Drum Shell Types and Configurations
In addition to choosing the best cymbals for their setup, many drummers have trouble sifting through the countless types of drum shells that are available to choose from. There are several different species of woods, various shell constructions, and an array of sizes that can make any drummer get lost in all of the options. In order to understand some of the differences, let's go through some of the most popular shells and configurations.
Keeping this as simple as possible and only covering some of the basics, let's all agree that just like many other things involving music and art: much of this is subjective. There is no perfect sounding species of wood, perfect size, or perfect drum that works for absolutely everyone.
Also for simplicity's sake, we won't go into much of the details about how the drums are built; such as ply, stave, or solid shell or what direction the grain of the wood is cut. That can all be important, but we'll acknowledge that there are more things to learn and layers to peel once we get through the basics. We're not all "Woodologists", like John Good! And of course, drums aren't always made of wood. There are various other materials used for drum making: different metal alloys, carbon fiber, acrylic, etc... but we'll just stick to the wood drums for now.
What's The Gig?
First, the most important thing to figure out is what you'll be using your kit for - Is your kit for live gigs or mainly studio sessions? Are you playing jazz? Rock? Blues? Or could it be any of those on any given night? Many of the drum manufacturers take some of the guess work out of drum buying by offering kits made for certain genres of music, like jazz/bebop kits. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, you can simply trust the manufacturer with the specifics, pick your finish, and start playing. However, some of the fun of spending your hard earned money on a drum set is to personalize it to your specific tastes. Spending the time to put your own finishing touches on your very own kit can be worth it. Just make sure you're not buying a small jazz/bebop style kit for your Led Zeppelin cover band.
How Does It Sound?
Different woods have different densities which make each wood vibrate differently. Woods that are dense and more solid tend to have an even tone; whereas the softer the wood, the less controlled the vibrations are. Some woods are too soft to make drums out of because they don't vibrate evenly enough to produce a consistent tone.
Over time, drum builders have used a large variety of woods. Some of the most popular are maple, birch, mahogany (Luan), and bubinga. There are many different sub-species of woods for these as well; such as Birdseye Maple or African Mahogany, but for the most part we won't get into those. The exception is mahogany, where there is a large difference between the more exotic mahogany such as African Mahogany and the more readily available Philippine Mahogany (commonly referred to as Luan). But more on that later.
Maple - This wood has become as close to the standard for drums as you can get. When discussing other types of woods, you will frequently see maple used for comparison. This is because maple has a very consistent tone and generally has a larger tuning range, meaning it can sound good low, mid, or high. This makes maple a very versatile wood that can be used in almost any application and any musical setting; be it studio or live and from jazz music to hard rock.
Birch - Bright and punchy. A favorite among many jazz players, but also very popular with rock drummers who want a quick, lively sound. Compared to maple (see, I told you) birch has a slightly higher fundamental tone and a shorter sustain, but it can perform well in low tunings, as well. Studio musicians tend to love birch because it is easy to work with, meaning it doesn't ring too much and it is very consistent.
Mahogany (Luan) - Often used in entry level drums because it is easily obtainable; Luan offers a warm, low end that has recently become popular due to the resurgence of the vintage sound that it brings. It is best used for live settings and generally likes to be tuned to a lower range, but many variations of the wood can be used for multiple applications. African Mahogany is a more exotic and expensive species of mahogany, which took the place of the highly-prized South American Mahogany when it was put under trade restrictions in 2003.
Bubinga - Increasing in popularity every year, bubinga wood brings a beautiful low end punch that many drummers gravitate towards. Similar to the higher end types of mahogany, it works great in many forms of music. Rock drummers tend to enjoy the lower tones that can still manage to cut through heavier music with a rich, concise, and clear tone. It's also known for its beautiful grain patterns.
There are many more types of woods that we won't mention in this post but these are the main players. There are also countless variations of hybrid shells, such as maple/mahogany or birch/bubinga, that combine the various woods in order to capitalize on the characteristics of both species.
Come On, Get Down With The Thickness
Drum shell thickness generally affects the tone and the resonance of the drum. The thinner the shell, the lower it will sound and the more sustain it will have. Thicker shells will not vibrate as long and will usually be higher pitched.
There are techniques that some drum manufacturers use to manipulate the wood using certain ply and grain pattern configurations that can go against these general rules, but as stated before, we won't get into all of that. Simply note that those are usually exceptions to the rule and not the rule.
Shell thickness is one of the most subjective things about drums. Some people love thin shells that "sing" and others want a thick shell for a quick and to the point note that can power through a room. Neither person is wrong or right.
Drums with thinner shells can sometimes be a little finicky while tuning, but can perform very well when the right drum head combination and tuning is found. Thin shells can be more sensitive, so they are great for smaller, lower volume gigs that don't require a lot of projection.
Thicker drums tend to have a slightly smaller tuning range but can really sound powerful when used in the right application. Arena rockers that want a large and powerful sound will many times choose a thicker shell. Many wood snare drums are made with thick shells in order to mimic the projection of metal snares while maintaining that warm crack that only a wood drum can create.
What's your size?
Drum size is probably one of the most important specifications that a drummer can make when selecting drums and thankfully, it is one of the easiest concepts to understand. First, when discussing drum sizes, most will list the diameter first, then the depth; such as 14" x 5" or 10" x 8". Some will reverse it and confuse everyone, but we won't worry about that. The diameter is what you will buy heads for and is generally what people will use to describe their kits.
"I have a 10",12",14",16", 22"..."
The larger the drum diameter, the lower the note and the louder the drum will be. Most drum sets are setup to go from small to large which, as we all know, is from high to low. This makes sense for most people musically, although some have been known to arrange their kit in other patterns.
The depth of the drum will affect the tone as well. The deeper the drum, the lower the pitch will be. The depth will also affect the volume, making deep drums project more. This is why a 16" x 16" floor tom will be low pitched and boomy compared to a smaller drum.
Snare drums are popular at many different depths. A 14" x 5" is going to be more sensitive than a 14" x 8", but the deeper drum will be louder.
Regarding size, the thing that can make or break a kit for a specific genre of music the most is the bass drum. A rock drummer is usually going to want a big powerful bass drum to lead the beat along, for instance a 22", 24", or even a 26"- if you want to be like Bonham. But if you were to bring a big rock style drum to a jazz gig, you may get some angry looks when your bass drum is overpowering your band mates. Most drummers in lighter music prefer a smaller bass drum that allows more finesse and tone to compliment the music, rather than sheer volume and power. Additionally, we've already learned that the depth of the drum can affect the sustain, so if you need a little more versatility, you can get a more shallow depth on a bigger diameter drum and have the best of both worlds.
Are We There Yet?
Whew! As you can see, the sea of options with drum shell configurations can seem intimidating (and this was just some of the basics!) but hopefully we have been able to give you a starting point. Choosing the right drum set can be challenging for anyone but a little research and knowledge can prevent you from having regrets down the road.
Remember, we at Memphis Drum Shop are here to help you choose your perfect setup, so feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have.
We want you to be happy with your new drum set!
Happy drumming!
-Kevin
MDS