Best heads for concert toms

[TheLimey]

I've searched and there doesn't seem to be a post of this topic, so here goes.

I have a mid 80s' (i think) Pearl concert tom kit which I've been struggling to get a decent sound out of. At the moment i have coated ambassadors on the the toms, but the sound i get is too thin/bright; any recommendations tuning or head wise? I'd quite like a warm/dry sound.

Cheers

[justJon]

Back in the day....When everyone played single-headed toms, everyone I knew used pinstripes. Should be darker/wetter/less ring.

[IDDrummer]

Pinstripes are OK, Evans Hydraulic should work too, but they have a funny feel to me.

Back in the days when I had a big concert tom set-up I got my favorite sound from Remo Black Dot heads with folded up paper towels taped on. The size of the paper towel "muffler" varied with drum size. It's probably hopelessly out of fashion today, but I liked it! I never did care for concert toms without some muffling, despite Phil Collins' famous use of them.

[d.c.drummer]

i think you are looking for a pinstrip or ecs. Reverse dots also sound like they would do the trick.

[harryconway]

I've always been a Remo guy. All in clear, the Controled Sound (Black Dot), Emperor and Pinstripe were the heads I used, back in the late 70's. You might also try the Powerstroke3.

[Skitch]

I've searched and there doesn't seem to be a post of this topic, so here goes.

I have a mid 80s' (i think) Pearl concert tom kit which I've been struggling to get a decent sound out of. At the moment i have coated ambassadors on the the toms, but the sound i get is too thin/bright; any recommendations tuning or head wise? I'd quite like a warm/dry sound.

Cheers

I believe that the Remo controlled sound (CS Black Dot) were the drumheads designed for this specific application back in the day. These were basically Ambassadors with a black dot on the middle. I have had some experience with the Pinstripes on these and they sucked! Real rubbery sounding. We didn't have the Powerstroke 3s back then, so you may want to try one out on one drum and see what you think. And some of the dryness is inherent in a tom with no bottom head.

Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com

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[Skitch]

Pinstripes are OK, Evans Hydraulic should work too, but they have a funny feel to me.

Back in the days when I had a big concert tom set-up I got my favorite sound from Remo Black Dot heads with folded up paper towels taped on. The size of the paper towel "muffler" varied with drum size. It's probably hopelessly out of fashion today, but I liked it! I never did care for concert toms without some muffling, despite Phil Collins' famous use of them.


Yeah, I am remembering it now....... and the Gil Moore from Triumph used concert toms too! there was probably a methog that Phil collins used for tunig them but I always thought that concert toms sound one dimensional. You can get a good sound out of them as these were the toms used by Liberty Devito (releated to Danny?) on the Billy Joel albums of the time but they were, no doubt, muffled to some extent.


Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=drummermikemccraw
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=78564594

[harryconway]

Peter Chris and Keith Moon, also concert tom players. Don't expect to be able to make them sound like a 2 headed rack tom. Kinda like the roto-tom, they are what they are.

[T.Underhill]

I also recommend using pinstripes or the dots. Gil Moore's kit sounded great with them and I used to use pinstripes on my concert tom kit w/ good results.

[bighaibigdrums]

Black Dots. Thats what I used. But on Master and back Lars used Pins with some HEAVY muffling

[TheLimey]

Thanks for all the replies. The consensus seem to be Pinstripes or Black Dots, after a look at the Remo site, i think i'll go for some coated Pinstripes (i must have coated heads, i just like 'em). Out of curiosity, anybody happen to know which heads Keith Moon used? I've all ways liked his tom sound - just check out the opening fill on Baba O'Riley.

[harryconway]

Don't confuse studio recorded trax for concert tom sound. Probably very few cats used concert toms in the studio. Much like John Bonham made that amber Vistalite kit famous, but never recorded with it. One famous track that probably was concert toms is Edgar Winter "Frankenstein". The little drum solo battle in between the sax solo and the synthesizer solo.

[Tama Player]

Black (or silver) Dots work well, they are what I used to use. But I got the PinStripes and what a difference! I sued some aquarian muffling rings (two on each) and wow, it sounded perfect. It did have a very warm tone and fat. Maybe its not quite what your looking for bt it works for me!

Peace
AGR

[TheLimey]

Don't confuse studio recorded trax for concert tom sound. Probably very few cats used concert toms in the studio...

Are you sure? On the video for Who Are You - which is on drummerworld - he's using concert toms in what looks like a studio situation. Of course it could be fake, but if it was, that's some awesome miming.

AGR, i'm using some home-made studio rings (old head + stanley knife) at the moment and they really help the sound, but they also make an annoying clicky/rattling sounds; maybe i should try some real ones! either way it looks like you're getting the sound i'm after.

[bighaibigdrums]

Just stick a little moongel on them.

[harryconway]

Are you sure? On the video for Who Are You - which is on drummerworld - he's using concert toms in what looks like a studio situation.

Specific drums that Keith Moon used on specific recordings and/or heads, no, not my forte. I'm just making a general statement, but I think it holds true, especially with rock, a lot of drummers have tour kits and they have recording kits.

[bighaibigdrums]

Don't confuse studio recorded trax for concert tom sound. Probably very few cats used concert toms in the studio.
Id be willing to bet its the other way around. There are more sounds from the 70's and80's that are concert toms on albums than not.