I played a 04' SC maple kit (made in japan wooot!!) till the summer of 10' when I purchased a SCP B/B kit (made in china..still wooot!) both kicks are comparable to me, the maple toms are warmer, the B/B toms more cutting with stronger projection. The "cutting" adjective is a unique sound to me, the higher toms have a sharp attack.
Of course this is all subjective to head propensity to certain degrees.

The last birch kit I had was around 1990, I've slept a lot since then so hard for me to even reminisce concerning the sound, my tuning skills were probably suspect back in the day also. Never owned a full bubinga kit.

Hello Coinne!
I have owned 3 SC Maple kits all 3 9pc. with Gong drum and Octobans Simon Phillips kits. So, last December I ordered my very first Bubinga Elite kit, also a 9pc. with Gong drum and octobans. The difference between the Bubinga and the Maple is the bottom end and the volume, the Bubinga's are louder for sure. I still miss my Maple kit, it was a GREAT KIT!!! However, after hearing the Bubinga's I would never go back.

HI! I currently have a SC Maple (2010), and was able to order everything to be made in Japan with the colour and hardware finish i preferred. So the options to get what you want are all still there, you'll just have to pay a slight premium as though you were paying for Bubinga elites/Omni tune. Hope this helps bud,

Jake

Well, when i put the order down for the shells, Chinese made, it came to £2200, which is a lot but still reasonable. To then transfer the order to Japan and get the specs i always wanted, I paid £2800 for the shells. So around the £500 to 600 mark. Im not sure if the premium goes up the more shells you order, or whether its a fixed price, but as i saw you're planning to spend incredible amounts of money on them then the premium should be a walk in the park! :-P

Jake

When I first heard/played Maple I loved it and bought my dream kit (Starclassic Maple 8pc crimson fade).

About 10 years go by and I play/hear a used Bubinga elite kit. I loved it and bought it.

About 1 year later I play/hear a Birch performer kit....this time I thought for sure my two other kits would outclass the birch. I was wrong - I bought the kit!

About a month ago a deal came up on ebay (another Birch performer kit) and - I bought the kit!


I played a session on a friend's B/B kit about a year after they came out....I would have liked to own that kit too!


Am I much help? Probably not - all the kits mentioned are Starclassic and they will each probably nail about 95% of the drum sound you want. That last 5% is what makes them slightly different. I seriously doubt someone would love Maple and then Hate Bubinga. The difference is just nuances and "personality". Imagine you had identical triplets - they all seem very similar but have different personalities that are unique and you love them all (or at least I do!).


The best way to know is to play them both in the same room and compare. Not the easiest way - but the best way.


If I had to make a quick impression:

Bubinga = Dark and sound "big"
Birch = pre eq'd more attack and a little less body
Maple = "middle" bright-lots of resonance.

I know this doesn't help you much, but I have gotten several compliments from sound guys and people in the crowd on the sound of my Starclassic birch kit. You can't go wrong with any line of the Starclassics.

Trying to not be biased here but for the heavy music you play Bubinga would be IMO the best choice. I played a Birch/Bubinga after I got my Bubinga `07 and really the sound wasn't all that much different. I like them both but the look of a Bubinga elite or whatever it's called now.. Is much nicer looking, I hate the badge on the new China kits!! The maples are nice but are to thin sounding for me!! As far as where they are made.. I want my Tama's to come from the same place the old Superstars did. I think the craftsmen in Japan are the Tits!!

leatherback, I really doubt this! I play a SC Maple 4pcs w/not only thin but very small shells (10x8, 12x8, 14x11 TT's & 20x16BD) plus a 14x5 wood snare drum with my band, and - hell, we ARE loud, but all of my drums cut through it if I want them to... BTW, I play Vater Fusion sticks, and those are not the fattest ones. Oh yes, the Maples CAN be loud, and they sound very clear and natural at the same time.
I must admit, I never played Bubingas, and so I actually have no comparison, but I never really needed this. I am totally happy with my SC Maples.

cloth