Does anyone use "regular" Heads on bass drum?

[PreppieNerd]

Does anyone use heads that aren't made just for bass drum? What do you use and how's th sound.

examples:
Made for bass: Superkick, EMAD, Powersonic
All-Use: Ambassador, Pinstripes, etc.

[Ironcobra]

well, you must have a really small bass, i dont think its good idea, mind you, i haven't tried it, but there must be a reason why head manufacturers make specific heads for the bass.

[cdrums21]

Does anyone use heads that aren't made just for bass drum? What do you use and how's th sound.

examples:
Made for bass: Superkick, EMAD, Powersonic
All-Use: Ambassador, Pinstripes, etc.

I used to use heads that weren't specifically made for the bass drum, pinstripe and a clear emperor. The sound was good, I just needed to muffle with a dense quilt to get the thump for miking puposes. If I wasn't miking, I would have a full front head (no port hole) on and I wouldn't hesitate to use an emperor head again, but it would still require a little bit of muffling, maybe a felt strip, to control some of the "boingyness". The great John Bonham used a coated emperor bass drum batter head with a felt strip on the batter and resonant heads. Resonant side was a coated ambassador. I think the creation of specialized bass drum heads was to alleviate the need for muffling and/or give some more low end. That's my guess anyway....

[fourstringdrums]

well, you must have a really small bass, i dont think its good idea, mind you, i haven't tried it, but there must be a reason why head manufacturers make specific heads for the bass.

Plenty of people use Ambassadors, Emperors, G1's, G2's, Hydraulics, Pinstripes, etc.. on the bass. It's not a "bad" idea, it's just all in what sound you're looking for. All of those heads are listed as bass heads, especially Evans. If you go on the website, you'll Hydraulics, G1's, and G2's listed under bass. The only reason why some heads are made specifically for bass and no other drums is because they have sonic or muffling properties that are put in place specifically for bass, not because they're the only heads you can use for bass.

[harryconway]

On my Vistalites kicks, I used clear Pinstripes batter. On almost every other kick I've had, I run a clear Powerstroke 3 batter. Reso. head is usually a clear or ebony Ambassador. well...but there must be a reason why head manufacturers make specific heads for the bass.

Simply "because they sell....a lot" is enough reason to make specialized heads. But beyond that, as more and more drummers started going for the "laundry in the kick drum sound", drum head manufacturers started marketing "more" muffled heads and actual kick pillows.

[Cymbalrider]

People did for years. Many still do. Although I imagine anything 22" or bigger qualifies as being made for a bass drum.

[SLEEPY BRiGHT EYEZ]

I used to use a Coated Ambassador on my 24" Radio King kick. I'll probably use something similar when that baby is back in service. I had Powerstroke 3s on my last kick.

[thecraponline]

I use Coated Ambassadors and felt strips on my 20" bass. The way I have it set up, the sound is warm, with a muted, brief ring afterward. It works just as well as pre-muffled heads.

[Skitch]

On my Vistalites kicks, I used clear Pinstripes batter. On almost every other kick I've had, I run a clear Powerstroke 3 batter. Reso. head is usually a clear or ebony Ambassador.

Simply "because they sell....a lot" is enough reason to make specialized heads. But beyond that, as more and more drummers started going for the "laundry in the kick drum sound", drum head manufacturers started marketing "more" muffled heads and actual kick pillows.

I had been thinking about this stuff as well. If you listen to Walk This Way (Aerosmith), you have a killer kick drum sound and this recording was made before the era of specialized heads. I wonder how they got that sound?


Mike

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

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[harryconway]

If you listen to Walk This Way (Aerosmith), you have a killer kick drum sound and this recording was made before the era of specialized heads. I wonder how they got that sound?

Toys in the Attic tour, Joey played a Ludwig clear Vistalite kit. Lots of cats made their own richie rings before the Powerstroke3 came out. What Joey used in the studio is anyone's guess, but the chances are good he was driving either a Ludwig 3 or 6 ply kit. Remo just saw so many drummers making their own, it's almost a no-brainer to market a factory head like that. The Pinstripe came out in 1973, or sometime near there. Ambassador, Emperor, Controlled Sound and felt strips were my heads all thru the 60's and 70's. When I got my Vistalites in 1980 is when I went to clear Pinstripes batter, all around

[appledrummer]

Most common regualar head i have seen for rock on a bass drum is a powerstorke 3