Maple/Oak Shells Marry Ludwig's Past and Present Classic Oak shells sandwich 3-ply Classic Maple cores between inner and outer plies of premium hard oak. The result? You get the timeless response of Ludwig's Classic and Legacy series snares, with added definition, articulation, punch, and beauty imparted from the oak. This lends the Classic Oak "pre-EQ'd" sound that's larger than life and balances well with modern cymbals and accompaniment. You also get 45-degree bearing edges to maximize head and shell response from these exquisite hybrid shells. With the Ludwig Classic Oak snare drum, you've got all the best of Ludwig's past and present.5-ply maple/oak hybrid shells Simply put, Classic Oak shells sound the way many engineers try to EQ drums, and that's largely the result of their tonewoods and construction process. Each Classic Oak shell features a 3-ply maple core with 1/16-inch American oak plies on the inside and the outside.