the open tone

[B.C.]

I've been a evans g2 player for the last 12 years. I recently went to a music store and tried a set of maple pdp's the heads were coated ambassadors and the tone was AWESOME!! the note was clearly defined and the overtones were just beautiful. I'm am tired of playing fat dead heads, g2's and want an open tone for my rock set and thought about the ambassadors however will clear heads bring a totally different sound to the drum unlike the one I heard??? And if there are any other heads with a nice open tone what are they??

[Wavelength]

The G2s should have a great open tone to them if you just tune them correctly. They are two-ply heads, but they aren't muffled, so they will sing beautifully if you let them.

[fourstringdrums]

Clear heads will be a bit more open and not as warm. Some also describe the sound of clear heads as "boingy". So if you liked the sound of the coated ambassadors, that's what you should get. But, keep in mind that the wood that your drums are made of will make a difference. If for instance you have a birch set, the sound will be punchier with a bit less sustain than the maple set you heard.

[KarlCrafton]

I use Coated Ambassadors on the top, and Clears on the bottom.
The tone is just as you said.
Open, crisp, clean, sensitive....

The Coated version uses a White film, and IME this film is more durable than the Clear film.

It may be how I have the drums angled --semi flat rack, and flat on the Ft's, but I can play pretty hard, with the double butt sticks, and the Coated heads do not dent.

There's a point where they will dent, but it's pretty dang hard to where it'd be stupid to play that way anyhow.

They do sound different than the Coateds.

The Clear have a more brightness in the attack (and overall tone), and the note is a little longer if you tune it to be.

[Matt-a-tat-tat]

ever thought about smooth white? i've got smooth white emperors on my toms. they're warm and open. seems like people are scared of the smooth white emperors. i love them.

[KarlCrafton]

Smooth White Emps are real nice if you can get ones that aren't dead.

Kind of in between clear and coated sound.

I used one as my bass drum batter for a few years until I started getting bad ones.

They work good as front kick heads for a beefier sound too.

Smooth White Ambassadors get a pretty good crack in the attack sound, & get almost the same sound as the coated version.

I can remember drums coming with the Smooth White heads a long time ago.
I kinda recall my Ludwig Acrolite having a SW Ludwig head on it... of course that was back in 1975.... anyone else remember that?

I could be mistaken.....

[Matt-a-tat-tat]

Dead? Like poorly constructed? Not producing a good tone?
I've been using Pinstripes forever. Ha. No, the smooth white Emperors I've got on there produce a very warm and even and resonant tone.
Maybe that's why people seem to be afraid of them, because drums used to come with crummy smooth white heads? I don't know. Perhaps they remind them of toy drums?

[NIMBY]

ive been using Smooth White Emperor's on my snare for the past year and a half and still love them, they are exactly what i was after in a snare head!

they have this great bright tone to them and they make my snare so darn poppy!

ive been thinking about using them on my toms for a long time now, i think i might give them a shot once the Coated Amb.'s ive got now wear out.