Ludwig Tom Shootout | Does the Shell Matter?
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- čas přidán 31. 07. 2024
- Today we have the special opportunity to compare 4 different types of Ludwig shells. Typically comparing drums can be difficult because of the many different factors (hardware type, finish, heads, etc) but these 4 drums are all configured exactly the same with the only different being the shell layout.
All drums are 9x12
This will help shed light on an age old debate of how much difference the drum shell itself makes in the overall sound, or if it makes any difference at all.
Of course a blind demo is included, so test your ear first and see how well you know your shell types!
Intro - 0:00
Game plan - 1:42
Shell types - 2:08
Blind test (ambient) - 3:18
Blind test (close mic + isolated) - 4:23
Big reveal - 6:04
Demo with labels (close mic) - 7:20
Demo with labels (ambient) - 9:00
What I heard in the room - 10:05
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So similar that it doesn't matter, especially when mixed with other instruments.
You won't hear much of a difference if the shells are the same thickness. Get a thicker shell and you will hear a difference. You wont hear the Presence of the drums in a video either.
@@vermilionpill6916 I hate to sound like an elitist, but anyone that says the shells don't matter has never heard a Craviotto in person.
To me, I notice instantly that tom 3 had the cleanest and most resonant tone.
Yeah, I agree. Haven’t gotten to the reveal yet but I wanted to register that 3 is my favorite and to me sounds vastly different from the others.
Eh, not the most resonant but definitely projected the most
@@carsonyuh longer decay
The pitch was slightly higher,, that could account for the difference and there’s no way to know without tuning all of the toms slightly higher…. That’s the way frequencies work.
I'm a guitar player with perfect pitch. It rang perfectly with no tone fluctuation. It was like a bell. Amazing.
I preferred the classic maple but let's be honest, they all sounded good. And personally I think once you add any of these to a full band mix those slight differences would be pretty hard to pick out.
The Ford Drum company made a point of this years ago. While at the NAMM Show, Sonor had a display of 12" toms. All, even the acrylic, sound virtually the same. The one that had the most projection, however, was the tom with the thickest shell. It all comes down to geometry and physics. 12" toms sound like 12" toms. Same holds true for any size. Thank you. This was very informative!
For me personally, volume number one is the best. Definitely the cleanest and most open tone. The maple has overtones at the very end of the sustain, as if at the end the tone rises higher. Put on your headphones and you'll hear what I'm talking about. Only mahogany has a stable tone from beginning to end
I think it has something to do with the way the Classic Maple was tuned. Its a straight shell, no re-rings that control it a bit. The oak, was dead for the most part, because of the way it was tuned, however that's just my opinion on that. Certain drums have a range and sweet spot where they open up and sing.
As someone who plays a Classic Maple, I picked up Tom 3 immediately. There’s a reason they’re my favorites, and it’s because of that insane resonance and projection that’s so easy to control or embellish, if you put the right heads on them. That attack from Tom 4 was very distinguishable as an oak shell as well.
Since I use to build custom drums I got it right! Very impressed with my ear since it’s been 6 years since I last built. But Mahogany, so soft and warm ❤❤. My favourite
The Sonor one was the best
Noice!😄
Great comparison! I guessed them all correctly, which I must admit was a surprise. There were very subtle differences between them, but based on the first test with just the overheads, I was instantly drawn to tom 1 (Legacy Mahogany) as it seemed to have the most pleasing pitch bend, where the pitch of the note bends downwards slightly as the sustain fades out. The Legacy Maple did that too, but had some less pleasant ringing overtones towards the end of the sustain. This was the other way around during the second test with the close mic. I preferred the Legacy Maple which has the most pleasing tone in that test and the Legacy Mahogany seemed to have some annoying overtones! The Classic Maple seemed the most different to all the others, and it did sound slightly higher pitched overall, but also had the least pitch bend, where the pitch stayed the same for the full length of the note. The Oak drum was really nice too with a decent pitch bend, but some bright over tones.
ive owned them all, so i got them all right, the thing that differs them its when you play them, specialy live, my band mate said that the mahogany was low on volume , so you need to mic them even in small venues, classics are nice but really hard to get rid of the overtones , specialy the maple one, best of both world is the oak, fat like the legacy but with lots of projection, less overtone then the classic maple
Interesting
Definitely #3 classic maple is the one that I prefer. But they all sound great and would be completely workable IMO. I've got a 1975 set of Ludwig's that I bought new. Thank You. This was a wonderful demonstration.
Thanks Tim much appreciated!
Excellent test. And, the comments, above all, are very telling. Honestly truly is a rare commodity.
I have a set of original 3-ply maple drums from about 1970. I have to say, they sing a bit more with lots of tone and sustain. They are in big sizes so that helps. I also own a set of 1979 6-ply Ludwigs in the same sizes (14/15/16/18/26). The 3 ply sound amazing but only produce about 60-70% of the volume of my 6 ply shells. But the 6 ply shells have a narrower useful tuning range. If I could only own one set, it would be the 3-ply's. They sound AMAZING (plus I have microphones!!)
Classic Maple has the most resonance. I think a change in head types would be a much more dramatic change of sound than the difference between shell types. Subtle changes between each only, but no. 3 is the best.
Number 3 Classic Maple! My favorite!
Several points:
1) What heads were used? Clear 2 ply?
2) Legacy: 30 degree bearing edges; Classic: 45 degree bearing edges
3) Was surprised about the extent of higher frequency presence in classic maple. Also surprised to hear the role of the oak in dampening these frequencies.
4) A db meter might be helpful in distinguishing classic oak from the legacy models, all of which have notably shorter sustain.
This test was awesome!!! Great format, thanks for the effort here.
Yeah I picked out tom #1 as being the 'Legacy Mahogany' during the blind test. Nice warm full tone. My favorite of the group as well. Truth be told it would be hard to tell the difference in a playing situation with a band. They all sound good.
First of all, excellent work on your demonstration. Comparing the shells could not have been done any better. This was outstanding! It gave us Ludwig fans the best comparison we can get. I use classic maple, myself. You can hear one consistent tone from the drum, there is no pitch bend. The re-enforcing rings will cause this. But, like many viewers stated, they all sound great!
Thanks for the kind words! I can't stop myself eyeing the Classic Maples as well.
As remarked, good / less good heads make a much greater difference than the variations in woods. The very slight differences you may hear now will completely disappear with use in a gig or in the studio. Then it is the sound technician who will make the difference
THE 3 RD CLASSIC MAPEL RESONATED THE MOST EVERYTIME
OK, just watched to 4:04. Have no idea what is what, but absolutely prefer the sound of the first drum you hit first. Let's carry on with the video... OK, after individual hits on isolated drums, still like one best, but two would be acceptable, and even four, as well... three is still a no go... definitely very helpful. I would love to hear the Classic Maple (drum three) with the rounded bearing edge option, since they're more reasonably priced, even with that option than the two Legacy models, which--obviously--my ear prefers.
If you could put your hands on one of the Classic Maples with the rounded edges and A/B it you would make me, and I'm sure others, very happy. I'm thinking the rounded edge would/will make the Classic Maple more Legacy-like sounding.
it's crazy how much of a classic maple nut I am and yet on a blind test..that's the one I liked least! My ears loved #1 and #4 for their depth and sustain balance. Thanks for the video.
For me it's the resonance length of the tone. I've always loved the s CLassic Maple for that reason.
Great comparison. Love the warmth and tone depth of the Legacy Mahogany (#1), my favorite. Was surprised how much I liked Classic Maple (#3), so open and resonant. Not crazy about the attack on the Classic Oak (#4), but it would totally depend on the music scene you’re in. Cheers!
Will the audience even notice?
#4 has best sustain for me. Classic Oak.
Too bad there's no way I'm lugging a full oak kit up and down Manhattan. Maybe back in the 90s.
Nowadays, if I show up with ANY toms, it's a miracle.
Yeah in the 90s I didn't think twice about bringing my six-price stage custom haha, did a gig yesterday with just kick and snare and felt like I could have done without the bass drum lol
I’ve got to have my 7 piece set
They all sound the same every drummer knows the true sound of a drum is in the heads tuneing and baring edges
I liked thefirst one most, which didn't surprise me after you revelaed what was what.
Number two has a very slow and late low end boost, which I found weird.
Awesome video by the way man, great effort!
Just a thought: next time it might help to use a larger drum size - I expect the larger drums, would more accentuate the character of the shells. I sure have noticed dramatic differences in bass drum shells.
DCP has a video where they compare Legacy Maple/Mahogany and Classic Maple in the Bonham sizes with coated heads. There is a huge difference when you go up to the biggest sizes.
So much of that is also the style of music you're playing. I love the deep fundamental note of that mahogany. But, if playing in a band environment, especially, with electric amplified instruments, the attack and "snap" of that Classic Maple would almost always be my choice. They all sound killer though. GREAT demo. Well done.
Classic Maple definitely sustained the longest. Legacy Mahogany seemed to have the most beef. I would like to see a similar test with a 16" floor tom.
I got them all Right!!! the diferences are very subtle, but they are there. Mohogany shell has a little bit more low end and didn't sing as much as the maple. This was my favorite
Nice video, it was very interesting, my feelings by all 4 toms was always the right, but i dont no why. Furthermore after the video I can't say which drum typ i would prefer.
Taking my own experience in consideration, my opinion about sound is, that the most important key for a good drum sound is the fell.
A very smart way to make a comparison.
Thanks Paul!
It was odd, but the side-by-side demo of the Legacy Maple seemed to indicated high overtones in the sound but when isolated, it was the best-sounding drum, by far. The pitch was truly centered, it has excellent resonance with no bad overtones in the resonance. Indicates good tuning, too. My guesses were correct for the first two, the Legacy Mahogany gives itself away with that gorgeous sound right in the middle and the short decay. Both the seven-ply shells seem the same, couldn't tell them apart.
The Oak has more attack and less sustain than the other drums.
It sounds completely dry and dead to me,
I liked 2,4,1,3. Really surprised to see that 2 and 3 which I liked the most and the least are both maple!
"A Hert or two..." Singular or plural, it's Hertz. 1 Hertz. Two Hertz. This comment Hertz. Great demo, man! Thanks for this video :)
same as with guitars, where the pickup makes 98% of the sound. Speaking of drums it is the heads. I've had maple, birch, walnut in the studio. same heads, same tuning. No one could tell what is what in one session. Especially when you squeeze everything together in a compressor and put it in a mix. I know it's fun to talk about how the wood makes the difference, when in reality it doesn't. What matters tho is the build quality of the bearing edges/hardware and a good ass sounding head/tuning. Interesting video tho :)
nice job matching up the tunings.
Great job. I didn't know which was which, except #3. As soon as you hit it, I thought you were hitting my very own '88 4 play no re-ring Rockers. Sounds just like my 12" Tom. So , I thought it was Classic Maple, and I was right. Other than that, I liked the Legacy mahogany best.
The Maple Classic had the most sustain. That said, if I had all tuypes on a drum kit I doubt it would make a huge difference, especially in a live venue. I have all but the Legacy Mahogony (BTW the Classic Oak is 5-ply). The Classic Oak (which was originally the Keystone Series) seems most resonant to me due to the dual 45 degree bearing edge.
I only picked #3 classic maple..Wow. it resonated the most.I guess that's what I would buy if I was in the market,and they cost a lot less,even better.
Nice video!
They all sound great! I slightly prefer legacy maple, it has a thick attack, I think that means a low a low mid frequencies burst, then highs in the decay. Classic oak the smoothest of the bunch. Would love oak for a quiet cafe gig, but would not bring my 2B oak sticks for it.
I really liked the classic maple
classic maple for me,all sound very good
They are all good. I love the combination of the maple / oak shell in the Classic Oak line. Played all these in person, the Oak's kick drum is what I really noticed to be a bit more aggressive than the others. The oak did not sustain as much as the maple, but sound engineers gate that all out anyhow live or studio.
I play a classic oak kit and I get so many compliments from sound guys and engineers. You barely need to EQ or muffle anything and it has some very serious punch.
Before the reveal, I'm going to guess Tom 1 is the Legacy maple, Tom 2 is the Legacy mahogany (sounds lower) Tom 3 is the Classic Maple (most resonant, no re-rings) and Tom 4 is the Oak (sounds the most different to me). My favorite is Tom 2 and Tom 4.
First thing I noticed was the badges and the colour of the wood , any one who knows Ludwig drums could tell the drums apart from looking at the badge and the wood through the vent hole, great video comparisons, the wood had a very little different that majority of people wouldn’t notice it, but the bearing edge, the heads and tuning would make up the 95% of the tone but the resonance as far as the ring would be the density of the shell, next time put a vista light shell in with them for ring comparison, Thanks, Well done
You should have mentioned how many layers and such the toms had. But cudos to an excellent and really interesting video!
So much of playing drums is how they feel. I've been in the store and hit those. Immediately the legacy maple felt clearly the best, second was legacy mahogany (felt and sounded good but more quiet than legacy maple), third was classic maple, then the classic oak (oak/maple blend).
I got all of them correct, maybe mostly because that's the order I played them in the store, so there's that. LOL
I could tell the Legacy 3 ply drums from the Classics. I own a 1968 Ludwig kit as well as a 2017 Classic Maple. I couldn't tell the wood type differences. The drums with the re-rings are always slightly warmer. The sharp bearing edges are slightly brighter.
thanks!
The reinforced shells (legacy) should have a quicker decay, DW actually added re-rings to make this happen on their collectors series drums so drummers wouldn’t use dampening or 2 ply heads. I have a 1963 ludwig downbeat set (12/14/20) with mahogany Toms and a maple bass drum. i think the reason i like them so much has more to do with the Tom’s having brass hoops and no lug gaskets. It’s also worth noting i have a 1964 Ludwig clubdate set with the same shells and sizes and it’s definitely more resonant with just the single lug in the middle of the shell.
Did all these shells have the same rounded bearing edges?
I for sure knew that the first two were in the Legacy series and the 3rd was the classic maple. My personal kit is a legacy mahogany kit and I've both played and mixed a classic maple kit for the past 10yrs live. Also, I would argue that an SM57 was not the best choice for the close mic in getting the differences between the shells to be more prevalent. You need a mic that doesn't have as much of a low end roll off as the SM57 does. An SM57 actually starts to roll off at 200hz to -6db around 65hz (generally point of inaudibility when there's a lot going on). In the live situation I'm in, we've noticed the best tom mics for our setup (Classic Maple) are the EV RE20. They have excellent rear rejection (so they don't pick up hardly any cymbal bleed if at all) and have a far better frequency response than most mics with the -6db point hovering around 36hz. Absolutely phenomenal mics.
Anyway, that would be why there was very little difference in this shootout. The Legacy series digs a lot deeper (specifically the mahogany) into the frequency spectrum and sound absolutely massive by comparison to the Classic series.
I preferred number three and was actually pleasantly surprised to learn it was the classic maple. I play a classic maple so perhaps I was drawn to that sound because of a sub-conscious familiarity with it. I wouldn't kick any of the four out of bed mind you!
Andy drums that are oval or rectangle shaped? What difference would it make? 🤔
I liked #1 and # 4 sweet tone and attack
I liked the Legacy Maple and Classic Oak best. They were all pretty similar but slight differences, enough so that I had 2 favorites out of the four of them.
"A hert". That's a good one.
I find drum tone is a lot more about the ratio of fundamental tone to overtone than other instruments. In these examples I found the loudest fundamental compared to overtones are in order, 4 3 2 1 (to my ear, as recorded). In the overtone series, the fundamental tone is usually the loudest, but the question is by how much compared to the rest of the overtones. If you’re playing in a louder band where volume is an issue, you might want a stronger fundamental tone (“closed” sounding). If you’re playing in a lower volume group, or where a more complex tone is wanted and can actually be heard with more sensitive mixing perhaps, then the mahogany here would be a good choice (more overtones=more “open” sounding)
Fwiw, I’ve always liked the very strong fundamental of maple properly tuned. The sustain of maple tends to be long but relatively quiet compared to the initial attack, giving maple a very punchy sound. Add more compression in the signal if you want more of that ring to come out. Also more plies=more mass=less energy dissipation is a contributing factor to increase the volume of the sustain phase.
Hope this sparks a thought for someone - ymmv!
Played all four of these in the shop yesterday and it was damn hard to tell the differences.....But I tended to the maple drums as a slight preference.....
I heard the classic maple having longer sustain as well. Liked the Mahogany tone best overall, but would be happy with any. I do like the classic maple due to the extra overtones though. You can always calm them a little with dampening, heads, eq, compression etc. Bit you can't truly add it if you want it. So I'd rather have it be there if I want it. Kind of like wearing layers in winter. You can always take some off if too hot, but you can't add any if you left the house with one layer. 😂 Nice job!
Nice video! - for me the Legacy Mahogany and the Classic Oak were rounder, warmer and had less sustain and were not as bright as the other two - that's my sound!
Classic Maple 👍🏻
The Classic Maple one is the winner for me!!! 🤘😈🤘
I know I'm late, but the classic maple resonated the most and the longest. Classic oak was slightly behind that (but it was definitely a noticeable amount). Legacy mahogany resonated the shortest and the least (it was focused, which I would love for certain songs). The legacy maple resonated slightly more and longer than the mahogany, but not as much as the classic maple. I could go into more detail about the overtones, but who would care enough to read it all😂(plus others have already discussed the overtones🙃). I have a classic maple kit, but I'd also love to have a mahogany kit.
I got them right, helped me knowing that the 3ply (the "Legacies") have rounded edges (and the mahogany sounds darker than the maple) and the Classic have sharper edges. I loved them all quite a lot except for the classic oak (I'm not saying I didn't like it, just a little less).
Cheers!
The Legacy kits have 30 degree bearing edges. They aren't rounded, just not as sharp as the 45 degree on the classic maple, plus you have the re-rings. You can order classic maple with a round over bearing edge though.
@@toddmckenzie0420 Agreed. When I said "rounded" I meant in fact "rounder" than the Classic Maple. My bad.
Legacy Mahogany and Classic Oak in this tuning range to me. Maybe that’s it, different woods could sound better in different tuning ranges for different genres of music. I personally would like to tune the Legacy Maple high and the Classic Maple low.
My Ludwig drum set wishlist:
Legacy Mahogany. 20/12/14.
Classic Oak. 22/10/12/16.
Legacy Maple 18/1?/14. ?=10 or 12.
Classic Maple 24/13/16/18.
Thanks so much for the video!
Cheers
while driving and concentrating on the road, Tom 3 got my attention.
Of course the shells matter. The material and it's denseness matters. The thickness matters, the bearing edge matters, the heads matter, the tuning matters. Never compare drums when they're dampened, always have them wide open and only use single-ply heads. This is the proper way to hear the tones they're capable of, whether or not you choose to muffle them later.
I know ludwig has their supraphonic snare drums, but I have the much cheaper supralite and it sounds so incredible for the money!!
they all sound good! probably liked the classic maple the best...
A great studio kit I think would be the Legacy mahogany kit. Live, classic maples all the way. Versatile, loud, powerful and reasonably priced. What maple drums should sound like.
What size drums are those? Also - thanks for sharing! If I was being real picky, I THINK I heard a slight more "punchiness" in the two legacy shells, and a slightly more "clear" tone from the classics. Otherwise agreed - pretty much the same!
They are 9x12. I'll add to the description - thanks for watching!
This was an awesome test. I have all maple kit in which I love. However, based upon your test to me… with the mahogany you can hear the fullness of the drum. Up until this test I wouldn’t have considered a mahogany drum set, but now it’s in the range. The maple had the attack and resonance. Thank you for this demonstration. Also what camera were you using ?
Thanks for the kind words! Camera would be my Sony FX3.
I play the Classic Maple and I wasn't able to match any of the shells correctly.
2 and 3 great sounds, luv then at first Heard
Classic Maple, all the way! From a guy that owns original 67’ Mahogany rings kit!! They sounded alive!!
While all the toms had that nice "thump" sound, the Classic maple, tom #3, had the most resonance and sustain, especially in the isolation segment. I could also tell more of a sound difference between the Legacy Maple and Legacy Mahogany in the isolation segment and curiously preferred the Legacy Mahogany over the Legacy Maple. But based on this video if I could only pick one kit to purchase it would seem the Classic Maple would be my choice. You can always take resonance out through tuning and muffling, but you can't put it into the shell.
The Classic Oak (Keystone X) and Classic Maple sounded best to my ears
so so similar, but the classic maple did seem to resonate the longest
Every time you went through them 2 stood out. Legacy Mahogany and Classic Maple.
Is that the real comparison we should do here? I think it's more about if certain shell types sound better in certain tunings. They don't have to sound extremely different when tuned exactly the same imho, as long as they do certain ttypes of tunings better than the next configuration.
A good point to bring up! I've had others say something similar, and it's worth considering. Personally, I think it's far more likely that shell dimension will have a far more significant impact on optimal tuning range than shell material/density. It's worth experimenting with, I just personally chose not to do it because once you have each drum at a different tuning, you haven't controlled for all other variables anymore.
Yes and there’s something about the way birch sounds with remo pin stripes or ec2s compared to the way maple reacts with stripes and ec2s.
Other than that shell thickness and hardware plays a bigger role than wood type imo.
@@larrytate1657 That's been my belief lately too.
I liked both the Legacy Mahogany and Maple and had a difficult time distinguishing the two. The subtle differences would probably only be noticed in a studio. I am not sure how either would do in a live situation for me , I hardly ever mike my drums. I liked the oak better than the maple. I have a maple kit I love (Pearl custom z) so I was surprised. But there is maple in the shell of the Classic oak so it must be the combo that sounds great. I classic oak would be a great all purpose , do everything kit. Nice comparison
Full disclosure, I play a 2012 Keystone X (which I think later became the Classic Oak shells?) but as soon as you hit Tom 1&2 I knew those were the Legacies. Embarrassingly, though, i got the wood wrong on both pairs😮 (which might kind of prove your point that build and configuration matter more than the actual material?). Know I'm late to the party, but really interesting video, thanks!
Tom 1 all day long. I was 4 for 4 being a Ludwig guy and recording engineer. I was surprised I got one of them correct using laptop speakers lol.
Easy!
Drum 1: Ludwig
Drum 2: Ludwig
Drum 3: Ludwig
Drum 4: Ludwig
Hope you got the same answers!
There is a slight discernible sound difference between the ply differences. But really, not that it makes a real difference. If I had to choose I probably wouldn’t choose the Oak. Otherwise I am with you; it depends on bearing edge, rims, heads and tuning when considering sound. Other than that it might be a durability contest.
I always I.d. mahogany shells. The oak I thought was maple with re-rings. The classic maple was my fave.
1&3 was my favorite.
After reading these comments, I'm pretty sure, if I downloaded this video, took the audio from one tom and pasted it on all the toms and reposted the video - People would still say they can hear the difference. They sound 99.5% the same. Even this video can't dispel the wood myth for some people.
This is an excellent example of manufacturers hype. For years mahogany/poplar/maple and then gum was used in combinations throughout the American drum manufacturing world--and the drummers enjoyed "fooling around" with heads and hardware (Louie Bellson was a great example of a drummer who wanted to experiment--but not (typically) with shell construction. ) In order to compete and to keep their products "fresh " and 'modern", manufacturers began experimenting with different wood types (even steel, aluminum and acrylic) --however, even though there remained a minimal of difference, the manufacturers told prospective drummers that they now had a 'choice' and that was the explosion they needed to expand and compete. In the end its all about competition and money. In the studio an engineer can perform magic on just about any drum you give them--they are amazing and credit to drum sound goes to them: heads, edges, hoops, rims, mikes, all can make a difference. I have seen an engineer go to work on an old cracked acrylic kit that sounded like a cardboard box--after working the edges, replacing hoops and heads, working the mikes--you couldn't tell if the drum was plastic, mahogany or burlap. So its snobbery: if a drummer says he will only play maple shells because thats "the sound' for him--hes a snob, because that drum can be tweaked to sound like any drum. Close you eyes and tell me what type of wood is in the shell and 99% of drummers will not tell the difference. Especially in a hybrid shell. Tell me that the shell is 2 ply maple on the outside with a core of bubinga and then oak with an inner ply of mahogany--you couldn't possibly do that. THAT is manufacturers hype. However if you truly believe that sound is different and thats what you want--then OK buy it, use it--you are the perfect customer for the manufacturer and they will love you. Go back to 1940 and listen to the drums--they can sound different, because of tuning and recording--not shell construction.
I am a custom drum builder and I make drums with mahogany , maple, birch, bubinga, walnut and they all sound great--very little difference in tone--put a different head on them , then yes, big difference.
In the end, buy a drum kit with your eyes closed and LISTEN, buy according to what you hear--not what the manufacturer says in the shell.
This was a great experiment, thanks.
I got them correct. Tom 1, Legacy Mahogany sounded the best to me, shorter decay, fewer overtones and a lovely round tone. Tom 2 came in second. I didn't like Tom 3, the Classic Maple, to ringey, to many over tones. Tom 4 was nearly identical to Tom 3 but had fewer overtones.
You can never tell the real difference when its just 1 drum off each series , you really need to hear the whole kit for the nuances to become apparent , when done as a whole kit to me the drums of maple and mahogany with poplar to me sound the best ,though the 7 ply maple is the best sounding all maple kit I have heard , despite its 7 plys it has a wonderful paper thin kind of sound
For me the Legacy Maple (#2) sounded like a classic 60’s-70’s rock drum. They all sound good though.
Some shell sing at certain tunings. Even though they are all the same tuning range if the tuning range was different it might favor a different shell type.
First, I can’t believe how different these sound while resonating. I was thinking of getting the Classic Oak but after hearing this video, I like the Legacy Mahogany the best.
I listened again on studio headphones and I went into this originally thinking I would get Classic Oak, then hearing it on a TV I liked the Legacy Mahogany and really disliked the Classic Maple. After listening on these headphones, the Classic Maple stood out as nice as the Legacy Mahogany. Since I don't like the finishes in the Legacy Mahogany, I guess it's the Classic Maple for me.
expected to like mahogany the best, and did. Didn’t hate the others but thought the Oak was a little bright. There is something buttery about the mahogany though
Thanks for doing this - confirms what I long suspected - the shell makes little difference. As you said - most of the minor differences here are the result of imperfect exact tuning between the four drums. Your conclusion makes sense from a physics perspective as well. Transferring vibrational energy from a very small mass (the head) to a much larger mass (the shell) is very inefficient. For the shell to make much difference that energy transfer would have to occur either through the bearing edge or through the interaction of internal acoustic waves with the shell - both very inefficient. Shell depth, on the other hand, will make a lot of difference.
of course the shell makes little difference because he is hitting the head and not the shell ,if you want to get just a little more shell tone you should be hitting rimshots on toms not just on the snare, but the transfer of energy is still going to be quite small though ,the only way to actually hear the full resonance of the shell is by hitting it directly with a mallet.
The thing a lot of people don't realize is that you can't really get the feel of the difference with one drum in isolation. It's not until you get entire kits of the same build due to the greatly increased amount of resonant material that you can start to hear the substantial difference. I found that out while testing heads with just a 12" tom years ago - the difference in head type was almost negligible when I blind tested the audio.