Another drum head thread....i said

[rob]

Hi chaps,

Been playing for about 6 months now, and would just like some advice about buying new drum heads.

I've read good things about Evans heads on here, and was looking at buying a set. But I don't know where to start!

I've got a Tama Superstar Hyperdrive kit, and like to play rock/heavy rock/metal. I want to keep overtones to a minimum, and would prefer a short, low attack. If that makes sense.

So, I've seen 3 types that I think are most suitable, and would like opinions and suggestions please on which I should go for

Evans EC2
Hydraulics
Onyx

Also, is it best to stick with the same type of batter and resos rather than mixing?

Thanks for any thoughts.

[crazymanwithaplunger]

Howdy Rob

For what your saying, the Evans EC2's for the batter head, resos should be single ply so you still have decent resonance. Generally you'll find that most everyone will use a single ply head for the reso side.

There's no problems mixing and matching either

[32ndHeartBeat]

I agree with the EC2's, but another suggestion for an even lower tone with a punchier attack would be the Onyx heads with maybe a G1 reso.
The Hydraulics are incredibly dead sounding, I don't know why anyone would use them except for studio work.

[rob]

Thanks for the quick replies guys, so EC2's seem like a solid option. How about a combo of EC2 batters and G1 resos for the Toms?

And something else I forgot to mention, people seem to prefer coated is that right? And if so, would you recommend coated both sides?

[livewire80]

hi rob, that sounds like a good combination to get the sound you are looking for. you can put on g1 coated for the reso for a warmer resonance. why dont you buy one of each first, clear and coated g1 to try on the reso side of one tom to see what you like more.

[crazymanwithaplunger]

Thanks for the quick replies guys, so EC2's seem like a solid option. How about a combo of EC2 batters and G1 resos for the Toms?

And something else I forgot to mention, people seem to prefer coated is that right? And if so, would you recommend coated both sides?

Coated is more for snares - not so much toms - however as you are wanting to reduce overtones, then coated on the toms would probably serve you better. G1 resos is definately a good setup I think.

Coated resos would be of little value, as generally speaking the reso head isn't where the overtones are produced, but instead serves the purpose of allowing reverb in the drum to give you tone and volume. Overtones occur ont he batter head (hence why most dampening effects are used here such as moon gels, o-rings etc...) unless you've got a really ringy drum kit. The other reaosn for using coated is for the extra durability, again not an issue for reso heads.

Another option is REMO Pinstripes. I know you mentioned EVANS heads, however Remo pinstripes are designed quite specifically for a fat punchy low end sound without much reverb and the built in dampening stops overtones from occuring. you can also get coated pinstripes for extra durability, or for something a little different ebony pinstripes (black heads with white stripe) Just another option for you to consider

[Northern Redneck]

Rob, nice choice in kits.
But with the already naturally low sustain of a short stack kit and the punch of the birch I would suggest you go with a G2 over G1 combo. That will give you the sound you want. Anymore dampening would just be overkill.

[PHROGGE]

When I Was Played Evans,,,,G2's Top G1's Bottom....Now Im Back To Solid "Aquarian Coated Super 2's "on Top,,,Aquarian Single Ply On Bottoms....Thxs Roy Burns, You've Done It Agin My Phriend!!!!!!

[Andreeew]

Hi rob welcome to drumchat

[kaosotis]

Having the same kit I would stay away from the EC2's. Put them on and really deadened the sound of the drums. Like NR said, they are already short attack low sustain. I would go G2's and G1's.

[Zeta]

I guess im the only one to say hydrualics. Best heads ive used by far. They are very versatile, and do not sound dead on my birch kit (i believeyour kit is a birch/basswood)

otherwise I would also say G2s on the batter and G1s on the resos are awesome too.

[rob]

Wow, alot more opinions! Ok, so now, using a bit of what everyone has said I'm going to go with uncoated G2 batters and G1 resos for my toms.

May try the pinstripes in the future, as I've heard good things about those too.

I'll order them some time this week, and let you know how I get on with them.

Thanks again chaps.

[audiotech]

I use Evans G2 clears over G1 clears on three of my kits and EC2 coated of G1 clears on my Pearl kit. The different heads will sound differently on kits of different wood. Tuning will also play a major impact on the sound of your drums.

If you can do it buy one head in a G2 clear and one in a EC2 and then make an educated decision on what works the best for your drums. I would definitely go with the G1 clears for the resos.

Dennis

[rob]

Hi Audiotech, I ordered a set of G2 and G1 clears this morning for my toms, (as well as a Paiste Alpha crash ) I´m no good at being patient or thinking too hard!

I will probably try an EC2 batter head next time.

Again, thanks to everyone for your help. I´ll report back soon!

[kaosotis]

You won't be disappointed with the G2/G1 setup IMHO.

[rob]

So, I got ny mew skins yesterday, G2s over G1s. They definitely sound deeper, I'm really happy with them.

The only thing is that I notice them making the snare buzz when I hit the toms. Is there anything I can do to stop it? I've tried loosening the snares, but that makes the actual snare sound horrible when I hit it. Is the buzz something I just have to put up with?

By they way, thanks again for the help in choosing my skins everyone.

[fiacovaz]

To some extent we will always have some "Sympathetic" snare vibration. You might want to tighten up your snare reso head and tune the batter to where you get the least vibration. Of course, you can always "Crank" up the batter but that may not be to sound you want either. Work with your snare for a while and you'll figure out what to do. For me, I keep both the reso and batter a little lower to offset the vibration.

[Larrysperf]

Thanks for the quick replies guys, so EC2's seem like a solid option. How about a combo of EC2 batters and G1 resos for the Toms?

And something else I forgot to mention, people seem to prefer coated is that right? And if so, would you recommend coated both sides?

Perfect Nuff Said

[Bish]

I think it might be okay to try REMOs. Put Clear Emperors on the batter side and clear Ambassadors on the reso side.

[rob]

Hello chaps, I'm looking for more advice on heads.

This time, snare heads.

My G1 and G2s are still great on my toms. But my original snare head is looking pretty tired. The coating is off the middle, and its sounding a bit odd now.

I would like a short attack, not too deep, and not too crisp. For rock/metal to compliment my toms.

Theres so many options its confusing. But how about this combo...

13" Evans Genera HD batter, Remo Ambassador Reso?

Is it ok to mix manufacturers? Would a Genera Dry be better than the HD for rock?

Or is there anything else that you'd recommend?

Thanks

[kaosotis]

I've used a Genera Dry for rock and they are nice heads. They have a nice dry sound but don't expect a ton of stick response. That's why I've moved away from them. I would guess the HD version is even drier, which to me seems like overkill.

[pastor_bob]

I like the Evans Genera Dry head too. I am using it on a Pearl Free Floater, and it sounds great. I also have a Genera HD Dry that I use on the snare that came with my Gretsch Catalina maple kit (14X6), and I like it on that snare.

[kaosotis]

PB do you find enough stick response? I find rolls, ghost notes, etc.. harder to pull off. I actually like the sound of the Genera Dry, but those issues were a bit of a problem for me.

[rob]

Just realised I have exactly the same kit as your son Kaosotis. What head does he use?

Maybe the Genera is the wrong choice then? I don't want it to sound dead. Just a decent, rounded attack.

What about the ambassador for the reso?

[weezy]

I'm using a HD dry over hazy 300 on my snare. With the right tuning, you can probably get the sound you want. However, the regular HD might suit you better. As far as stick response goes, I don't have any issues with it. It's tuned relatively tight (89-90 over 78-79 for you dial folks).

I also never had any issues with my toms sounding dead with hydrualics on my old kit (basswood/maple). With the right tuning you get a fat attack with a very controlled resonance. That said, I've found that they are more likely to sound dead on your smaller toms than your larger toms if they're not tuned up right.