Remo Powerstroke 3

Jalli

Senior Member
Hi everyone.

Seems that I am in great need of new skin for the kit.
I currently have Evans genera g1 coated on every drum except the snare (Remo Ambassador Coated). They are really good heads, but I've had them for way too long and I want Remos now. I guess had good experience with the Remo head on my snare, I really want more Remos.
I searched the net for some time and I found Remo's Powerstroke 3 (clear) brand wich I am liking. Just wanted to ask if they are good heads for metal, speed metal, hard rock, rock and such.
Also just want to know if they are as good as people say.
 
The Powerstroke 3 is an Ambassador head with a built in richie ring. If you know how to make a richie ring yourself, out of an old head, just drop it under your G1 and you'll get an idea of what a Powerstroke 3 will sound like. I love the P3 as a batter head, both for kick and for toms. But I play big sizes. And not so much metal, or speed. But for a big, phat sound on 14, 15, 16, 18 inch toms, P3's kill. My current Rogers project has 12, 13, 16 toms, and I'm gonna start off with clear Emperor batter, and a clear P3 on the 22 kick. Clear Ambassador reso. on all the toms and ebony Ambassador reso. on the kick.
 
The Powerstroke 3 is an Ambassador head with a built in richie ring. If you know how to make a richie ring yourself, out of an old head, just drop it under your G1 and you'll get an idea of what a Powerstroke 3 will sound like. I love the P3 as a batter head, both for kick and for toms. But I play big sizes. And not so much metal, or speed. But for a big, phat sound on 14, 15, 16, 18 inch toms, P3's kill. My current Rogers project has 12, 13, 16 toms, and I'm gonna start off with clear Emperor batter, and a clear P3 on the 22 kick. Clear Ambassador reso. on all the toms and ebony Ambassador reso. on the kick.

My kit is 12", 13", 16" and 22"! So you say that these heads are good? I don't have old heads to put on my g1s. I used my old ones for... fun :S.
 
Depending on the sound you want, the Powerstroke 3 is excellent. If you have G1's currently, those are like Ambassadors. Metal/Speed guys tend to go more for an open sound. Ambassador, Controlled Sound (single ply) or Emperor (double ply) from the Remo family. In the context of playing with a band, the overtones get lost in the music, but help the drums to cut thru. The Powerstroke 3 will give a more "old school" sound. Warmer, phatter, more in the rock/hard rock category.
 
This is a good thread for me too, I have all PS3's on all toms, and used to have on bass drums, but currently switched them out for powersonic bass heads, but I am still not sure of what heads I want for the toms because I am a rock metal kind of guy and the PS3's are a bit too open for that style imo, so I've been looking at trying emperors because pinstripes were just a tad bit too dampened. So if someone could talk a little bit more about this it would be awesome.
 
I'll agree that the Pinstripe is too muffled. I used it on my Vistalites almost exclusively, as the acrylic shells were very bright, but I find Pins way too boxy sounding for premium wood drums, I'm setting up my Rogers kit with clear Emperors. So far I have the 16" floor done (or at least heads on it). If you found the Powerstroke 3 to be too live, you might want to move to the Powerstroke 4, which is an Emperor weight head with a built on richie ring. The 2 ply Emperor head alone might also be too bright for your taste.
 
I got Pinstripe on all my toms, I am very happy with it... Not really too muffled at all for me, actually a very nice tone, quite dark. I have tuned them quite low and at the perfect pitch I want, equal on both heads, so they sing very nice. I think Pinstripes in general sound best if tuned down.

I have also ordered Remo Powerstroke 3 for my maple snare drum! Hopefully it will sound good, I am counting on it. Will hear it tomorrow.
 
Well, after investigating Remo's website and reading your comments I've decided to go for this:

Clear Ambassadors on my toms, Coated Ambassador on the snare and Powerstroke 3 on my bassdrum!

Thanks everyone.
 
Seems to me that's the combo Steve Smith uses. Great choice and/or at least a good place to start.
 
Well, after investigating Remo's website and reading your comments I've decided to go for this:

Clear Ambassadors on my toms, Coated Ambassador on the snare and Powerstroke 3 on my bassdrum!

Thanks everyone.

Those are excellent choices and very flexible.
 
That's certainly a good combo, you've got a really versatile configuration going on.
The Coated Ambassador on the snare is great, I have one on mine. It can either be tuned low, fat, and wet or dry and cracking without too much effort or muffling.
Cheers for the new heads!
 
I personally like the remo controlled sound reverse dot snare head, it's basically the ambassador, but it has a 5 mil dot in the center to give it a little extra durability and it still gets a sweet crack, so how do you mean emperors maybe being too open as well? Aren't they 2 ply 7 mil, I would guess that would be pretty dampened and wouldn't the powerstroke4 be almost equivalent to a pinstripe?
 
I use the Powerstroke 3 for a bass drum reso head along with a SuperkickII on the batter side. With these two heads I have no reason to put anything in the kick to dampen the ring. It is a sweet combo for a kick......
 
...so how do you mean emperors maybe being too open as well? Aren't they 2 ply 7 mil, I would guess that would be pretty dampened and wouldn't the powerstroke4 be almost equivalent to a pinstripe?
I'm starting off my Rogers project with clear Emperor batter, clear Ambassador reso. I don't really consider the Emperor to be dampened at all. Remo refers to the Emperor as being "more durable and more consistant" than the Ambassador. They don't use the term "dampened" or "muffled" at all. Emperor, 2 ply, no muffling, and to me, gives a more open tone than the Powerstroke 3, which, although a single ply, because of the built on richie ring, gives a phatter sound. So if you think the P3 is too open, I suggest the P4. "Almost the equivalent" of a Pinstripe. Or two different ways to do the exact same thing. Perhaps. Both are way to boxy for my taste. On premium wood shells, anyways.
 
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hmm well I'm using a pearl export with poplar wood, would I be able to get a warmer tone if I used a more dampened head because poplar is known for its higher tonal quality.
 
I'll assume we're talking toms here. If you're using clear heads, moving to a coated head will give you a warmer sound. If a clear P3 was too open and a clear Pin was to boxy, a coated P3 might do the trick, or a P4. Felt strips? Moon Gels? Tape. Other tricks to fine tune your sound. Pearl exports, fine drums, for what they are. But they do lack the versatility of pro-level drums. You can get them to sound good, but only "so good".
 
I'm starting off my Rogers project with clear Emperor batter, clear Ambassador reso. I don't really consider the Emperor to be dampened at all. Remo refers to the Emperor as being "more durable and more consistant" than the Ambassador. They don't use the term "dampened" or "muffled" at all. Emperor, 2 ply, no muffling, and to me, gives a more open tone than the Powerstroke 3, which, although a single ply, because of the built on richie ring, gives a phatter sound. So if you think the P3 is too open, I suggest the P4. "Almost the equivalent" of a Pinstripe. Or two different ways to do the exact same thing. Perhaps. Both are way to boxy for my taste. On premium wood shells, anyways.


I would agree about the more durable part on the Emperors - I don't consider them to be a muffled head.


Mike

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

http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
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ok so everyone knows how Danny Carey uses single ply heads, he is the perfect example of what sound I want from my toms, he gets this sound that is very warm and not really overpowering like mine are seeming to do. Could it just be because I'm on a pearl export made of poplar or should I go with a 2 ply because poplar hits higher tones and a 2 ply muffled head would balance the high tones out?
 
Chasing ANY recorded sound is a slippery slope. Like chasing a ghost. With all the EQ available in a studio and/or a pro live situation, even if you went to the great expense to get the same kit and heads as Danny, you would fall short of getting "his recorded sound". Example. We know Danny knows Jeff Ocheltree, he's on Jeff's video playing Paiste bronze drums. I would summize that Danny also knows Ross Garfield (the Drum Doctor). Just between these 3 guys, who knows what kinda voodoo is going on in the studio, and what kinda drum kit Danny records (has) with. What kinda heads? Have bearing edges been re-cut? Too many unknown variables.
 
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