DW has just introduced its new PurpleCore™ drum shell technology. DW Drums are some of the best you can buy. The quality is outstanding and consistently pushing the boundaries of what is possible. With all that being said, DW has managed to push the boundaries once again with its new PurpleCore™ shells.
Let’s see what is new about these shells and why you need to check them out.
What are DW PurpleCore™ shells?
DW has been trying to create a shell that features just short grains for some time. Most drum shells do feature short-grain plies but they are primarily made of long-grain plies.
Why short-grain plies?
Short-grains create a deep sound when compared to long-grains. The issue is that they have very little tension making it almost impossible to make a shell out of them. You need high tension to make drums shell hard and hold their shape.
| Short-grain ply | Long-grain ply |
| Deep sound | High sound |
| low tension | High tension |
This is why most drum manufacturers choose a combination of plys to get the sound and strength needed for a drum that lasts.
So how has DW overcome this issue?
DW has created a hybrid shell that is 9 plies with only one of them being long-grain. This is the PurpleCore™ drum shell technology.
The three inner cores are all purpleheart wood. Purpleheart wood is more dense than oak and provides ample attack and punch. Therefore this wood is ideal to act as the centre support for keeping these drums stong.
Of these three plies, one is long-grain and two are short-grain.
The remaining six short-grain plies that site three on either side of the purpleheart come in either maple, cherry or mahogany.
The shells also feature an addition 3-ply reinforcement hoop inside the shell for additional support.
What does DW PurpleCore™ Shells sound like?
They sound deeper than traditional shells whilst still maintaining the attack and presence you would want from your drum kit. This makes these shells ideal for a drummer who cherishes the sound of bigger toms without the need to have a bigger size kit. So rather than playing a 14″, 16″, 18″ tom setup, you could have a 10″, 12″ and 14″.
You can now bring that big sound to gigs in smaller venues just by having DW PurpleCore™ shells.
Have a listen to Thomas Lang playing a DW Maple PurpleCore™ Drum Kit.
Where can I buy a DW PurpleCore™ Drum Kit?
The DW PurpleCore™ are part of the DW Collectors Series range. These drums are made to order so they can be configured to your exact specification. This does make ordering a little trickier as you will need to find your local DW dealer and order through them. You can find USA distributors on the DW website.
Our thoughts
Just like everything DW makes, the PurpleCore™ kits sound unbelievable. The attention to detail and craftsmanship is first class and you won’t go far wrong buying one of these kits. We aren’t sure about the pricing of these kits but I can imagine it will be expensive. For anything new and innovative you always pay a premium price but I’m sure it will be worth the investment.
We can’t wait to see what incredible creations DW Drums comes up with next.
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