Choosing the right wood species for shell and hoops is essential in achieving your sound and style objectives for an instrument.

Besides their beautiful appearances, all woods have unique acoustical properties, and the differences between them can be enormous. We have had extensive experience with domestic and exotic timbers from around the world, and maintain a stock of some 50 seasoned woods on hand.

If you are considering purchasing a Stanbridge Drum and are unsure of what kinds of woods best suit your needs, you needn't worry. We can guide you through the process and help you find the colour and sound that's right for you.

While there are dozens of factors which come into play to shape the final sound a drum, several important elements hold true in most cases.

Generally speaking, the less dense the wood species, the lower the fundamental pitch of the shell, and the warmer sounding the snare drum will be (all other factors being equal). The harder or more dense the wood species is, the higher the fundamental pitch and the brighter the drum will sound.

Also, the thinner the drumshell is the lower the fundamental frequency will be, whereas a thicker shell will have a higher fundamental and will tend to sound brighter and project further.

Left and above: A quick wipe with some thinner reveals the true nature of a board's color and figure. We will often send photos such as this to clients during the design phase of a project.

Read more about...

• Shell Construction
• Finishes