Bonham had them mic'd. When 3-ply shells are amplified, you hear the fullness of the resonating wood at work. Could you imagine a thick shelled violin, bass fiddle, or acoustic guitar?

Again, the the same principle to stringed instruments is applied...thin wood for complete resonance. The wood sound chambers on stringed instruments are even thinner than the 3 ply drums.

A drum is an acoustic instrument and therefore requires a sound chamber, the thinner the walls of that chamber are the the fuller the sound.

-kelly

I agree with you.

My 3ply 50's Gretsch are smokin hot. I have a new 2011 Gretsch custom shellpack - they're awesome drums.........but I like my 3ply more still. Partially to do with the mojo of the 50's Gretsch 3ply I guess. The toms on my 3ply are a little more difficult (tighter fitting heads) to tune than the new drums. I got around that by custom fitting calfhide heads.

My new 6ply are simply the easiest drums I've ever owned when it comes to tuning.

Ya - 3ply has got my vote.....BUT the Gretsch 6ply are right up there too = simply beautifully made drums.

Mr Bonham, played plastic drums and stainless steel drums for as long as he played wood and no one told him he was playing inferior drums resonance is way over stated...... drums are what they are some sound good and some bad they are not piano's and I will bet a dime to a dollar if he was still here now he would be playing 6 ply's and everyone would say how great they sound...

He wouldve sounded great on CBs. It is the power of his groove that makes you go "Woa!"

If you had a recording of him playing CBs, 3 ply luds, 6 ply luds, and vistalites, you probably would say the 3 plys sounded the best.

The debate rages on...:)

I can end the debate here go with fiberglass......Excited

You forgot to say Ta-da...... :)

Hows about a rim shot?

Thanks everybody, great to read all the comments.

It's been educational and the reason I joined this forum.

Thanks very much.