question when buying drum heads
- Thread starter ollie99
- Start date
The dot is mostly for durability. It does fatten and darken the tone a little, but it's mostly just a durability thing. The snare takes the most abuse.
It's best to just get all the same heads. Once you really know how heads sound and act, you can start to mix and match. It's not uncommon to use coated heads on the big floor toms and clear heads on smaller toms. But you're not there. Just get all the same heads.
It's best to just get all the same heads. Once you really know how heads sound and act, you can start to mix and match. It's not uncommon to use coated heads on the big floor toms and clear heads on smaller toms. But you're not there. Just get all the same heads.
Guitargodgt
New member
Agree with greg shoot for the same heads on the toms, coated something on the snare and you can most likely put off the kick for a little bit if the head isn't beat to shit or cracked or taped up.
My suggestions are clear remo emperor or evans G2 on the toms. Snare either coated remo emperor or coated evans power center reverse dot. I would probably prefer the evans on a metal snare and the emperor on a wooden snare.
Kick: when you get the money either a aquarian superkick 2, remo powerstroke pro, or evans emad. Tune any of those right and you really shouldn't need anything inside the kick drum. I would also invest in a falom slam pad (remo) to put on the kick head. It's a little kevlar looking patch that goes between the head and the petal beater(s).
These are just my suggestions though, feel free to get something completely different. haha
My suggestions are clear remo emperor or evans G2 on the toms. Snare either coated remo emperor or coated evans power center reverse dot. I would probably prefer the evans on a metal snare and the emperor on a wooden snare.
Kick: when you get the money either a aquarian superkick 2, remo powerstroke pro, or evans emad. Tune any of those right and you really shouldn't need anything inside the kick drum. I would also invest in a falom slam pad (remo) to put on the kick head. It's a little kevlar looking patch that goes between the head and the petal beater(s).
These are just my suggestions though, feel free to get something completely different. haha
ollie99
New member
ollie99
New member
Cracked and taped is exactly what the kick drum is haha!
Thanks I'll look into those suggestions
ollie99
New member
are the pearl export series made of wood or metal? They seem to have at least a metal case of some sort but might have wood inside them???
Guitargodgt
New member
Pretty sure the export snare is metal.
ollie99
New member
I think I am going to go for the evans g2 toms and evans reverse dot power centre snare and the aquarian superkick 2
I have done a bit of research on other forums and the evans seem to just get a bit more praise, the aquarian superkick definitely does.
Thanks guys
I'm also going to attempt to put them on myself! I'll post pics in the drum pic thread when I'm done
I have done a bit of research on other forums and the evans seem to just get a bit more praise, the aquarian superkick definitely does.
Thanks guys
I'm also going to attempt to put them on myself! I'll post pics in the drum pic thread when I'm done
Guitargodgt
New member
I recently got the new evans 360 G2 heads and I think they sound great. There was a thread on snare heads on FB and the head I recommended is very popular as well.
When I got my kit in a trade the heads were mis matched, stock, or taped together. I was having none of it so I replaced the batter and reso head on every drum except the kick (I only swapped out the reso head on the kick). The snare I bought in mint shape had a factory evans hazy 300 on the batter in perfect shape so I didn't replace that either.
All together I shelled $140 to put working heads on a 5 piece kit. If I had to do the snare and the batter side of the kick it would have been $190.
This is on a 10/12/16/22/13 set.
When I got my kit in a trade the heads were mis matched, stock, or taped together. I was having none of it so I replaced the batter and reso head on every drum except the kick (I only swapped out the reso head on the kick). The snare I bought in mint shape had a factory evans hazy 300 on the batter in perfect shape so I didn't replace that either.
All together I shelled $140 to put working heads on a 5 piece kit. If I had to do the snare and the batter side of the kick it would have been $190.
This is on a 10/12/16/22/13 set.
I used Evans EC2 clears w/ G1 bottoms for a long time on my toms. They sounded great. I recently switched to Remo Coated Emperors for a change of scenery and sound. They're warmer, flatter, not so modern sounding. I like the change. I also switched back to a Superkick from an EMAD, and the Superkick is 10000% better. I really don't know why I ever got away from that kick head. I really think the Superkick is the best kick head going if you play any kind of music under the "rock" umbrella. Anyone that says otherwise is just wrong. My snares get coated Remo Ambassadors or Powerstroke 3s. I like the Evans Powercenter Reverse Dot heads, but they don't last for shit. Not the way I play anyway. They're a good sounding head for about two gigs. Evans makes great clear heads, but pretty much all of their coated heads suck.
Seafroggys
Well-known member
Since we're talking about our head choices.
On my main drums, coated CS Dot from Remo for snare. There's really nothing better. Its so damn versatile, yet lasts so much longer than a typical Ambassador. I traditionally put Emperor weight heads on the toms, I've tried Clear, Smooth White, and Coated, and almost always go coated. Emps give you really big and deep tones on toms, whereas a thinner head sounds flabby when tuned low. I did have some clear CS Dots on my toms for a couple of years, totally 70's right there. But I tuned them higher and they were amazing, and lasted quite a while (obviously). Bass drum, pretty much Powerstroke 4's, either clear or coated (also by Remo). Never have to use additional muffling. I do have a clear CS Dot on it now, and jesus christ that thing is a cannon. I ended up putting some bits of plastic from packaging inside the bass drum just to slightly muffle the head, because while I loved the sound of the cannon it just wasn't musical in any way.
And that's just talking about batter heads. Resonant heads, pretty much always Hazy Ambassador on snare, Clear Ambassadors on Toms, and I've only had two heads for the bass front, the stock head (basically a Powerstroke 3) and then a Ebony Powerstroke 4 right now.
On my smaller, jazz set, I use higher and more open tunings. Vintage Ambassador on snare and toms, and powerstroke 3 on bass drum. The bottom heads are still the same (I think) from when I bought it on craigslist.
EDIT: aside from the previously mentioned bit of plastic I have right now in the bass drum (and its not much to begin with) I NEVER use additional muffling. There is NO reason to. Maybe if you're about to record and you're getting some weird buzzing from the snare that you can't seem to get rid of by tuning, then I guess its okay to use a tiny bit of moongel. But I've only done that, like, twice.
On my main drums, coated CS Dot from Remo for snare. There's really nothing better. Its so damn versatile, yet lasts so much longer than a typical Ambassador. I traditionally put Emperor weight heads on the toms, I've tried Clear, Smooth White, and Coated, and almost always go coated. Emps give you really big and deep tones on toms, whereas a thinner head sounds flabby when tuned low. I did have some clear CS Dots on my toms for a couple of years, totally 70's right there. But I tuned them higher and they were amazing, and lasted quite a while (obviously). Bass drum, pretty much Powerstroke 4's, either clear or coated (also by Remo). Never have to use additional muffling. I do have a clear CS Dot on it now, and jesus christ that thing is a cannon. I ended up putting some bits of plastic from packaging inside the bass drum just to slightly muffle the head, because while I loved the sound of the cannon it just wasn't musical in any way.
And that's just talking about batter heads. Resonant heads, pretty much always Hazy Ambassador on snare, Clear Ambassadors on Toms, and I've only had two heads for the bass front, the stock head (basically a Powerstroke 3) and then a Ebony Powerstroke 4 right now.
On my smaller, jazz set, I use higher and more open tunings. Vintage Ambassador on snare and toms, and powerstroke 3 on bass drum. The bottom heads are still the same (I think) from when I bought it on craigslist.
EDIT: aside from the previously mentioned bit of plastic I have right now in the bass drum (and its not much to begin with) I NEVER use additional muffling. There is NO reason to. Maybe if you're about to record and you're getting some weird buzzing from the snare that you can't seem to get rid of by tuning, then I guess its okay to use a tiny bit of moongel. But I've only done that, like, twice.
JG96
Active member
Cant go wrong with this: Amazon.com: REMO ProPack (10",12",14" Clear PS, 22" Clear P3, Free BA-0114-00): Musical Instruments make sure to the get the proper dimensions for the kit.