what's the best material for your drums?

Posted: 12 November 2019

Updated: 28th July 2022

It all makes a difference. Choose your setup wisely.

Read time: 3 mins

Drums can be quite daunting at first glance. Which woods sound better for your preferred genre? How heavy do your sticks need to be? What's the best type of skin? They’re all valid questions and this article will help give you a little bit of direction when it comes to selecting your setup.

sticks

Drumsticks are one of the most important tools for any drummer. With the growing number of variations floating around the market today, it can be difficult to pick out the right sticks for your playing style.

What wood?

Wooden drumsticks will usually be made of one of three types of wood: maple, hickory and oak. Hickory is the most popular material out of the three, used by drummers all over the world for a variety of styles. It has good energy absorption and flex compared to that of oak, which are strong but come with strong vibrations in the hand which isn’t ideal. Maple is the lighter of the woods and is renowned for its brilliant flexibility and energy absorption.

Some sticks are even made of carbon fibre or metal. They are more expensive than the traditional wood sticks and they do tend to last longer, but they don't have the same feel and response as Wooden sticks.

Need any tips?

Nylon tips for your drumsticks may also be worth considering. Nylon tips can add a nice sheen to your cymbals and can give you a better rebound from your stick. They also don’t chip like wooden tips do however they can come off while playing which is not great if you’re in the middle of a gig!

Does size matter?

It does in this case. There are three main stick sizes and these each have their own characteristics:

7a – This is the lightest of the three. This stick will give you a softer sound on your drums and are great for younger drummers or jazz drummers.
5a – This is the stick used by most drummers. It’s average in size and allows for both loud and soft play. A solid all-rounder that’s great for rock drumming.
2b/5b – The heaviest of the three. These sticks allow you to get the loudest sound from your drums which comes in particularly handy for heavy rock drummers.

Single Ply

These heads are usually made from between 7-10mm of polyester although you are now able to get 12mm variants. The thinner the skin, the more overtones and high-end ring it produces while the sustain decreases. The thinness of the head does however make this head the least durable of the lot. This type of head is best suited to softer styles of music such as jazz and light rock but they can still create big, boomy sounds when needed.

^{Image: @bengibsonphoto}

Dotted

These heads have a dot on either the top or bottom of the head to stop the excess ringing, giving you a drier sound. Some people achieve this by using tape however it can be unpredictable.

Double Ply

Exactly what you think it is. Typically, there are two layers of 7mm ply however there are also thicker variants that can produce other distinct tones. The shortened sustain, punchy attack, and fatter sound give a deeper sound with more controlled overtones. These heads are preferred by metal and heavy rock drummers mainly.

And that’s it

Now you should have all the right information to go out and get the kit that suits your playing style and genre. There are almost endless combinations of materials to use in order to craft your perfect sound. For instance, heavy sounding shells paired with light skins are great for creating a well-rounded and balanced sound.

what's the best material for your drums?

sticks

What wood?

Need any tips?

Does size matter?

Drum shells

Heads/ skins

Single Ply

Dotted

Double Ply

And that’s it

More in this series

Where next?