Maple shells with reinforcing hoops have a longer, slower sustain ratio while birch shells without reinforcing hoops have a shorter and faster sustain. Maple produces a warmer, lower fundamental tone than birch. The outer face, or veneer, has very little influence on sound. The core plies and inner ply have the most influence and significant influence on sound, respectively.

FinishPly™ laminates are roll-pressed onto the drum using specially selected adhesives that cover every inch of the shell’s surface. This unique application combined with hand-cut overlap seams guarantee that every FinishPly™ meets DW’s stringent quality standards.