One of the most desirable qualities in a stave drum shell comes from the vertical grain bearding edges.
These edges conduct vibration, resonance and sound through the shell far better than any other shell configuration. This method greatly improves the quality of wood in contact with the drum head as hundreds of square inches of glue are eliminated from the process.
Another wonderful characteristic of a solid wood stave shell is the extremely low “glue to wood” ratio. We all know that glue is a dead component and that it makes no sound at all. Solid wood allows us to lower the amount of glue used to build a drum shell and raise the wood content resulting in a truer, richer, and more melodic sounding drum.
