Pearl Drums can be found in maple, birch, African mahogany, steel, brass, or even copper. Naturally the question “What type of drum material suits me?” might be on your mind. There is no right or wrong answer but it helps to know the different properties of each drum material. Having this knowledge can help you make an informed decision on how to find the sound you are looking for.
Maple:
Maple has a beautiful warm sounding tone, and can reproduce frequencies across the drum. True slow growth old forest maple trees are a favorite, due to the narrow growth of rings and straight grain. The wood resonates beautifully and the finishes are second to none. Solid shelled snare drums made of burled or Birdseye maples have an extremely warm tone, but have a bright attack. Maple is generally thought to have an even tone, and has been drummer’s number one choice for years.
Birch:
Birch is a very dense and tough wood. It’s blond in color, and has a “harder” and “brighter” sounding kit, in comparison to Maple. Birch is derived from fast growth trees that are most commonly large in diameter. These kits also have a beautiful finish. Birch is frequently referred to, as the EQ’d drum set. This nick name came about during its popularity in recording studios, where the attack portion of the sound was a very important. This dates back to the late 60s.
African mahogany:
African mahogany is created from the African genus Khaya which is very closely related to traditional American and Honduran Mahoganies. It will have an increase in low frequency resonance over the maple and birch drums. Mahogany has a very dark, warm tone. The Beatles used drums like these back in the 60s. It is particularly suited for bass drums as well as specialty snare drums like the Omar Hakim snare.
Metals :
Snare drums typically are available in different types of metal shells for added projection and attack. Snares can be found in Brass, Steel, Copper and more. Rock drummers and Heavy Metal drummers love these drums so they can stay part of the mix. They have a much brighter attack than wood shell snares but cut through the mix better.