As we saw previously, several variables influence a drum's sound.
Since the fundamental element of a drum is the wooden shell, it's important to **design** it well to achieve the desired sound.
The second variable I'm presenting today is the thickness of the wooden shell.
The thicker the wooden shell, the higher the fundamental note.
Sound with a thick shell (e.g., 3/4" or 1"): Less versatile because the fundamental note is higher and resonates for a shorter time. Thus, the drum will have difficulty resonating in lower tunings.
The thinner the wooden shell, the lower the fundamental note.
Sound with a thin wooden shell (5/16" or 3/8"): Easier to adjust your snare drum or toms to low tuning. They will have more resonance and projection. At the same time, more versatile since it can be adjusted to both high and low tunings.
I often recommend thinner shells (5/16" or 3/8") with a relatively low fundamental note to my clients for more versatility. As they say: it's always better to have more than not enough. Unless there's a specific request for an instrument. If you find that you have too much resonance, for example, there are several ways to control resonance (thicker heads, Moongel, round bearing edge, etc.)
William
