I have used maple, walnut and cherry. Almost any HARD wood works quite well. I think your problem is that cedar is just too soft for good sound quality.
![](http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z299/rapidroger/Games%20and%20Toys/Toungdrums001.jpg)
The sides are plywood and I tried various heights to see if there is a difference in quality. The Grandkids don't seem to notice much difference.
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