Looking at Heads

[majesticmadman]

Hey,
So recently I bought a new kit, and well the skins weren't very good, so I'm looking at investing in some new ones.

I play with a Pearl Vision Birch 8 piece kit. I'm looking at replacing both batter and resonance heads for a 10", 13" and 14" rack tom and 14" and 16" floor toms' as well as batter heads on two 22" bass drums.

I tend to play music like Alice Cooper, twisted sister, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, MeatLoaf, rainbow, Bob seger, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Status quo.

I quite like to go for a deeper tuning than a higher tuning, and I like to have about a second of sustain after the initial hit.

I have preference for coated skins but if there is none that suit what I'm looking for I'm happy to go for uncoated. I was suggest to use remo pinstripes as batters and Remo Diplomats as Resonance heads.

I'm looking for suggestion and I don't mind paying out for the heads.

Edit: When I say recent I mean 'may'

[slinglander]

Evans coated G2 batters or Aquarian Super 2 coated would be a start. Resos on new kits aren't really bad...But if your new batters don't help you get your desired sound, add Evans G1 or any clear, thin, single ply resos.

[MDK]

You can't go wrong with clear Pinstripes, I would put them over clear ambassadors though.

[FlyByNight]

Pinstripes on top, ambassadors on bottom.

[dangermoney]

Evans coated G2 batters or Aquarian Super 2 coated would be a start. Resos on new kits aren't really bad...But if your new batters don't help you get your desired sound, add Evans G1 or any clear, thin, single ply resos.

+1

Since you like Remo, the coated Emporer batters would work well also. If you decide to replace the stock resos, check out clear Ambassadors for punchy and clear Diplomats for more sustain.

[WYOman]

Aquarian texture coated Response 2 or clear Remo pinstripe over Ambassador. I've used both and given you want a shorter sustain, that is what I would recommend.

[Lefty]

Aquarian texture coated Response 2 or clear Remo pinstripe over Ambassador. I've used both and given you want a shorter sustain, that is what I would recommend.

I've got Aquarian super2's on the small toms and response 2's on the Fl. toms. I tried a 2 ply on my 14" Fl. tom Reso. because it rang too much, and I really like it. I think It's a super 2. I'm planning on doing that to the 16 as well. It doesn't ring too much, but I really like the tone I'm getting with the 14. Pins. and Ambassadors should work great though.

[inthpktplayer]

Given the description of what you're playing and the sound you're shooting for, I'd suggest Evans Coated G2's over Evans EC Resonant. For the kick, EMAD Heavyweight and EMAD Reso. If you have the $$$$, buy different things and experiment to get exactly the sound that you're looking for.

[CB700]

I like the emperor ebony X heads on top good deep sound.

[G-man]

I have a couple of thoughts:

"I tend to play music like Alice Cooper, twisted sister, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, MeatLoaf, rainbow, Bob seger, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis"

That sounds like Emperors over Ambassadors to me. Berry, Jerry Lee and the old rock'n'roll would even be Ambassadors as batters . . . but . . .

"deeper tuning than a higher tuning, and I like to have about a second of sustain"

One second of sustain is really really short. That's Evans Hydraulics territory. If you want it to cross over from early rock and roll to some 80's Bon Jovi, Twisted Sister, I'd go with Pinstripes, clear or coated. (You'll never get that Bryan Adams sound acoustically - you have to process that in - 1980's real short gate and add tons of reverb.) I've always found Pinstripes have more sustain than people give them credit for and you can get a good deep tone out of them. If you're serious about a super-short sustain though, you can go with Ebony Pinstripes (I don't use them but I like how they look), or Hydraulics (a real 80's 'dooop" kind of sound).

[majesticmadman]

Thanks for all the responses, so looking around the pinstripe seems to be the recommended batter for me. So whats the nitty gritty differences between having an ambassador or a diplomat as reso?

[late8]

Thanks for all the responses, so looking around the pinstripe seems to be the recommended batter for me. So whats the nitty gritty differences between having an ambassador or a diplomat as reso?

Difference is thickness of the ply. More attack on the clear Ambass vs more resonance and opened sound on the clear Diplomats