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Thread: Drum Head Setup

  1. #1

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    Hi all! I haven't played since I was 13 and now I'm 43 and picking it back up. I am playing with 3 other guys playing mainly country and just picked up some equipment in October. I have some questions concerning these new heads and how to get the sounds I really want. I have Yamaha drums and the original heads really bit! I am now in the process of switching them out with new Remos. I have done quite a lot of research on the internet, as well as on here...so i guess I am not going completely blindly, but pretty close! I play mainly brushes because the guys I play with play acoustic Martins. I got the snare sounding pretty good. I have an Ambassdor coated batter and am going to put the Remo hazy snare side on the bottom tonight. Hope it sounds good. My main problem are the two mounted toms I have (Yamaha Birch Stage Toms 10 and 12"). Originally they had clear tops and resonators..of course, they sounded like junk no matter what I tried to set the head pressues at with my dial...and I know clear tops suck for brushes anyway. I am trying Coated ambassadors for the tops and am going with THE SAME for the bottoms...I am trying it because I want the Toms to be warm and quiet...i thought clear ambassadors would be more resonating! I don't want bongy toms! I also have some Remo o rings to try to get the ring out of them. I thought, too, I might slap some remo muffle rings on the toms (any experience with them) as well to keep them quiet for the type of small band we are. I am a little premature in posting because I am still in the process of setting them up and testing, but I was just looking for any extra help you guys may give for the type of quiet sounds I am after...One dude told me that 2 ply heads may be what i want for a batter because they are quieter too??? Do I sound like I am going in the right direction or just a rambling idiot??

  2. #2

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    Coated Ambassadors with some Moongel for muffling might get you what your looking for. No experiance with the muffling rings, so I can't help you there. Welcome to the forum, and good luck.

    sk
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  3. #3

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    I wish I could help you out but I play maple and I use clear heads on all my toms. The heads I use are all EC2's over Ambassador(will change to reso EC1's) on toms and Genera HD over Hazy 300 on Snare. I also have a snare with EC frosted with reverse dot. These batter heads are all 2 ply cause I found they have a warmer sound than single heads. Hope this helps a little.

  4. #4

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    I use coated Ambassadors on the batter side and clear Ambassadors on the reso side, with a 1 1/2 inch piece of felt on the inside of the batter about 3 or 4 inches in,on all my toms. Gives me the sound that I want. Old fashioned, I know, but it's been working for me for years. I love the full and open sound, plus the felt cuts done on a bit of the ring without choking the drum off.

  5. #5

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    Welcome to DrumChat Poly! The coated heads are a great choice for batters. My 2 cents here: I'd opt for using moongel vs muff rings. Why? Because you use mainly brushes to keep from over powering the Martin acoustic guitars. With my short experience with brushes and rings, I found the tips of the brushes tend to catch under the edges of the rings forcing them to become ajar or totally fall off on the toms. It didn't happen on every fill but it happened to me enough to stop using muff rings.

    As far as using coated heads for resos...sure why not? I typically used a clear single ply for the reso head for a short and quicker decay but if you feel the 2 ply coated head has too much sustain, you could always swap them out for batters down the road

  6. #6

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    Strongly recommend you Google/find the 'Drum tuning Bible" online - a pdf you can download, or read online (I think by a guy who goes by "Professor drum". *Great* description of heads, woods and the sounds they give and how to get what you want. Answers' to many Q's I see posted on here on drumheads. For warmth always go coated, and 2 ply heads - Evans G2, or Remo Emps. But with birch you already have a higher pitched hard, attacking sound....warmth is gotten from oak or maple. I use an Ambassador for snare, great for brushes, but watch out with sticks - a very resonant cracking sound....too harsh for some. good luck, DC

  7. #7

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    Hey again- I found the link to the 'Drum Tuning Bible'.
    http://home.earthlink.net/~prof.sound/
    excellent reading to get the most out of yoru choice of heads, tuning etc. DC

  8. #8

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    Welcome to DC Polygonguy! What is it about us 40 somethings who buy Yamaha SCB kits after a decades long hiatus?

    Don't be afraid to let your toms sing a bit. I know, I hated the ring back in the 80's too.

  9. #9

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    Thanks for all the info, guys!

  10. #10

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    To be honest, If you are playing with brushes, coated ambassadores are probably the way to go. Should have no problems getting them quiet enough. I have in the past used coated emperors, (2ply) and they sounded great too, but that was for rocky playing with sticks, and very occaisional brush work.

    Andy

  11. #11

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    Drumheads aside...(and by the way, all the other recommendations are totally valid)..... if you're playing brushes, have you ever considered playing with thin multi-rods? There are two I recommend.....a Swedish company called Wincent (which make them in sizes familiar like 7A and 5A) or try the Vic Firth "Rutes" (303). I've used these heaps on very low volume gigs (together with brushes, soft mallets and hand percussion)......they give you the feel of a stick without the volume of one, especially with cymbals.....they have little band or rubber rings with you can move up and down to change the "spread" of the thin rod dowels. Plus with the Vic Firth Rute, it comes with a wooden handle, very handy to flip over and use for a cross-stick sound.

    Promark also manufacture Hot Rods and Cool Rods (a little thinner than the Hot Rods).....I used to use these, but my problem is that the red-plasticky/rubber handle is too slippery for me, and I got sick of applying gaff-tape to them....but try them anyway and see for yourself
    Last edited by Drumbledore; 11-25-2010 at 07:33 AM.
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  12. #12

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    I will check them out...thanks!

  13. #13
    Larrysperf Guest

    Default Re: Drum Head Setup

    You might want to check into EC2 great heads

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