Sessions

[drummguy731]

Ok guys, new thread, it's been a while for me, :lol:

my drum teacher told me that I haven't developed a musical ear enough to hear the differences in sonic qualities between maple and birch. Basically, if tuned right, they both sound great. So my question is what are your guys' experiance with the two woods, and which of the two you guys think are better and why(for example: birch is harder to tune then maple).

This brings up another point, would you guys go with Pearl Sessions Birch or Maple, ooooor, I'm considering ordering a maple custom 5 piece from John Riolo at amdrumparts, so I was wondering if you guys knew anything about the quality he does things at, i.e. bearing edges, simmetry(sp?) of the shells, drilling, etc.

[Motleyguy]

Birch cuts through the music better, and is more common in studio settings I believe, don't quote me, I could be wrong. Maple is a great all around wood used in both studio and live settings. The Pearl Session series are decent drums from what I've heard. They sound good.

[Plan B.]

I've always gone with in, general:

Birch - more punch, attack, fast,

Maple - warmer, lower pitch, slow

[drummguy731]

This may help too, I'm gonna be playing out a lot/recording with this set

[zfzgg]

Well..

What kind of music do you play?
What heads do you use?
Which of the above two sets of characteristics do you see yourself leaning towards? (Posted by the other users?)

[Talos]

People always think Maple is the best because its used on a load of high end kits. Its not true, I personally prefer Birch.

[Zildjian]

Well if you want a good all arond kit you need the proper heads. When your playing live, you use some clears becasue there loud and have a good attack, when recording, use coated for a warm sound.

Id take maple anyday

[maniac0796]

I always think of birch as full of energy and life

and maple more laid back

If money is an issue, then the birch kit should be cheaper.

[drummguy731]

ok, more help, haha
I'm using this kit to play both jazz and rock, like, big-band to tool, so it needs to be really versatile. for jazz I either use G2 coated or J1 etched and for rock stuff I use clear EC2's. That's for playing live, I always record with the G2 Coated

EDIT: I'd prefer to stay around the 1000$ range if at all possible. I also am using Coated EMADs of Coated EQ's for the bass and a Reverse Powere dot over a Hazy 300 snare side. Yes, all Evans, :lol:

[maniac0796]

Premier artist birch

Pure birch kit, semi-pro.

Excellent hardware and shell manufacture. Huge selection of sizes

[Loser]

I bet, if you had to eat one, maple would taste better.

[maniac0796]

are you in the ROI or northern ireland drummguy?

[drummguy731]

Umm, Kilkenny is in ROI, but I don't have anything against anyone.

[maniac0796]

Nah, i just wanted to know. It's on the basis of logistics. Stuff is easier to buy from england in northern ireland i would of guessed.

I ain't got nothing against you ROI folks.

[drummguy731]

^^Whew, :lol:, but yeah, I really like the look of Riolo's stuff over in the U.S., but I'd really like to know how it sounds.

[drummguy731]

Anybody else? Info on the Session Customs?

[Josiah]

my drum teacher told me that I haven't developed a musical ear enough to hear the differences in sonic qualities between maple and birch. Basically, if tuned right, they both sound great.


Get a new teacher then. That's total hogwash. The only way you can't tell the difference, is if you are deaf. If wich you are, then might as well buy cheap drums.

Hit a maple drum, then a birch one. They are totally different sounding drums.


Secondly, if you have to ask about differences of maple and birch. You are not ready for a custom kit. You don't know what you want! (duh?!)


3rdly, there's 100 other companies out there besides Pearl, many of wich are far better sounding. Much better deals on drums as well for someone in your situation.

Giving a choice like "pearl session maple/birch" or "X custom drum". Just really says you aren't ready to buy a kit. Research the instrument, spend a few or more hours in drum stores smacking drums.


For starters, I'd recomend you look into the mid-line sets such as Mapex, Yamaha, PDP and Sonor offer. There are also other woods besides Maple and Birch to have drums made of that sound incredible.

[Loser]

Beethoven used a CB kit.

[Plan B.]

and Solars.

:lols:

[drummguy731]

Get a new teacher then. That's total hogwash. The only way you can't tell the difference, is if you are deaf. If wich you are, then might as well buy cheap drums.

Hit a maple drum, then a birch one. They are totally different sounding drums.


Secondly, if you have to ask about differences of maple and birch. You are not ready for a custom kit. You don't know what you want! (duh?!)


3rdly, there's 100 other companies out there besides Pearl, many of wich are far better sounding. Much better deals on drums as well for someone in your situation.

Giving a choice like "pearl session maple/birch" or "X custom drum". Just really says you aren't ready to buy a kit. Research the instrument, spend a few or more hours in drum stores smacking drums.


For starters, I'd recomend you look into the mid-line sets such as Mapex, Yamaha, PDP and Sonor offer. There are also other woods besides Maple and Birch to have drums made of that sound incredible.

No, I'm not ready to buy a kit just yet, but I was asking everyone's experiance with the difference between the two woods. And like a lot of people, I run into the problem that my damn guitar center doesn't normally stock sets like Session Customs, so I'd have to special order them, that means I have to fork over 1000$ for a set without a snare, which I don't wanna do unless I've played the set. And furthermore, I am ready for a custom set, but like I have said in previous threads, my GC is totally retarded and it doesn't set up different sets. They have had the same two sets set up for about 5 months now, that is no exaggeration. So no, I'm not ready for a new set yet, but I have done my research and I've already asked about sets on a previous thread but I didn't mention the Sessions, that's why I made this thread. I don't have the immediate opportunity to go out and play a lot of different sets, if I did, I wouldn't be asking about them, but I don't that's why I asked, anyone else have anymore advice?

EDIT: And I'm not contradicting myself by saying I'm not ready for a new kit but I'm ready for a custom one, I mean I'm not ready to be able to buy a set tomorrow, but I have played long enough to know the sound I like, I was asking about the custom drum set because I'm in fricking IRELAND! And Riolo has some of the best prices but he's in AMERICA, I'm not gonna travel all the way to America to try out one set, so I was wondering what people's experiance with them were.