Birch vs Maple Drums – Which is Better?

Birch drums have a brighter, snappy tone whereas Maple drums have a warmer, lower tone. Maple drums are generally more expensive than Birch drums. That being said, Birch is still often more expensive when compared to Poplar and Basswood.

There are few greater pleasures in the life of a drummer than buying a new kit. You’re either taking the next step in your drumming journey or adding another kit to your collection.

Nonetheless, it’s a great feeling. But often, as it happens with many drummers, you might know the different kinds of woods that shells are made out of. However, you may not know exactly what’s the difference between them.

Many wooden shells today are made of birch or maple, alongside other woods and wood blends. Although each of the two woods has its own characteristics, a lot of the subtleties are lost to anyone who is not a connoisseur. What is caught, however, is the quality of drum heads and how they are tuned.

No wood, regardless of how expensive it is or how many plies there are, will compensate for crappy heads and poor tuning. So, choosing good drum heads and tuning them properly is just as important as choosing the right wood, if not more.

At a Glance

• Birch and Maple drums are the two most popular woods used for manufacturing drum shells. Maple is widely used, while birch is valued for its clear attack. Either wood can appear in a well-made kit.
• Maple drums produce a warm tone with much more lows than Birch drums. In comparison, Birch drums produce a brighter and punchy sound with more mids and highs than Maple drums.
• Maple kits often have a rounder, more resonant sound than comparable birch kits, although shell design, heads, and tuning also affect sustain.
• Both woods can work across jazz, funk, rock, and metal. Choose by the sound of the particular kit and how it responds at your playing volume.
• Wood species alone does not establish quality or longevity. Shell construction, hardware, care, and tuning matter more than a maple or birch label.

Birch Drums

Birch is one of the common woods used to manufacture drum shells today. The wood is in abundant supply, and it can be used to create incredible-sounding drums. 

Birch shells are characterized by their bright and snappy sounds. They can sound focused and punchy compared with a similarly built maple kit.  

Even though Birch shells are more aggressive, they have a nice, well-balanced projection. The high-ends in Birch shells come out nicely. Because of these reasons, Birch drums work excellently in live settings when playing genres like rock or metal.

Birch can have a clear attack and plenty of low end, with a slightly reduced midrange in some shell designs. You can still play birch drums softly; heads, tuning, and touch will make a bigger difference in a small room. 

There are plenty of Birch trees that can be found in North America, Europe, and Asia. This makes it easier to make Birch shells. Birch kits can cost less than some maple kits, but the series and hardware drive much of the price. You are likely to find Birch drums across most ranges, going from low to the upper end. It depends on the quality of the wood, the number of plies used, and the bearing edge. 

Maple Drums

Maple drums are in high demand all across the drumming community as they’re considered to be premium shells. Maple is a hardwood like birch and appears in many high-end kits, but the wood label alone does not tell you how a kit will perform. 

Maple shells have a round, warmer sound that has better mid-range projection. Maple shells also have better lows than Birch and are thus preferred by drummers when playing softer music.

A maple kit can have a warm, open sustain, but head choice, bearing edges, and tuning also shape the note. Maple works well in jazz and funk, as do well-tuned birch drums.

Despite their premium status and generally positive feedback, Maple shells aren’t every drummer’s cup of tea. They don’t have as good projection as Birch shells. Neither do they sound as bright. Some music styles also don’t have much room for the longer sustain that comes with Maple shells. 

Maple shells may be plentiful in nature, but they still come at a higher price tag than Birch shells. The price also reflects the series, shell construction, finish, and hardware. You will find Maple shells made by every major drum manufacturer. All of them will come in the mid to high range.

Birch or Maple Drums – Which is Louder?

Birch does tackle high-ends much better than Maple, which handles low-ends better. While Birch shells sound fatter, Maple shells carry more bass. 

The loudness of drum shells depends on several factors. Not just which shell is used.

The most obvious is the strength you use. Then the kind of drum heads you install – 1-ply or 2-ply. The kind of stick, i.e. nylon or wooden tip, you use also plays into how loud your drums will sound. And finally, how you tune your drums. 

How do I Know if my Drums are Birch or Maple?

A finish or inner veneer can hide the shell wood, so feel and grain are unreliable ways to identify it. Check the model number or the maker’s shell specification instead.

You don’t need to be a wood expert to tell the difference between Birch and Maple. All you need is to have some knowledge and a keen sense of observation. However, Birch and Maple can often look similar, and some sellers may take advantage of that. 

Wood grain can offer a clue on an unfinished shell, but stains, veneers, and mixed-wood plies make a visual guess uncertain.

What is the Cheapest Wood for Drums?

Poplar is among the most affordable woods used for manufacturing drums and is, in fact, a great alternative to both Birch and Maple woods. In addition to being used in conjunction with a lot of more quality-sounding woods, Poplar is actually a great choice for those on a budget and it sounds not too dissimilar from Birch drums.

Summary

Both Birch and Maple are super-common woods that are used to create brilliant drum shells. Birch shells are more inclined towards high ends while Maple has better mids and lows. Birch drums can be found for most budgets, ranging from mid to high. Maple drums are generally more expensive, although it depends on various factors.