Questions about Bottom Heads

[Mark W]

Alright, so I have a few questions about bottom heads. Ive had my kit now for about 5 years, and I havent touched my bottom heads since my old drum teacher put them on and tuned them and such. Do they need to be re-tuned ever? or should the be replaced every so often?


Thanks, Mark

[shabutie2113]

you should at least change ur reso heads every year

[Cant Get Enough]

I tune my bottom heads every time I change my top heads. Every couple of months. Bottom head type and tuning are a lot more essential to the overal resonance and "roundess" of tone than a lot of drummers realize.

[pastor_bob]

Mark, the conventional wisdom is that resonant heads should be replaced with the 3rd change of the batter heads. When you change out the batter heads depends on how often, and how long you play your kit.

As to re-tuning the resonant heads, if the batter heads can lose their tuning, it sort of makes sense that the resonant heads need to be checked too. Also, if you change the tuning of the batter head, the relative tuning between the batter and the resonant heads will be changed - another reason to check the tuning of the resonant head.

[audiotech]

You are way over due. Your resonant heads are just as important to the sound of your drums as the batter heads. The resonant heads don't get the punishing blows that the batter head gets, but because of the air currents going back and forth between both heads, they do get stretched and need frequent tuning just like the batter heads. Did you ever see what happens to the front head on a bass drum when the beater hits the batter? I can't go two days without making minor adjustments to my tom's reso heads.

Do yourself a big favor and replace and properly tune your new reso heads, it will sound like a new kit with sounds you haven't heard in four years.

Dennis

[Mark W]

HAHA wowww. Im wayy behind. Thanls alot for helping me out, im heading over to Georges later tonight....i gotta lot of work to do lol.

Once again thank you.

[Tru_Power22]

Oh, crap, I should probably go do this then, I haven't tuned my reso heads in like 6 months.

[bassist learning drums]

I tuned mine this past Sunday. They weren't that bad

[kay-gee]

Never been a big problem on my Gretsch set.

all the best...

[Mark W]

Thanks alot guys, I went to Georges last night and got all new heads for all my toms, and replaced the resonance ones, and they sound great!! Thanks for all your help.

[billnolan]

I went with the New Evans "EC Reso" It is truly an amazing reso head, try it you will be very happy indeed! Completly cahnged my tom sound for the better!

[CycleDude]

I need new reso's also. Don't feel bad... mine are alot older.

[05WideGuy]

I went with the New Evans "EC Reso" It is truly an amazing reso head, try it you will be very happy indeed! Completly cahnged my tom sound for the better!

Ditto on the EC Reso's. I put them on my M Birch with Coated EC-2's, I don't see a reason to experiment further.

[kaosotis]

I need new reso's also. Don't feel bad... mine are alot older.

I think I win, I just added back my 10" tom to my set to make it a 6 piece again, like when I bought it in 1987.

Yup, you guessed it! Original batter and reso heads on the tom! Of course I haven't used it in like 15 years, but still.

I also just changed the reso's on the rest of the toms for the first time ever as well!!! Been through tons of batter heads, but never thought to change the reso's until recently. What a difference.

[itchie]

im still running stock res heads...


cause i like to eat every now and then

[audiotech]

I just got a set of Evans G1 clears to replace the reso heads on my new Gretsch Renown kit. I didn't like the way the Gretsch resonant heads were sounding or for that matter the way they tuned. It cost me about $40 USD for a set of 4 new G1 clears, but now I don't have to worry about them. That's my project for today, install new reso heads, give the kit a final tuning and maybe get it set up.

Dennis

[CycleDude]

I think I win, I just added back my 10" tom to my set to make it a 6 piece again, like when I bought it in 1987.

Yup, you guessed it! Original batter and reso heads on the tom! Of course I haven't used it in like 15 years, but still.

I also just changed the reso's on the rest of the toms for the first time ever as well!!! Been through tons of batter heads, but never thought to change the reso's until recently. What a difference.

My gold remos have the original gold reso's on them. I bought the kit in 1990 and it has been played and played and played. I've even gigged with it.

[kaosotis]

I will say I noticed a difference, but then again I changed the top heads at the same time so can't really say how much was the resos.

[quikstang2]

I've never had a lot of problems with my resos going out of tune. I always check them when I change the batter heads. I definitely keep mine A LOT longer than most people suggest, and haven't had any issues.

[CycleDude]

I want to add ebony reso's. I think they'd look pretty awesome against the gold.

[kaosotis]

They do look cool. I thought about it, but the interior of my shells are painted white, like the shells, and it looks cool that way too.

Not that it's relevant now, but I also have some old video of us at a club and the stage lights on top go through the toms, which looks wicked nice as well.