Evans MX Gold snare head

[altered_beast]

I originally wanted to buy an Evans Rock AF Head but it seems they are no longer in production. I've tried ebay and a few retailers around the UK and no one has them in stock. So I had a browse of Evans' site and discovered the MX Gold marching head. I was looking at a picture of Tomas Haake's bronze Sonor Artist snare last night and notice he also had an MX Gold on it (I actually thought it was an AF head but on closer inspection...) - is it likely that the shell of this drum has been reinforced? Or will this head behave perfectly normally when installed on a kit snare? I want to get one of these heads, but I'd like to order them very soon as I want to have them by Christmas (I'm going to order a few so I have a supply!) and I have a feeling it's not an item that many suppliers in the UK will keep in stock.

Any help much appreciated!

Cheers

Al

[altered_beast]

I have had an email reply to this question from Wembley Drum Centre - they reckon I cannot fit the MX Gold head to my snare as it would damage the snare in tightening to skin (which I thought I'd read elsewhere and so confirmed my thoughts) - so how has Tomas Haake managed to fit one to his Sonor Artist bronze snare? I'm sure the skin he's used is an MX Gold but I'm confused how he has managed to fit it and get it to a decent tension without damaging the snare.

[tmv31]

It's possible that he has that snare set up to use the head (ie. stronger lugs and tension rods, maybe a thicker shell)

[altered_beast]

Hi thanks for the reply.

The standard Sonor Artist shell is 3mm. I'm not sure about the other features but they look like standard tension rods/ Sonor Designer style lugs. I'm thinking I'm going to have a custom bronze shell snare made next year if I can't get the sound I'm looking for from either the Evans HD Dry or ST Dry.

[Sesh]

of course, it could also be that thomas Haake doesn't care if his snare shell will break every week from it - he's got an endorsement from sonor so it won't cost him much to replace. It's probably not that, but worth bearing in mind. It's the trouble I have with a lot of stuff the pros do and say - like thomas lang saying on his DVD how great the giant step pedl is for playing a jam block. I'm sure it is great, but would he really have spent hundreds of dollars on one to use it that little if he wasn't endorsed? probably not.

Sorry to get off topic - but people do forget it's different rules if the money isn't a problem.

[tmv31]

I think i read about that snare, is it the one thats gonna be like 8.3mm thick, if so thats gonna be loud.

[altered_beast]

I think i read about that snare, is it the one thats gonna be like 8.3mm thick, if so thats gonna be loud.
The bronze shell I'm thinking of having made won't be 8.3mm/ 1/3 of an inch thick, more like 3-5mm, but I'm having an aluminum shell built that will be around 8mm thick.

I figured half an inch would be a little too thick and would probably weigh an awful lot (though interestingly enough, sorry to keep going on like I'm some sort of Tomas Haake fanboi, I read an article from an old Modern Drummer about Tomas making his own snare from some wood [can't remember what wood it was now, but it was meant to be a very hard wood] and the shell was an inch thick. I would bet that thing was ridiculously loud!!)

Depending on how this alu snare turns out and what the cost is (I'm still waiting on the price back but providing it's not ludicrous I'm going to place the order) I'm going to have the same manufacturer build me a bronze snare as well. I will definitely post about it every now and again. I want to build my own snare as well from a keller maple shell, something I've been thinking of doing for a while. I want that Pearl Vinnie Paul Sig snare but the finish is a bit too much for me but I do want a "custom-ish" snare (hence using the Keller shells and not having someone build that for me, I'm not that rich haha) plus I want the experience of assembling my own snare drum, I think it'll be interesting.

We digress. I'm going to see how I get on with the HD Dry and the ST Dry, but I have a fair idea of the sound I want if I don't get it then I'm going to try marching heads on one of my new custom snares when I get them built : )

Cheers for the replies!

[syaoran05]

maybe they didnt crank it up too tight... my school has this very very cheap no name steel snare which is fitted with a 14" remo kevlar head. and yeah, it didnt buckle. maybe they just tightened it to the same tension you would with your ordinary mylar head.

[altered_beast]

maybe they didnt crank it up too tight... my school has this very very cheap no name steel snare which is fitted with a 14" remo kevlar head. and yeah, it didnt buckle. maybe they just tightened it to the same tension you would with your ordinary mylar head.

That's what I was thinking but since I have no experience with kevlar heads I was curious to how this would work i.e. if it would sound any good etc, since I'm not exactly after a marching snare sound

[tmv31]

yea, 1" is pretty thick, check out this snare though. It has to be the thickest snare I have ever seen: http://www.truthdrums.com/ver1/snare18.html. What made you decide that you wanted a kevlar head?, sound, hard hitter. Just wondering, hope all goes well.

[syaoran05]

That's what I was thinking but since I have no experience with kevlar heads I was curious to how this would work i.e. if it would sound any good etc, since I'm not exactly after a marching snare sound

based on the snare i played [14x5, el cheapo no name steel snare, probably stock reso head and a remo 14" kevlar head which is black] it sounds good. very nice crack, few high overtones, and it turns out to be warm. rimshots are great. although to get nice sidesticks, you need to use the butt end of the stick to hit with, and the bead has to rest at the very center of the head. its good for rock, and no, it doesnt sound like a marching snare [at all]

[altered_beast]

yea, 1" is pretty thick, check out this snare though. It has to be the thickest snare I have ever seen: http://www.truthdrums.com/ver1/snare18.html. What made you decide that you wanted a kevlar head?, sound, hard hitter. Just wondering, hope all goes well.

The sound I've heard on various recordings and videos (admittedly the recordings were studio recordings and have undoubtedly been "touched up" some, but the recordings [for example, Tomas Haake at Drummerlive] are pretty much straight drum recordings) was what made me think it would be good to try the kevlar out. The catch is that I desperately want to stick with Evans because although I've not used Aquarian I've never had any good experiences with Remo and had nothing but good with Evans. That's what led me to the marching head. I need to find somewhere to order one from now.

Thanks for the replies guys, I suppose if I buy this head I just need to be *very* careful and not crank it up too much?

Cheers!

Al

[altered_beast]

yea, 1" is pretty thick, check out this snare though. It has to be the thickest snare I have ever seen: http://www.truthdrums.com/ver1/snare18.html. What made you decide that you wanted a kevlar head?, sound, hard hitter. Just wondering, hope all goes well.

The shell on that drum is nuts, I bet that thing is a bit bloody loud!!

[tmv31]

I know, its remo and you said that you dont like them, but the falam k series is a thinner kevlar head used for heavy hitters. Just thought, if nothin else you could try it. And I bet that drum would make ears bleed. ha

[vedox1024]

just because a kevlar head can withstand very high tensions doesn't mean it has to does it?

that thick snare isn't really like a shell in the normal sense... it's more of a 14" piece of wood with a 12" hole in the middle. very interesting.

good luck.

[altered_beast]

I will more than likely try this out on my 13 x 8" custom aluminium snare if and when I get it and if I can get the head in 13" but I have a funny feeling I won't be able to.

[osamasgoat5467]

just because a kevlar head can withstand very high tensions doesn't mean it has to does it?

that thick snare isn't really like a shell in the normal sense... it's more of a 14" piece of wood with a 12" hole in the middle. very interesting.

good luck.

I don't know very much about marching snares, but from what I know they have to be tightened a lot, to the point that without all the reinforcements of a marching snare a regular one would be just destroyed under the pressure of it. Correct me if I'm wrong though.

[osamasgoat5467]

I will more than likely try this out on my 13 x 8" custom aluminium snare if and when I get it and if I can get the head in 13" but I have a funny feeling I won't be able to.

You might be in luck! I'm not sure, but music123 might still carry it. Trust me it's worth the wait.

http://www.music123.com/Evans-Rock-AF-Snare-Batter-i146784.music

[altered_beast]

I think music 123 may be among the sites I looked at a while ago - they won't ship to the UK I don't think. I could be very wrong there, but there were one or two sites I looked at that are regularly referenced on here and none of them would ship to me here in the UK, but there are a number of suppliers in the UK of Evans heads that should be able to get hold of one for me.