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Thread: Evans Clear Head damage?

  1. #1

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    Default Evans Clear Head damage?

    Hey All,

    I put new clear Evans G2 heads on my 4 toms (10, 12, 14, 16) several months back. I was extremely happy with them. About the same time, I got a set of the rubber muffling heads that I used on them for awhile. I noticed, after having the muffle heads on for some time, that the clear heads were no longer clear, but now have that kind 'interference pattern' in them, like when the heads are new with no tension on them. It's the pattern that I guess is observed where the double heads come in contact before tensioning. However, they now all that that 'pattern' in them, and seem, except for the 16, to be far more 'dead' than when they were new.

    I am wondering if I did some damage to the heads by leaving those muffle heads in place for too long, or by using the muffle heads on new heads. I hope I'm explaining this in a way that makes sense. Has anyone encountered this before? Did I hurt the heads? If I did, and wish to use the muffle heads n the future, should I use the same 'dead' heads for that purpose?
    Now, just a tiny bit less than an absolute drum newbie
    DW Collectors Cherry kit, Ludwig Black Beauty Snare, DW SuperSolid Oak/Cherry Snare, DW Sabian Vault Edge Snare

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Evans Clear Head damage?

    It sounds like you just detuned them. The weight of the mufflers might have just helped detune.

    How often do you tune the kit?
    -Steven

  3. #3

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    Default Re: Evans Clear Head damage?

    Hi Zeta,

    That's what I thought at first, too. However, that's not the case. I verified the tuning both by ear and with my Drum Dial. I tried increasing the tension, just to see if I could get the plies to separate again, but no luck.

    I'm just at a loss. I honestly think that I overstretched the top ply, and won't be able to do anything to undo that. I had a wild idea of trying to heat the plies with a gentle use of a blow drier, but realized that, if anything, I need to increase the tension, not make it less, which is what I presume heat would do. I'm guessing that I probably just need a new set of heads, and as I wrote in the first post, use these current heads for the muffling. But I'm still not sure. I just wonder if anyone has seen this happen to them.
    Last edited by cabasner; 02-02-2014 at 11:09 AM.
    Now, just a tiny bit less than an absolute drum newbie
    DW Collectors Cherry kit, Ludwig Black Beauty Snare, DW SuperSolid Oak/Cherry Snare, DW Sabian Vault Edge Snare

  4. #4

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    Default Re: Evans Clear Head damage?

    Quote Originally Posted by cabasner View Post
    Hi Zeta,

    That's what I thought at first, too. However, that's not the case. I verified the tuning both by ear and with my Drum Dial. I tried increasing the tension, just to see if I could get the plies to separate again, but no luck.

    I'm just at a loss. I honestly think that I overstretched the top ply, and won't be able to do anything to undo that. I had a wild idea of trying to heat the plies with a gentle use of a blow drier, but realized that, if anything, I need to increase the tension, not make it less, which is what I presume heat would do. I'm guessing that I probably just need a new set of heads, and as I wrote in the first post, use these current heads for the muffling. But I'm still not sure. I just wonder if anyone has seen this happen to them.

    Since you have tried tuning them and cannot get it to return to normal then I would agree with your initial thought.

    I've used a hair dryer to tighten heads. It is a temporary solution, take them off the kit and take your time with the dryer. Worst case you anticipate buying new heads and this is just an experiment for you.
    -Steven

  5. #5

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    Kinda sounds like the added weight of the muffles somehow messed with the two ply heads. Hard to believe, but maybe dampening the vibration of the top ply screwed up the tension between the heads or something strange like that. Either that, or you got a bad batch of heads. Maybe you could ask Evans about it?
    -Brian

    "Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"

    Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!

    "I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham

  6. #6

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    Hey Bluz,

    I'm guessing you are correct. Not a bad thought, to contact Evans and ask. I will do that. But I find it hard to believe that a little extra weight made such a huge impact on those heads. That's why I was asking if anyone else had ever experienced it. It would have been less surprising, and I could understand, if it was one of the four heads. Then, I could understand a head being 'bad'. But not all four! If they give me any feedback, I'll post for those of you who may be interested.
    Now, just a tiny bit less than an absolute drum newbie
    DW Collectors Cherry kit, Ludwig Black Beauty Snare, DW SuperSolid Oak/Cherry Snare, DW Sabian Vault Edge Snare

  7. #7

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    Leave them alone for about the same duration of time that you had the mufflers on and see if they reverse whatever voodoo they got hooked up with.

    I've used and still have my mufflers and have never experienced anything like this.
    Signature here

  8. #8

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    Your drums are out of tune, it happens.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Northern Redneck View Post
    Your drums are out of tune, it happens.
    Bish,

    Thanks, but the mufflers have been off for many weeks, and they had only been in place on the drums for maybe a week, certainly not much more. So, they have been sitting with nothing on top of them for at least a month, and no changes noted…they still have the weird look and sound. The 16" tom is the least affected, but it had the muffler on it, though honestly, perhaps a bit less time than the other three. It also turns out the it is the only tom whose sound is unaffected. So, it MUST have been the mufflers, just don't understand why.

    I have a customer service request in to Evans, and I'm very curious what they will have to say. I'd honestly love to try a new head and make sure the sound is restored, but I cannot imagine that would not be the case. Money is a bit tight at the moment, and I don't really want to replace what in essence are new heads. However, I also don't want to hear muffled drums, especially in a condition where they shouldn't be muffled!

    Redneck, as I wrote, that was the first thought I had. But they are, to my untrained, inexperienced ears, still in tune. Just dull, lifeless, and weirdly patterned.
    Now, just a tiny bit less than an absolute drum newbie
    DW Collectors Cherry kit, Ludwig Black Beauty Snare, DW SuperSolid Oak/Cherry Snare, DW Sabian Vault Edge Snare

  10. #10

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    They stretched out a bit thats what heads do. Stop spending money and start spending some time learning your insturment, you'll be much more satisfied.

  11. #11

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    ^ He's right, heads stretch and detune over time. That's how they behave. At least with the invention of the modern plastic drum head, there are far less hassles with stretching, them detuning and then having to retune them in comparison to animal hide heads, like on drums of mine such as congas, djembes, bodhran's etc.

    Hide heads are a bit of a different ball game....if there were any type of head that I'd be worrying about 'hurting', it'd be those guys, such as exposing them to excess heat or moisture, especially lighter goat skins.

    Plastic drum heads though? Nah. No need to worry. If what you mean by a 'weird pattern' on your drum heads....are you talking about some wrinkle line running across the head from one lug to the other or something like that? That would be the wrinkles caused by heads stretching. No biggie. Just retune them (I'm just second guessing here....if I was in your neighbourhood I'd troubleshoot it quicksmart, been doing this for years for students and drummer mates).
    "...it's the Paradigm Of The Cosmos!" Stewart Copeland on Youtube

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  12. #12

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    Default Re: Evans Clear Head damage?

    Yup, heads stretch. The pattern you see is most likely light interference because the light refracts twice, once going in and once coming out of the head. Might be more noticeable if the top head stretched, which is get likely and what happens with heads over time. One reason is less noticeable on the floor tom is because they are usually tuned lower so the head is under less tension.

    Forget the drum dial settings to retune because if the heads are stretched they will need greater tension to tune the same way.
    Jesse

    1986 Tama Crestar - Lacquered Piano White
    2016 Roland TD-25K
    2015 Tama Starclassic B/B - Indigo Blue Sparkle

  13. #13

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    Also small amounts of rubber or foam from the pads comes off from playing. Vacuum your heads or remove clean and retune . The rubber could be stuck in hoops and detuning your heads. IMHO
    Last edited by not him; 02-06-2014 at 02:17 PM.

  14. #14

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    if they are not seated properly to begin with ..they have can warp quickly

  15. #15

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    Hey guys. Thanks for all your input. I've got the drums put away for my impending move, but I wrote to Evans to ask their opinion, and included pictures. They confirmed that what I am seeing is interference patterns that should have no affect at all on the sound. They offered that I might be hearing with my eyes, but that is not the case, since my 16" tom sounds the way it used to, but it has the least distinct interference rings of any of my 4 toms. That said, Evans did offer to have me send the heads in for their examination and they would replace them if found defective. I just didn't want to go through the hassle. Instead, I just ordered 4 new heads that I'll put on and try one more time, and if these go 'bad', I'll try something else.
    Last edited by cabasner; 02-19-2014 at 02:14 PM.
    Now, just a tiny bit less than an absolute drum newbie
    DW Collectors Cherry kit, Ludwig Black Beauty Snare, DW SuperSolid Oak/Cherry Snare, DW Sabian Vault Edge Snare

  16. #16

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    Ha, vindication! I was right! Science teacher skillz y'all .
    Jesse

    1986 Tama Crestar - Lacquered Piano White
    2016 Roland TD-25K
    2015 Tama Starclassic B/B - Indigo Blue Sparkle

  17. #17

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    Your heads didnt go bad.

  18. #18

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    Old thread but maybe try cleaning them (alcohol swab)? That "interface pattern" may be a thin layer of rubber from the sound off pads and deadening the sound

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by myk View Post
    Old thread but maybe try cleaning them (alcohol swab)? That "interface pattern" may be a thin layer of rubber from the sound off pads and deadening the sound
    This happened to my Evans G2 clears as I use foam silencer pads and tend to leave them on for large periods of time, the crossed pattern on the pads stayed on my heads. I removed the batters, cleaned them and refitted the next day - I don't know if leaving them off the kit allowed the plies to relax (or something like that) but when I refitted them and retuned to the same tension/pitch they sounded fine. I think I was allowing my eyes to affect my hearing. Possibly my brain construed the pattern affect as damage. It wasn't.

  20. #20

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    Hey guys,

    I'm the original poster of this thread. Turns out, my 'problem' was really only half a problem. Just like crispy, I think that leaving the pads on top of the heads 'squished' the plies together. Two of the 4 heads more or less eventually 'cleared' after many months of sitting with nothing on top of them. I still believe that at the beginning, when I first removed the pads, the two heads that still remain sort of squished sounded VERY dead. I think those two still tend to sound less 'alive' than the other two, and I swear that it's not my eyes 'listening'. However, stranger things have happened in the world. The two heads that still have those diffraction patterns have never cleared, even though the heads have been removed from their shells and moved around a bit. I guess they are okay, but it's still a bit disconcerting.

    myk, just to be clear, it's definitely interference between the plies, and not a deposit on the surfaces.
    Now, just a tiny bit less than an absolute drum newbie
    DW Collectors Cherry kit, Ludwig Black Beauty Snare, DW SuperSolid Oak/Cherry Snare, DW Sabian Vault Edge Snare

  21. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by cabasner View Post
    Hey guys,

    I'm the original poster of this thread. Turns out, my 'problem' was really only half a problem. Just like crispy, I think that leaving the pads on top of the heads 'squished' the plies together. Two of the 4 heads more or less eventually 'cleared' after many months of sitting with nothing on top of them. I still believe that at the beginning, when I first removed the pads, the two heads that still remain sort of squished sounded VERY dead. I think those two still tend to sound less 'alive' than the other two, and I swear that it's not my eyes 'listening'. However, stranger things have happened in the world. The two heads that still have those diffraction patterns have never cleared, even though the heads have been removed from their shells and moved around a bit. I guess they are okay, but it's still a bit disconcerting.

    myk, just to be clear, it's definitely interference between the plies, and not a deposit on the surfaces.
    Glad to hear it seems to have sorted itself out. When I removed the heads for cleaning - to avoid to possibility of water damage to the shells I left them off the kit overnight. I believe this is why they 'relaxed' so quickly. If they stay on the heads under tuning tension this process will probably take considerably longer. Try loosening the head completely and leave it for a day or two to see if this does the trick.

    I haven't had a repeat of this - two of my kits have Evans G2 clears and the other has Pinstripes clears. As I'm presently Jonesing for a high end shell pack I'm trying to decide which kit I should sell so I am playing each of my kits for two weeks and storing the others for 4 weeks. This probably gives the plies time to relax (if that was the problem), but my heads certainly aren't damaged.

    One thing I thought of is that I have started mounting my toms attached to crash stands at each side of the kick - although the toms are in exactly the same position as if they were kick mounted I'm really OCD about the position of my drum head logos (they MUST be at the 12 o' clock position or I will start twitching and breakdancing). Because of this I removed the heads (batter and reso) and refitted so all logos are in the same position - I was surprised at just how much dust and crud had built up - I have my mounted toms and floor toms angled towards me - all the dust slides down the head and tends to build up in one position. I don't know if this affects tuning, but it may be worth taking the heads off completely, wiping away any crud from heads, bearing edges and hoops and reassembling the next day to see if this improves things.

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