I've been playing for 2-3 years now, I can't remember which. I have changed my Snare head once when it broke, but all my other heads are still what came with my set. My Snare head is a Coated Remo Emperor, which I actually really enjoy, but I think I'm going to go with all Evans heads when I get new ones. I think I'm going to go with G2's and G1's as resonant heads.
The thing I mostly am interested in is kick head. Specifically Evans. There are so many heads and they all seem to have some weird internal/external built in dampening rings etc, which seems odd to me. I don't know whether to get the EQ1 EQ2 EQ3 EQ4 or EMAD.
I haven't decided exactly what kind of sound I want out of my kick, so I wonder what you guys use, and how you like it for what you do. I just know I don't want that super clicky punk sound or the fake plastic sound. I also don't want an echoey boomy kick.
So.... What heads do you use, and what kind of music do you play with them?
Drumheads-- what do you use-what do you play
2A vs B wrote:I just know I don't want that super clicky punk sound or the fake plastic sound. I also don't want an echoey boomy kick.
What else is there?
I wouldn't put too much of this on the head. I'd worry more about what the opposite head is like (solid, or with a hole of whatever size, or nonexistent) & what kind of dampening you do.
Drumheads-- what do you use-what do you play
3A vs. B-
I'm in a similar boat and you. Though I've had a drum set for 10 years, i've only really been playing for the past 2 or 3. Recently, I've been messing around with different heads on my set and have gone back and forth between remo and evans. Both are quality products, but my set seems to sound better with Remo (exception below). They seem more lively when compared to corresponding evans products. One the other hand, I've meet drummers that hate Remo with a passion and swear by their Evans drum heads. I feel that I've learned a lot about my drums and how I should play them by trying different head combinations out. I would say experiment as much as you can afford.
The Kick: On my set I really enjoy the Evans EQ1 Clear w/ one of those felt pads where the beater hits. It is far better sounding (IMHO) than any of the powerstroke heads. It is less "clicky" and plasticy sounding than the other EQx's that I have tried. My resonant head is an EQ3 Coated with a 4.5" port cut in it. I'm not very fond of this as my resonant head because it has almost no resonance..... sounds like you might like it. I've seen many drummers use those Evans bass drum pillows that velcro to the inside of your kick. They all seem universally happy with it.
ALSO: I have a lot of unused 22" bass drum heads (tom heads as well) sitting in boxes collecting dust... one of them is the EMAD system (Sounds good in your bedroom, not really anywhere else). I would be glad to pass them along to you. PM me if you are interested.
I'm in a similar boat and you. Though I've had a drum set for 10 years, i've only really been playing for the past 2 or 3. Recently, I've been messing around with different heads on my set and have gone back and forth between remo and evans. Both are quality products, but my set seems to sound better with Remo (exception below). They seem more lively when compared to corresponding evans products. One the other hand, I've meet drummers that hate Remo with a passion and swear by their Evans drum heads. I feel that I've learned a lot about my drums and how I should play them by trying different head combinations out. I would say experiment as much as you can afford.
The Kick: On my set I really enjoy the Evans EQ1 Clear w/ one of those felt pads where the beater hits. It is far better sounding (IMHO) than any of the powerstroke heads. It is less "clicky" and plasticy sounding than the other EQx's that I have tried. My resonant head is an EQ3 Coated with a 4.5" port cut in it. I'm not very fond of this as my resonant head because it has almost no resonance..... sounds like you might like it. I've seen many drummers use those Evans bass drum pillows that velcro to the inside of your kick. They all seem universally happy with it.
ALSO: I have a lot of unused 22" bass drum heads (tom heads as well) sitting in boxes collecting dust... one of them is the EMAD system (Sounds good in your bedroom, not really anywhere else). I would be glad to pass them along to you. PM me if you are interested.
Drumheads-- what do you use-what do you play
4I play a lot of different kinds of music and I do so professionally, if that gives you any indication of what sort of versatility I need from my drums. I really, really, really dig the Evans EQ3 heads and pretty much have since they first came out. I've tried the EQ2s, the EQ4s, Pinstripes, Ambassadors, Emperors, Powerstrokes, etc. and the EQ3 is just what has generally made me happiest in the biggest number of situations. Now that they're making the opaque coated version again, I'm ecstatic. The clear version has more of that clear head kind of attack and I'm just into the coated thing in terms of what the EQ3 does, but I've done plenty of gigs and sessions with both.
The Noble & Cooley kit that I have sees action on any situation where a clean, clear modern drum sound is appropriate. I've used it for Tool-type hard rock, blues, jazz, country, and tons of different types of rock-oriented stuff. This kit pretty much always has an EQ3 on it. The front head on this kit is the Evans EQ3 front head with a small hole off to the side. I usually have an Evans EQ pad in there, just barely touching the front head. The drum sounds really great without it, but in loud live situations, the EQ pad gives the attack a little more definition that makes it a little easier to hear, acoustically (not through the monitors). I also often have a small towel inside the drum that can be placed against the front head if any additional tonal adjustment is required. Between that and a plastic/felt beater, I can get a good amount of variety in the character of the drum without changing heads or tuning.
The Yamaha Recording Custom kit I have benefits greatly from the EQ3 head. It's a birch drum, which is much brighter than the maple drums I have. The EQ3 really helps fill out the low end a little more while maintaining control over the attack, which is where I think the Remo Powerstroke falls short. This is my "take it out and beat it up" kit, which also gets used on a variety of different gigs, although this bass drum doesn't ever get used for jazz-type stuff.
The 60s Gretsch drum I have is well-suited for a variety of heads, although my current favorite combination is an Aquarian Super Kick I with a full Remo Fiberskyn on the front with a 2"-wide felt strip behind it and a small towel inside the drum. This drum has a huge, big, round sound with a little smoother attack sound (something I find inherent in the Aquarian heads). For more definition with this drum, I use a hard plastic beater. I have also used this drum with EQ2 and EQ3 heads with an Ambassador front head with a 6" hole off to the side and a bit more muffling inside the drum. This is a very versatile drum with lots of character and I use it when I really want the bass drum to make a statement. It gets used on rock, jazz, and acoustic gigs.
The '65 Slingerland bass drum I have has a full Remo Fiberskyn with a felt strip on the front head. For a long time, the Aquarian Super Kick I was THE head for this drum with either a small folded blanket, barely touching either one of the heads, or nothing at all inside. This provided a similar sound to the aforementioned Gretsch drum, but this drum is 18" in diameter, so the sound is more contained with a higher fundamental. Still, a pretty amazingly huge sound for such a small drum. I usually tune it lower than most jazz guys typically tune their 18" drums. This drum sees a lot of action on various jazz gigs, shows, and acoustic music gigs. Recently, I put a coated Evans EQ3 on it and I'm really impressed. The EQ3, with no muffling in the drum (aside from the front-head felt strip), reduces the apparent resonance of the drum and dries it up a bit. I always loved the sound of this drum but just thought I'd try the coated EQ3 now. I like it as another tonal option.
Hope this helps.
Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC
The Noble & Cooley kit that I have sees action on any situation where a clean, clear modern drum sound is appropriate. I've used it for Tool-type hard rock, blues, jazz, country, and tons of different types of rock-oriented stuff. This kit pretty much always has an EQ3 on it. The front head on this kit is the Evans EQ3 front head with a small hole off to the side. I usually have an Evans EQ pad in there, just barely touching the front head. The drum sounds really great without it, but in loud live situations, the EQ pad gives the attack a little more definition that makes it a little easier to hear, acoustically (not through the monitors). I also often have a small towel inside the drum that can be placed against the front head if any additional tonal adjustment is required. Between that and a plastic/felt beater, I can get a good amount of variety in the character of the drum without changing heads or tuning.
The Yamaha Recording Custom kit I have benefits greatly from the EQ3 head. It's a birch drum, which is much brighter than the maple drums I have. The EQ3 really helps fill out the low end a little more while maintaining control over the attack, which is where I think the Remo Powerstroke falls short. This is my "take it out and beat it up" kit, which also gets used on a variety of different gigs, although this bass drum doesn't ever get used for jazz-type stuff.
The 60s Gretsch drum I have is well-suited for a variety of heads, although my current favorite combination is an Aquarian Super Kick I with a full Remo Fiberskyn on the front with a 2"-wide felt strip behind it and a small towel inside the drum. This drum has a huge, big, round sound with a little smoother attack sound (something I find inherent in the Aquarian heads). For more definition with this drum, I use a hard plastic beater. I have also used this drum with EQ2 and EQ3 heads with an Ambassador front head with a 6" hole off to the side and a bit more muffling inside the drum. This is a very versatile drum with lots of character and I use it when I really want the bass drum to make a statement. It gets used on rock, jazz, and acoustic gigs.
The '65 Slingerland bass drum I have has a full Remo Fiberskyn with a felt strip on the front head. For a long time, the Aquarian Super Kick I was THE head for this drum with either a small folded blanket, barely touching either one of the heads, or nothing at all inside. This provided a similar sound to the aforementioned Gretsch drum, but this drum is 18" in diameter, so the sound is more contained with a higher fundamental. Still, a pretty amazingly huge sound for such a small drum. I usually tune it lower than most jazz guys typically tune their 18" drums. This drum sees a lot of action on various jazz gigs, shows, and acoustic music gigs. Recently, I put a coated Evans EQ3 on it and I'm really impressed. The EQ3, with no muffling in the drum (aside from the front-head felt strip), reduces the apparent resonance of the drum and dries it up a bit. I always loved the sound of this drum but just thought I'd try the coated EQ3 now. I like it as another tonal option.
Hope this helps.
Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC
Drumheads-- what do you use-what do you play
5wow thanks for the info. Anyone else that wants to chime in is encouraged ha.
Hosemobile, what kind of music so you tend play? Also I'm sending you a PM.
Hosemobile, what kind of music so you tend play? Also I'm sending you a PM.
Drumheads-- what do you use-what do you play
6spoot wrote:A vs B wrote:I just know I don't want that super clicky punk sound or the fake plastic sound. I also don't want an echoey boomy kick.
What else is there?
I wouldn't put too much of this on the head. I'd worry more about what the opposite head is like (solid, or with a hole of whatever size, or nonexistent) & what kind of dampening you do.
Yeah that is pretty general, but I guess it just goes to how I'm not sure how I want it to sound. The echoey thing is controllable, I just don't want the clicky thing at all.
I trust the musical taste/sense of this the people on this forum, so I'm just looking for ideas and suggestions from people who aren't all just playing system of a down/audioslave/Velvet Revolver or whatever.
Drumheads-- what do you use-what do you play
7Coated Remo Ambassadors, everywhere for everything. No shit.
Well, not the bottom of the snare.
Well, not the bottom of the snare.
Drumheads-- what do you use-what do you play
8Personally, I like my coated remo ambassadors with shit.
It fits my style....i mean ability.
you can listen here
It fits my style....i mean ability.
Hosemobile, what kind of music so you tend play?
you can listen here
Drumheads-- what do you use-what do you play
9Redline wrote:Coated Remo Ambassadors, everywhere for everything. No shit.
Well, not the bottom of the snare.
i can't see why you'd use coated heads on the bottom of any drum, including the snare. anyway, coated remo ambassadors are not a bad choice as they're relatively cheap and of pretty good quality, although the coating is kind of inconsequential if you don't use brushes. i use those on my toms, a double ply coated aquarian on my snare, and a double ply aquarian bass head, and am perfectly satisfied with the sound. but honestly, between aquarian, remo, and evans you really can't go wrong. they're all great drum head manufacturers. the important decisions you make should be based on whether or not you hit hard (if you do get double ply or "power dot" heads) and if you use brushes (get coated heads).
Drumheads-- what do you use-what do you play
10The coated heads have more "CracK". I like "CracK"!
Non-coated heads sound too "watery" to me. I hit pretty hard, but the dot and 2 ply heads seem to choke the life out of the drums. Even Remo Emperors seem too thick.
I've tried clear heads on the bottom, but I always come back to Remo Ambassadors no matter what.
I'm experimenting with a clear pin-stripe style bass drum head with a pad thing. I wish they still made the old Hard Rock pads, those were nice.
Non-coated heads sound too "watery" to me. I hit pretty hard, but the dot and 2 ply heads seem to choke the life out of the drums. Even Remo Emperors seem too thick.
I've tried clear heads on the bottom, but I always come back to Remo Ambassadors no matter what.
I'm experimenting with a clear pin-stripe style bass drum head with a pad thing. I wish they still made the old Hard Rock pads, those were nice.