Maple has long been considered the best wood for drums.  This is because it is affordable, non-toxic, affordable, and easy to work with.  But is it the best wood for drum construction?  It depends on what you mean by "best".  I would suggest that birch is louder and mahogany has a "fatter" tone.  We make maple available as it is a frequently asked for wood.  It is not my preference for stave drums, as there are a number of more interesting options available.

Maple is a good consistent wood with high end and decent bottom end.  This will be considered our "baseline" wood against which others will be compared.  Ash is so similar in sound that we don't offer it.  This drum works well in ply drums, but can be outperformed stave configuration.

Mahogany offers a great warm vintage tone in ply drum configuration, and a warm, soft tone in stave configuration.  Mahogany staves seem to favor lower tunings and would be good for a "fatback" drum. This wood is very soft and will have a rough interior finish. It has a similar volume to maple but with a shorter note at high tunings, and a very woody cross stick.  I would suggest lower tunings with Mahogany staves.

Birch is a higher pitched wood than maple, and is more suited for snare drum use than maple as it is a more versatile tone wood.  Cross stick sounds are excellent and the drum sounds more focused at all volumes.  Birch is a favorite wood for studio drums due to its more controllable sound.

Jarrah is an Australian wood popularized by Brady Drums.  Jarrah produces a higher pitch than maple with more volume with less effort. The cross stick is excellent and would be great for any type of music that requires frequent rim click sounds.  The smaller sizes are great for music that needs a snare to cut through a crowded mix.  The drum sounds more focused than maple and has a powerful crack.  Jarrah is more expensive than maple, birch, or mahogany and is a harder wood.

Cherry has a very wide tuning range, with a focused articulate note.  Cross stick sounds are excellent and rimshots sound like a 357 magnum.  Cherry is richer, woodier, cleaner, and fuller sounding than maple with a shorter note.  These drums are very responsive and a favorite of recording engineers.  Cherry is also more expensive than Maple and is a softer wood.

Walnut is a personal favorite for its dry, dark tone. It has a deeper pitch but a good crack when you really hit it. Walnut maintains its sound character at all volumes. Walnut has fewer high frequencies than the maple and might be perceived as quieter for that reason. Walnut has more body and a fuller range of frequencies than maple. The cross stick is deeper in pitch than maple, cuts more, and is a cleaner. Walnut drums are very sensitive and will bring out the most subtle ghost notes.  Walnut is more expensive than maple.

Birdseye Maple is simply maple with a more figured appearance.  While quite attractive, it has the same sound characteristics as maple.

Zebrawood is a wonderful tone wood that has a striking appearance and in a stave configuration, is one of the most attractive drums made. Zebrawood is dryer and cleaner than maple, but higher pitched.  Sensitivity is excellent and cross stick sounds are brighter and punchier than a maple drum.  Zebrawood is a more expensive wood than walnut, birdseye maple, jarrah, or cherry.