what gives you wood?

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Aside from the beautiful looks, is there any sonic advantage to different woods?

Sure. Firstly, manufacturers of mass-produced drums will tout Maple as being the choice for a "warm and punchy" sound, and Birch as having better "projection" - but the fact is, these woods are chosen mainly for availability, IE you never have a problem making a run of 10,000 kits.

Each wood has it's own unique voice (not to mention if your using plies of wood, steam-bent shells, stave construction, or segment shells like Stanbridge). But in general, a more solid, dense wood will be brighter, louder, and more articulate. A softer or more porous wood will have a rounder, more mellow sound. This is a gross over-simplification, of course.

Thin strips of different wood might serve to "break up" the frequency distribution, adding more complexity to the overall voice. An extreme example of this might be the DW "Edge" snares (in this case, using metal at the bearing edges for articulation, and wood in the body for warmth).