Tony Allen first ordered a flamed-maple snare-drum prototype, 13 x 4 1/2 inches.
A few months later, he ordered a similar one, so he could keep one in the studio where he works on most of his projects in UK, and bring the second one on tour. This last one (on the picture), is made from a sycomore maple blank as the first one is from hard flamed maple. Its sound is a little more focused than the first one but both have the fast and clear response of the solid maple when used with this making method.