Cymbalrider
01-30-2009, 05:15 AM
Another order came in today. This time it was an Aquarian Texture Coated and Classic Clear Snare head along with a a pair of Pro-Mark SD9s. First the heads: I had tried Aquarian heads before, but had had a rather disappointing experience. The coating on the last batch had showered off, but then I'd heard about a defective series from the new Aquarian factory. So, after a round of Evans heads, I decided to give Aquarian another shot. This time I replaced the bottom as well (it replaced a 3 year old snare side Hazy 300). Well the logos have changed and these heads seem to be a lot better than previous Aquarians. They tuned right up and had a much broader range than I've seen for a lot of heads. This being a snare drum, I wanted it on the higher side, but I'm considering Texture Coated heads for toms and bass in the near future. The feel is more lively than Evans G1 Coateds but not plasticy like Remo Ambassadors. The sound is a nice warm sound rather focused in the center and sensitive all over. It's plenty rough so brushes should do nicely for a long time unlike the Evans coating which is generally smooth from the beginning. Overall, certainly worth trying for a nice warm, yet conventional sounding head. Now to the sticks: I thought I'd give Pro-Mark another shot as well and so I got a pair of SD9s. These sticks are a nice refreshing pair. They are big in diameter so you can get as loud as you want to, but light (maple) so you can play almost as quiet as you want to. The tip is a good size, so power but definition is possible. These would work great from orchestral drumming, to hard rock, to big band, to funk, to whatever really. They have a nice solid sound on drums and a warm sound on cymbals. Generally, I've seen Pro-Marks to be more durable than Vic Firth, but that will have to be seen later. Try a pair of these if you want a versatile stick!