Mario has done it again! With his already expanding empire from shoes to cymbals to sticks, Mario has taken it one step further by taking on a new project.....custom snare drums. Get a look at this beauty!

What you're looking at is the official De La Cruz Signature Snare consisting of a 13x6 Brazilian Rosewood Split Shell with 1/8 African Bloodwood with black hoops,lugs,rods and strainer. But what exactly is African Bloodwood? After digging around on the web for awhile I was able to come up with a few facts on this interesting piece of lumber. This description can be found in its entirety at http://www.thewoodbox.com/data/wood/bloodwoodInfo.htm

The Tree:(Brosimum paraense) 

Wood Description:
The wood is very dense, with a tight fine, mostly linear grain. It is relatively difficult to plane without good equipment as it can have a tendency to tear out if your blades are not sharp. 

Bloodwood wood is relatively easy to finishes with no oils or sap pockets that I've come across. Takes on a beautiful shine with limited effort. The grain is so tight that you can get a jewelry finish with polishing up to 1000 grit.

Here are some of the pics Mario has taken throughout the building process:

As you can see the various stages of development which leads us to the final product........ Make sure to check out Mario's Myspace to find out how you can order one of these magnificent drums and other accessories such as cymbals, sticks, drum shoes and more! Click HERE! to learn more about Mario and his exciting new products!