Posted by Seti808

I have heard many people say that birch is better for recording for various reasons
and I have also heard other people say maple is better for recording for the same reasons.


So how much does it matter?

It's not so much the wood as it is as the thickness of the shell. Thinner plys are quieter and more controlled and thicker shells are more for live applications. Tonally most people are right. Birch has a mid EQ scoop and maple is rounder and more powerful, but it's your subjectives making the decision on which type of wood is "better.

jl

[chetatkinsdiet]

Originally Posted by Bishbashbosh

Man he's the king!!!!!

But he kinda proves my point regarding shell material....

Much of his earlier recording was done on a Rogers kit (maple shells, maple stress rings), but then his main LA kit from about '83 onwards was a Yamaha 8000, which is a mahogany/birch shell, no stress rings.

These two kits could not really be any more different in terms of construction...but, whatever, he still sounds like Earl Palmer...

Don't be so sure about that "rogers/maple" connection. The early Rogers stuff was basically mixed wood shells similar to Gretsch. Jasper provided a lot of the early Rogers shells. It was only in the late 80s when they went to the XP8 shells that they were all maple. So, for most of Earls early work, it was the standard Keller or Jasper shelled Rogers drums from Ohio.

Man, the whole wood talk is such marketing "smoke and mirrors". The best sounding kits IMO is vintage which was basically mystery wood. If you look in any pre-80s catalogs, there wasn't much mention of the actual woods used. The solid, 1ply Slingerland Radio King snares being one of the only examples as they were maple. It's all about the thickness of the shells, the construction or gluing of the plys and the bearing edges that make a drum. I'd say that you could construct a kit out of just about any quality wood and have similar results when outfitted and tuned the same.

Sure, there are some differences. Those of you with identical maple and birch versions of the Starclassics can attest. But aren't either of these workable?

m

[T-rex]

I would say birch toms and maple bass drums for rock. I have Yamaha Maple Absolute Customs and they are amazingly warm and round. However the same exact tom sizes in Yamaha Absolute Custom Birch are much higher in pitch and cut through a mix much easier. I use the maples for acoustic music, jazz etc. but for rock the birch seem to fit much better.

[by-tor]

Bubinga!!!

Tama makes a bubinga kit now!

[RoundBadge]

I can't really vote for Birch or Maple or whatever..
although earlier maple/mahogany/poplar combo tubs seem to have an attack vs warmth factor not found in the newer all maple stuff.
Good sounds can come from everything from junky old pawnshop stuff to high end boutique crap..
old 40's WFL to 60;s ludwig Gretsch,big floppy Rogers bass drums,thin dry Premiers,etc..
70's gretsch.. Jasper's![KILLER!!}
Hell...Ive gotten cool sounds form early 80's thick powertom luddies..
80's gretsch [agian.. Great shit!]
Sometimes..with the right player.. even the vista lites and ludwig stainless are just the ticket.
50 dollar pawn snares to expensive Craviotto, Tama Bell brass,Dunnett stuff..
Blah,Blah,etc..

To me..it's more about the player/performance/room tho..
I've heard killer players make less than stellar kits sound great..
..and crappy players make tha fancy pants Porkpie,DW stuff sound friggin horrible.

i have soo much drum stuff now..its just stupid..[Can you say garage sale?!]
To me, every drum has a use..this week a cheapo 75 buck ludwig acrolite beat out the fancy $$ stuff..
it sounded right for that particular player/track..
lot's of times i'll use a hodge podge of different drums to make one cool frankenstien tracking kit.
last weekend i used a 60's Gretsch 12" tom [coated ambassador] ..
then a thinner 70's gretsch 14" tom[coated Emperor]
a late sixties 16" 3 ply maple floor..[Emperor]
..A 24" DW kick[double sided Clear Ambasadors]
sounded great..the band was happy

[bcgood]

I'de have to go with Balsa. That's the only one yet I've been able to really fly with, weeeeeee?!

bcgood

[Jamz]

Snare drums aside I've ownd sets by Slinglerland, Gretsch and Tama but the drums that have endured the longest are a couple of Yamaha Custom Recording kits. Birch.

[drumvan]

Originally Posted by chetatkinsdiet

Don't be so sure about that "rogers/maple" connection. The early Rogers stuff was basically mixed wood shells similar to Gretsch. Jasper provided a lot of the early Rogers shells. It was only in the late 80s when they went to the XP8 shells that they were all maple.

the xp8 all maple stuff came out in the late 70's not late 80's. 1979 to be exact. i've got an xp-8 "studio ten" kit that has held up like a champ all these years! sounds way better with the rims mounts i installed about ten years ago though. thick shells + big tom mount bracket = thud.