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Drumshell Info
Maple vs. Birch:
Maple shells naturally have long and slow sustains ratios causing a warm and
resonant tone throughout the drum. The addition of reinforcing hoops to maple
shells provide strength, definition, and focus the overall sound. Birchwood
shells tend to contain opposite tonal properties from maple. Birch naturally has
short, fast sustain ratios causing a higher pitch and greater attack velocity
and is used more often in the studio.
What are Bearing Edges?
The bearing edge is the only part of the shell that the head touches. The top of the shell is cut so that it comes to a point part way between the outer edge and the inner edge, with drum kits, most drum builders cut this angle to between 40 and 45 degrees and have this offset towards the outside of the shell. Some contemporary builders cut this to a double 45 degree angle and/or towards the centre of the shell body. The sharpness of this edge is an important determinant to the overall sound of the drum, a sharper 'point' will give a very accurate representation of the state of tuning of the drum and will make the resonance within the head greater, it also will allow more of the vibration to be passed to the hoop which will give it more contribution to the overall drum sound. A more rounded edge will be slightly less 'bright' in tone and a more 'woody' sound as more of the vibration is able to be absorbed into the drum, there will also be less of the hoop effect in the sound.
The condition of the bearing edges should be checked every time you change heads. These edges are fragile and any dips or divots, bar very minor damage, will show up in the overall tonality of the drum. If a drum's bearing edge becomes more significantly damaged it will be difficult to tune properly and the only remedy is to repair or re-cut the edge. Re-cutting bearing edges is a highly specialized woodworking activity and should only be undertaken by someone who knows exactly what they are doing.
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