I can't add a huge amount to what's already been stated. I will agree with the differences in wood. I would add that true African M has a seriously deep and dark and very woody and resonant tone. If you don't get it by a major factor, you are probably lacking in drum tensioning skills and head choice. That "you" in that last statement was the generic drummer as opposed to a specific person.

The deep dark tone of true African M is something you will never forget once you play it. I'm NOT referring to a mixed ply shell where it shares space with poplar or maple. I'm referring to 100% African M shells. They are unlike anything else out there. Once you mix the plies, all bets are off.

I,ve had this conversation with a couple of players lately and because i have a lot of orphans,[for parts] one of them is an old tom i thought i,d suit up for a comparison.I appreciate the opinions of fellow drummers,and since there is always a lot MIJ bashing on other forums,drumsmith especially,i really needed an experts point of view from a more technical approach.There are a lot of guys on this forum who swear by some MIJ lines,and im one of the few it seems that has found a new appreciation for them.....Who is making 100% AM shells these days?..I thought Pearl did,but discontinued it?

Pearl still does. You have to order them that way. You can also get them from shell dealers. They usually carry maple rerings. Still good stuff. There's lots of small boutique dealers that make kits from them. They sound amazing. Check out this video. Scroll to the bottom of the page and enjoy.

Thx...Except the Keller shells are not ALL AM.They,re a blend according to thier site.?

African M and poplar blend. It states it in the writeup. It was just a cool vid to give you an idea of the intensely deep and dark sound of African M. No, they are not pure. Now, imagine pure African M.

I have some vid on my YouTube site of a Pearl African Mahogany kit. It's a slick kit. 8, 10, 12 rack toms, 14 and 16 floors, with a 22x18 bass. I also had a 13 rack and an 18 floor.

"Pure A/M"...Theoretically it sounds like a great idea if you can get that low end big band jive out of them,so why are they not being offered across the board?...Is the wood to expensive?...has the public not accepted them?...do the decision makers not care for the sound?...It makes me wonder why Keller offers a blend and not the 100% AM.There has to be a reason.

Some of the very best drums i,ve owned are old Premier.I still look for deals on them,but unfortunately im loyal to no one,and would likely deal them off sooner than later.

[COLOR="Purple"]Yes...well the whole 'Philippine Mahogany' thang is just a bad, marketing misnomer...since Luan is not a Mahogany species...it's a relative of.

Also..."pure Mahogany" ? Did anyone ever make that ? Not that I know of....the interior plys of every real mahogany shell I have ever seem was NOT mahogany....but something else. Does Pearl really make 100% Mahog shells ? ...thru and thru ? That'd be something new, really.....

I also cannot add to what has been said...density, porousness play a huge factor in the sound of the shell.

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Oh yeah....dont forget age:rolleyes:

Hi

I bought one of the limited edition Gretsch Purewood African Mahogany shellpacks (6pc) when they were offered in 2007. I have never played nicer sounding drums.........well, until I resotred my 1958 Gretsch kit......no contest there. But - wow!, these African Mohogany - 6ply - with Millenium triple chrome die-cast hoops drums sound incredibley nice. They 'sing' they're thunderous (1822 bd) and they look as good as they sound. I keep saying this, but I'll say it again = I was in the process of ordering a Custom USA shellpack (tried some out and they're very well made - the finishes and spectacular) but when I read about the Purewoods and saw a few adds 'they had me' I was in, I changed my mind and bought them and have not regretted it in the least.

The African Mahogany used to make my drums is probably Khaya ivorensis - there are other related species in the Khaya genus but I believe spp. ivorensisis is the one most used in drum making but if anyone knows otherwise please let us know.

DW is in their Classic series......they are similar to old Slingerland/WFL/early 60's Ludwig shells in tone.....but they are a mahogany/poplar mix, just like the slingys and WFLs/Ludwigs, not a solid mahogany....