HYBRID STAVE SHELLS

Our HYBRID snare drum shells are our new take on our stave shell design. They conserve rare and very special timbers. This way, we can use 1/3 less feature timber to make a snare compared to the standard stave shells which we continue to produce. We recommend the internal timber to be one of our sustainably grown staples (Mahogany, Silky Oak, Rosewood, Blackwood, Jarrah, etc.).

Some timbers don’t come in packs, or are ‘new old’ stock, and are often just individual boards we only see once; there is often never enough to make a full stave - such as this brilliant striking fiddleback Bullich from Western Australia which has the Jarrah internal contrast! This is a way to use precious resources more economically on snare drums only.

No longer a trade-off, have the sound you want (internal) with the look you want (external). A soft internal timber will soak up frequencies more, resulting in a warmer sound, and a harder timber will reflect frequencies more, resulting in a brighter sound.

Our first test models (October 2019) came to life from a dilemma to solve. We had limited stock of fancy timbers, where there was not enough to make full shells. This also helps to significantly reduce costs of exotic timbers which are horrendously expensive, i.e. Ringed Gidgee (approx. $66,000 p/cubic metre) which is very difficult to get a hold of in quantities needed to produce a full stave snare.

What happens to the sound of a HYBRID shell compared to a standard shell?

Our HYBRID shells are subtly more crisp and focussed due to the two timbers being married together. Rest assured though, the resonance and body these drums produce are still leaders for player’s in the market for great tone.

What are some suggested internal timbers?

Softer (warmest, best for lowest tunings, can have more of a nod to vintage drums, think Maple or Cherry)

  • Queensland Red Cedar

  • Tasmanian Huon Pine

  • Fijian Mahogany

  • Queensland Silky Oak

  • Queensland Maple

  • Victorian Silky Oak

Medium (most versatile mid-range, balanced body and attack, general purpose, round meaty pop, think Birch)

  • New Guinea Rosewood

  • Tasmanian Blackwood

Harder (best for mid-high tunings, more snare wire clarity, meaty harder pop, think Oak and harder)...

  • Tasmanian Myrtle

  • Western Australian Sheoak

  • Tasmanian Oak

  • Western Australian Jarrah

  • Western Australian Spotted Gum

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