Wood Tone Chart
(Janka Scale Sorted Alphabetically)
Want to get an idea for what tone you are looking for?
Compare common drum shell materials against domestic and exotic woods.Soft (low hardness number) materials have a low pitched tone, and hard (high hardness number) materials have a high pitched tone. Material of a similar hardness will sound similar in tone.
If you like maple, look for its hardness, then compare it to other woods of the same hardness, they will sound similar to maple, but will give you the a custom appearance you are looking for!
Common Material
Material
Diamond
High Carbon Steel
Medium carbon Steel
Lignum Vitae (wood)
Bronze
Brass
Ipe, Lapacho (Wood)
Ebony (Wood)
Aluminum
Copper
Maple
Oak
Mahogany
Yellow Pine
Hardness
10,000
7,000
5,000
4,500
4,000
3,800
3,342
3,220
3,000
2,800
1,500
1,330
800
400
Alphabetically
A
Acacia
Afromosia
Afzelia, Doussie
Abarco
Alder, red
Amberwood
Amendoim, Ybyraro
Anchico
Andiroba, Virola
Angelim Pedra, Amburana
Angelin
Angelique
Angico, Vermelho
Aniegre
Apple
Ash, blue
Ash, white
Aspen, bigtooth
Aspen, quaking
Avodire
Azobe
1750
2524
1810
1020
590
2200
2947
2524
1130
3040
1750
1290
3020
980
1480
2030
1320
420
337
1250
2940
B
Balau
Balsa
Bamboo
Bamboo, carbonized
Bamboo, natural
Bamboo, timbergrass
Banak, Kirikawa
Bangkirai, Amang besi
Basswood, American
Beech, American
Beech, Australian; Blackbutt
Benge, Muteneye
Birch, yellow
Black cherry
Blackwood, African
Bloodwood
Bocote, Cabreuva, Santos Mahogany
Boire, Bodowood
Boxelder
Boxwood, Buis
Breu
Brushbox
Bubinga, African rosewood
Buckeye, yellow
Buckthorn, Cascara
Bulletwood, Balata, Macaranduba
Butternut, White walnut
1642
100
1450
1180
1380
1642
911
1987
367
1300
1569
1983
1260
788
1720
2900
2200
1326
720
2730
980
3025
2628
350
1040
3070
490
C
Cambara
Camphorwood
Canarywood
Catalpa
Cativo
Cedar, Red juniper
Cedar, Spanish
Cedar, yellow
Ceiba, Kapok
Chechen, Black poisonwood
Cherry, black
Cherry, Bolivian
Cherry-tropical, Machiche, Cerezo
Chestnut, American
Chinkapin, giant
Cocobolo
Coconut palm
Coffeetree, Kentucky
Copaiba, Bacana
Cottonwood, eastern
Cuangare
Cumaru, Brazilian Teak
Curupay, Curupau
Curupixa
Cypress, Australian hard
Cypress, Mexican
941
930
2000
550
625
900
1006
580
281
2200
950
3650
3190
540
730
1136
1600
1390
1470
377
911
3540
3840
1018
1375
460
M
Macadamia
Macawood
Madrone, Pacific; Manzanita
Magnolia, southern
Mahogany, African, Khaya
Mahogany, Brazilian Tiger
Mahogany, Incensio, Cariuva
Mahogany, Royal
Mahogany, Santos' Cabreuva
Mahogany, sapele
Mahogany, true; Lauan
Makore, African cherry
Maminha-de-porca
Manbarklak, Black kakaralli
Mango
Mangrove, red
Manni, Chewstick
Maple, Brazilian
Maple, hard-rock
Maple, sugar
Marblewood
Maria-preta, Arvore-da-chuva
Marishballi
Massaranduba
Mastic
Meranti, dark red
Merbau
Mersawa
Mesquite
Moabi, Guajara
Mora
Morado
Movingui, Ayan
2300
2406
1460
1000
1395
3840
2200
1400
2600
1500
800
1294
523
2890
980
2940
1304
1500
1156
1450
2532
1668
2967
3190
1770
908
1654
1290
2345
2100
2424
2400
1278
P
Padauk, African
Para-angelim
Paraju, Brazilian redwood, Jutahy
Parana-Pine
Patagonian Rosewood
Patens
Pau ferro, Brazilian ebony
Pau-santo, Angelica
Pearwood, African; Aboga
Pecan
Peroba de campos, White peroba
Persimmon
Pilon, Angelim
Pine
Pine, Caribbean
Pine, lodgepole
Pine, spruce
Pink ivory
Piquia
Poplar
Pradoo, Burma padauk
Primavera
Purpleheart, Amaranth, Pau roxo
Pyinkado
2219
1958
3500
780
3840
1691
2713
1490
2732
1820
1624
2254
2020
870
1240
402
647
995
1720
432
2267
799
2713
2369
S
Sakura, Chinese birch
Sandalwood
Sande
Santa Maria
Sapele
Sassafras
Satinwood
Sepetir
Serviceberry
Shedua, Amazakoue
Shorea
Silverbell, Carolina
Snakewood
Sourwood
Spruce, black
Sucupira
Sweetgum
Sycamore, American
995
1798
900
1410
1439
630
2600
1382
1800
1650
1780
590
3800
1326
422
2140
850
770
T
Tallowwood
Tamarack
Tamarind
Tarara
Tatajuba
Tauari
Teak
Teak, Brazilian; Tatajuba
Thuya, Thuja, Arar
Tiete chestnut, Almendrillo
Tiete rosewood
Tigerwood, Muiracatiara
Timborana
Tornillo
Tree-of-heaven, Ailanthus
Tualang
Tulipwood, Pau rosa
Tupelo, gum
Turpentine
2007
526
2318
1860
2220
1500
1075
1038
1155
3540
3280
2620
1570
2299
1568
1938
1441
861
2624
Janka Hardness Scale
The Janka hardness test measures the resistance of a sample of wood to denting and wear. It measures the force required to embed an 11.28mm (.444 in) steel ball into wood to half the ball's diameter.
It basically boils down to, the denser the material, the brighter the tone. Some times grain, moisture, variants in wood consistency due to wood growth abnormalities, or finish will effect tone, so its not a 100% assured all materials will sound exactly the same. but we get a really good picture of what the tone can be based on simple hardness physics.
If you want to know more about the janka hardness scale click here.