Drum Heads

SteveCPerrino

New member
My friend is giving me a Pearl Export Series drum kit, it's in good condition but I'm getting new heads just to be safe.

What are some drum heads that you guys recommend?
 
Remo pinstripes get a lot of love around here. I'm liking my Evans G2s - I've found it comparatively easy to tune them up reasonably well.
 
What are some drum heads that you guys recommend?

Depends on what style music you will be playin'
There are different types of drum heads for different styles of music.
There are heads that can be used for several different types / styles...
and there are heads that can only be used for a certain style of music..(jazz, blues, marching, etc.)

I personally like 2 different types by 2 different companies.
For playing metal / hardcore / industrial :

Remo - pinstripe / powerstroke
Evans - EC2's
 
My friend is giving me a Pearl Export Series drum kit, it's in good condition but I'm getting new heads just to be safe.

What are some drum heads that you guys recommend?

Kick: Remo Powerstroke 3
Snare/toms: Remo Ambassador coated (batter) Remo Ambassador clear (Resonant)
 
I'd make some suggestions, but Greg L would just come into this thread and say I'm not a drummer and know nothing about drums...:)
 
Evans G2 clear on toms, Powerstroke 3 on bass drum, and some kinda of coated Evans Genera Dry head on the snare.
 
Not sure what kind of music style you play but here it goes.....

1. Jazz - Coated heads like Ambassadors with a clear Diplomat on the bottom or clear Ambassador for that open Jazz type music. If you are using brushes then go with an Ambassador or Emperor coated on the snare batter side and a clear Diplomat for resonant. For the Bass Drum, I like Evans EQ series.

2. Rock/R&B/POP - Something like the Remo Pinstripe coated heads or Evans Hydraulic Glass (fat sound, easy to tune with a short sustain). Bottom heads can be Remo Diplomats or Evans Resonant Glass. Bass drum would be any of the EQ, GMAD or EMAD series for nice thick lows. Snare batter can be a Remo Power Stroke or Evans Genera series. Diplomat or Ambassador clear or Evans Glass clear on the resonant side of the snare.

If you aren't too good at turning then go with the Hydraulic Glass from Evans. If you like the wide open sound like jazz then tuning comes into play ( I prefer Remos for Jazz). You can tune them even or with a pitch bend up or down depending on the sound you are looking for. If your into a more melodic type of drumming then you get into tuning your drums to notes.

Hope this helps a bit or at least leads you into the right direction.
 
EC2's are the most versatile head out there if you ask me. They come with a dampner ring built in, and the coating gives a great touch and feel. Definitely designed for a moderately to less controlled drummer. Great heads.

Feel is the goal!!
 
On the kick drum I prefer Evans Emad clear on the batter side and I have a thin Remo on the reso with a fancy graphic on it. There's a 3" hole at about 4:00 for a mic.
On the snare it's Remo Ambassador. I have used the Evans coated and it's okay but has more of a "boing" sound for my taste rather than the sharper crack of the Remo.
Okay, here's where a lot of new drummers leave me:
On my toms I prefer Remo black pinstripes. It's a very vintage fusion sound and I still prefer it.
 
Thank you everyone for your responses!

And I'm sorry I forgot to mention what style of music

My main clientele and my bands are punk/metal/hardcore
 
^^^ Eck, I am not a fan of that really dead sound. Sure in a studio setting you can get a good recorded sound of that, but nothing really beats the nice openness of Ambassadors or Emperors.
 
^^^ Eck, I am not a fan of that really dead sound. Sure in a studio setting you can get a good recorded sound of that, but nothing really beats the nice openness of Ambassadors or Emperors.

Yeah, it's about personal preference. I like the toms to be a little punchy and not too 'ringy'. If that's what someone is looking for, Pinstripes are a good choice.
 
Clear pinstripes don't sound "dead". They're not even close to being as dead as coated emperors.

For this guys genres, clear pinstripes are great tom heads.
 
I use...

Kick:
EMAD batter, EQ3 reso

Snares:
Ludwig Supraphonic 14 x 6.5 - Remo Powerstroke 3 batter, Ambassador Hazy reso
Black Panther Brass 14 x 5.5 - Evans Power-Center Reverse Dot batter, Ambassador Hazy reso
Mapex Pro-M Maple 14 x 7 - Remo Powerstroke 3 batter, Ambassador Hazy reso

Toms:
Evans clear EC2 batters, G1 reso.
 
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