Birch vs Maple hoops?

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tkillian

tkillian

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A fun project just landed in my lap today.
I got an all birch premier APX bebop kit in merlot/ red sparkle.

12/14/18 with matching snare.

The bass drum hoops are natural birch with an inlay.

Im thinking of taking off wrap and staining this kit.

But. Im going to need to buy hoops. I cant seem to find birch hoops online

Will maple hoops be close enough in color to match the birch?
 
I should have said...because I dont want an inlay.
 
anyone?

It seems almost impossible to find birch hoops anyway so I guess I might have no choice but maple.
 
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APK
Premier APK.jpg
 
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No its the one in the photo APK

18x14 bass drum....all traditional sizes. It sounds beautiful.
 
APK HERITAGE


for example

reverb.com

Premier APK Heritage Bop Kit Silver Sparkle | Reverb

2012 Premier APK Heritage Bop Kit Sliver Mist. 18/12/14/14. 6 ply all birch shells. This kit is in excellent condition. I purchased it new three years ago played it only a few times in my home. Never gigged. Evans Emad 2 and Evans back reso head with port. Stock heads on the toms and snare. Great...
reverb.com reverb.com
 
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I don’t think maple hoops would be a problem. But, there are plenty of custom builders that I’m sure could make you some birch ones if it matters to you.
 
Whoa those are Nice..
I wouldn't put a nickel or a dime of effort into them. Just play em let em be.
Be hard to improve on original.
 
Yeah they are sweet but

I got them so cheap and they are dead mint.

Yeah, going to either keep as is and sell to a student or take off wrap as a DIY lacquer project
 
Maybe if you had a natural birch shell and a natural maple hoop - no dye or stain on either - you might notice the difference, but if you stain/dye the shells a contrasting color and leave the wood hoops natural (which is a look I like anyway), the natural maple would look just fine. Or (if possible) remove the inlays and finish the hoops currently on the drum. You'd be left with the track that was cut for the inlay, of course, so you'd have to decide if that would bother you. (It wouldn't bother me - as a matter of fact, I did just that with my 1979-80 -ish Ludwig kit (see attached photo) - but as always, YMMV.)

franchi_2011_202.jpg
 
If those were my drums, tho, I'd leave them as is unless there was some existing damage to the wrap. (FWIW, YMMV, etc., etc., etc.)
 
James Walker said:
Maybe if you had a natural birch shell and a natural maple hoop - no dye or stain on either - you might notice the difference, but if you stain/dye the shells a contrasting color and leave the wood hoops natural (which is a look I like anyway), the natural maple would look just fine. Or (if possible) remove the inlays and finish the hoops currently on the drum. You'd be left with the track that was cut for the inlay, of course, so you'd have to decide if that would bother you. (It wouldn't bother me - as a matter of fact, I did just that with my 1979-80 -ish Ludwig kit (see attached photo) - but as always, YMMV.)

View attachment 446145
Click to expand...
Hmm. Its hard to tell from that distance.
Do you have a photo that is closer?

I think that would drive me insane
 
Jim. So you are saying if i remove the wrap and get maple hoops and stain everything, lets say a light walnut finish, i wont see a difference?

I.e. these birch shells are very light blonde...photos of maple hoops im seeing are a little darker
 
I'm saying leave the maple hoops unstained - just the natural maple color - and dye/stain the shells something that would contrast nicely with it.


mlc_spring2015_001c.jpg
 
I hear you but i dont like that look. I like the hoops to be same color as the drum.

Thats what I was asking.

I know its very popular look to keep hoops the natural look. Just not my cup of tea.
 
I just wonder if what I am thinking is do-able.
 
tkillian said:
Hmm. Its hard to tell from that distance.
Do you have a photo that is closer?

I think that would drive me insane
Click to expand...

Sorry, I don't have more of a close-up available.

The fact that it's hard to notice from any appreciable distance is why it's not even on my radar screen. FWIW, I refinished that kit over 25 years ago, and in all that time I've never had anyone mention the empty inlay grooves on the hoops.
 
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