But in the last few decades the overwhelming favorite has become Maple. Every major manuafcturer puts a priority on this resonate, warm sounding wood.

Sustain is excellent and frequencies from top to bottom are well represented and balanced. These qualities make it a long standing favorite of many top professional drummers. "That Great Gretsch Sound" slogan was based on these shells for decades and is still used in their high end drums.

They also finsh very nicely in natural, see-thru color staining, or endless lacquer paint jobs. Beautiful "Bird's Eye Maple" creations are a one-of-a-kind work of art in the hands of a serious craftsman.

This versatile wood can be also be successfully steam bent into incredible one ply shells for snares or complete drum sets. Noble & Cooley and Craviotto are two well known names that offer this shell building option.

Below are photos of a small sampling of the wide range of maple drums available. It's a little tough trying to pick a favorite with so many possibilities. But you'll know when that certain style or finish of drumset catches your eye!

Craviotto