Recognized for its expertise, CVL develops shells designed for musical performance as well as manufacturing consistency. This maple shell follows a "modern lutherie" approach: precise construction, coherent material selection, and optimized gluing process to preserve maximum vibration. The result aims for a more open and organic sound while remaining reliable and consistent from shell to shell.
This shell is aimed at drummers and drum makers who want to customize their instrument: assembling a 14-inch snare drum, replacing a shell, creating a hybrid set, or workshop projects. Thanks to maple, it suits both intermediate musicians seeking a real qualitative leap and advanced players looking to refine their sound (rock, pop, funk, modern jazz, gospel, studio). Being unpierced also makes it an excellent choice for those who want to optimize ergonomics (lug placement, trigger, vent) according to their playing style.
The 6-ply maple construction with a 5.4 mm thickness offers a relevant balance between resonance and control. The 45-degree inner bearing edge promotes a clean seating of the drumhead, improves attack precision and harmonic clarity while maintaining warmth. Since the shell is unpierced, holes for lugs, trigger, butt plate, and vent hole need to be made: you can use the Sparedrum LO16 or LO26 template to correctly position the drillings. For a clean finish, it is recommended to use "hardwood" drill bits and to measure then verify the diameters required by your hardware before drilling.
Maple is a medium-density wood highly appreciated for its versatility. On this type of shell, it generally provides an immediate warmth in the low-midrange, a well-defined attack, and a comfortable volume, with a musical response that remains pleasant even when changing heads or tuning. This "wide frequency range" allows switching from a tight and precise tuning (more definition, more projection) to a lower tuning (more body, more warmth) without losing overall balance.
The 6-ply construction and 5.4 mm thickness contribute to a stable playing feel with controlled sustain: enough resonance for a lively sound but enough focus to remain usable in rehearsal, on stage, or in studio contexts. The CVL process, using less glue, aims to preserve the wood's natural vibration: this often results in a more "open" response, with dynamics more sensitive to nuances (ghost notes, rimshots, accents), particularly interesting for a shell intended for a 14-inch snare drum.