The Two by Four is made with block construction using spruce two by fours. Spruce is not considered a typical wood for snare drums, but piano sound boards and guitar tops are made of spruce because it is an extremely resonant wood - perfect for a bigger than life rock drum. The novel look of the lumber and knotholes catches the eye but the surprisingly big, loud, fat sound grabs the ear. This is not a gimmick and it is not subtle