Basic Snare head questions

[cephus]

I am a barroom guitar monkey and do some recording. I use synthetic drums mostly, but I prefer an acoustic snare. I have a 14" metal premier snare and I am planning to get some heads.

I play simple roots music. I do use brushes more than a little. I was planning on getting a coated head for the top. How do you decide what weight head? How does a thicker head sound different than a thin head?

Similarly, what qualities would a thicker bottom head have as opposed to a thinner one.

I would just like something that has a warmer sound. Since it's a metal snare, I figure it will be a challenge to get a good sound that isn't super bright and sharp.

 

[Greg_L]

2 ply coated batter ftw.

Also, get good snare wires. They make a difference. If the snare is deeper than 5 inches, go with a 30 or 40 strand snare set. It will help with sensitivity when using brushes.

Snare reso heads are thin for a reason. Don't overthink it. Just slam an Ambassador Hazy or Evans 300 under there and get to work.

 

[tasmanian]

in general, coated heads are better than clear in recording situations. I have just bought aquarian power thin coated head for my sonor 2007 birch snare, and i have wonderfull stick sound for bashin' the hell out of drums, but when i used my brushes it was shit. For that applications i'll use ambassador couse they are thiner thus more sencitive for brushes.

 

[Greg_L]

in general, coated heads are better than clear in recording situations.

Really? Proof?

 

[RAMI]

If you're using brushes, you have to have a coated head. Period.

As far as the rest...Like Greg said, get an Ambassador bottom skin (Remo SA-114) and a double-headed top skin (Remo Emperor BE-114)....or the equivelant in Evans, but I prefer Remo...., and you'll be good.

 

[Greg_L]

I think Remo has a much better coating on their coated heads. I really like Remos coated snare heads. The Evans coating is weird and smoothes out really quickly, for me. I've never used Aquarian coated heads, but their coating seems to be pretty decent too from just feeling them at the drum shops.

 

[cephus]

Thanks for the advice.

How does a 2-ply head sound different than a 1-ply? Is it just for strength? I use light sticks and would never gig. This will be low-hours for sure. I am just wanting to optimize for a good sound. I probably won't replace them in my lifetime after this.

What would happen if you put a batter head on the bottom?

 

[Greg_L]

Thanks for the advice.

How does a 2-ply head sound different than a 1-ply? Is it just for strength? I use light sticks and would never gig. This will be low-hours for sure. I am just wanting to optimize for a good sound. I probably won't replace them in my lifetime after this.

What would happen if you put a batter head on the bottom?

The snare will sound like a dead tom with a batter on the bottom. Not good.

A 2 ply head will give a deeper, more controlled and focused sound while minimizing ringiness. You said you wanted a warmer sound.

 

[dintymoore]

In this last few years I've gone to all calf heads.

For brushes, plastic heads compared to calf are exactly like comparing a plastic jacket to a leather one. Plastic heads with brushes are fine until you use calf and then they're absolutely horrible. None of what was told about calf ended up being true.

It's about the same difference between watching porno and live sex.

 

[Xdrummer]

I'm not a fan of 2 ply batter heads on the snare - but like any answer, it depends on the application. If it is all about a back beat whith little use of ghost notes, etc. than a 2 ply can provide a more controlled sound (less potential ring) - in particular with a metal snare......however, if the music needs more technique...in particular more jazz oriented material....than a single ply would likely be a better choice.

If I had to choose one head....I would rather have the flexibility of a coated single ply head. I used Remo Ambassadors for many years - but in the last several years I've been using Evans vented heads (they provide a more controlled sound, without resorting to 2 ply heads).

Without doubt...only use a resonant head designed for snare.....or all the life will be sucked out of the drum. I agree choice of snare configuration make a big difference (I've experimented a lot over the years and there is not right number of wires - each snare responds differently).

I find it interesting that someone is using calfskin. I came up on calfskin (used them during much of the 60s) and while I agree there is nothing better for brush work and you can certainly get great sounding "warm" backbeats" - the problems associated with calfskin often offsets the sound - however, perhaps in a controlled environment like a studio the problems are reduced to acceptable levels.

 

[dintymoore]

I think that part of it for me is that where I live it's almost always super high humidity, so there isn't as much variation as many places. Plus when it's muggy is when calf sounds best to me. For me it's about how they make me feel when I play.

When I was a kid I put a plastic batter head on the bottom of a snare for fun. It sounded like "putt, putt, putt", there was absolutely no "crisp" in the sound.

 

[cephus]

Great tips, gentlemen and gerg. I am learning how lucky I have been over the past 15 years to have had possession of my brother's decent sounding and tuned Ludwig snare (which he just retrieved).

I hope I get lucky with this orphan that I am trying to rehab.

Thanks.

 

[bonezy]

Im kinda late to chime in BUT had to get my 2 cents in...The boys are right as usual but THE REAL REASON you wnt to use batter heads is because the batter head has a "pebble finish" which when your brushes glide over pick up & smack down again. This is what gives you that blurred, fuzzy sound. The more "batter" the fuzzier it gets. OH YEAH B4 I FORGET calf skin headsare high maintenance slight temp changes make BIG differences & no one mentioned YOU SHOULD LOOSTEN HEADS after each session & retune b4 next time you use them. what a pain! ITS SKIN DUDE if you have constant downward pull on it, it will just keep stretching & stretching & stretc... same affect on tits. Neither will be fun to smack after this happens!

 

[moresound]

oh oh ---shutter---convolutions---I threw up a little in my mouth.

 

[dintymoore]

... OH YEAH B4 I FORGET calf skin headsare high maintenance slight temp changes make BIG differences & no one mentioned YOU SHOULD LOOSTEN HEADS after each session & retune b4 next time you use them. what a pain! ITS SKIN DUDE if you have constant downward pull on it, it will just keep stretching & stretching & stretc... same affect on tits. Neither will be fun to smack after this happens!

I don't think that's true. I've been using calf for a few years and I never do that. My bass drum skin is from the 1940's and it's never been loosened like that and it sounds fantastic. My small tom is probably from the 1930's and it's got the original calf heads and that's never been done to them.

What I did find out after using them a lot, was that pretty much everything I'd been told, like that they are like you said " high maintenance slight temp changes make BIG differences" to be entirely untrue.

If you tuck your own, they cost about 1/2 of what plastic cost and like I said, at least one of my heads is fine after 70 years so that's pretty economical.

We were lied to by the drum companies because they made way, way more money off of plastic heads.

I'm not saying you should use them, I'm just telling you one guy's experience, and for brushes there's no comparison.