Single ply or 3-ply?

[olmanbenny]

It’s very hard for me to tell if this drum has a 3-ply shell or single ply. Yes, I do need new glasses.

What do you see?

 

[jmetatual]

It can be identified much better with the head removed.

 

[Tubwompus]

3-ply’s wotcha got there.

 

[olmanbenny]

Yes, thank you!

 

[Rivot]

To me it looks like 4 plys 3 inner lighter plys and a darker out side ply send a pic with the head of the drum what drum is it?.

 

[olmanbenny]

It’s 3-ply, indeed. Thanks!

 

[Kevinpursuit]

Yup I see 3 ply

 

[drumsforme]

Looks like 3 ply !

 

[Tama CW]

Usually you can just go by the colors of the wood. Single ply maple shells, even with re-rings, will usually be the same light wood color all the way across.
When you get a mahogany ply tossed in it goes back and forth from light to dark. And even if you have a single ply mahogany shell with maple re-rings,
the entire shell portion should be that same dark mahogany color all the way across. A poplar or inner "soft wood" ply is almost always a lot thicker than the others.

 

[Jazzhead]

Looks like a vintage Premier mahogany shell with beech rerings. Is it?
If so, it’s 3-ply.

 

[jptrickster]

And what brand is it?

 

[olmanbenny]

It’s a 3-ply Radio King student model.