Reso recommendation

Hi all!
I have just put on new batters on my kit. I went for Ambassador X. I was a bit cheap and did not get new reso heads since they looked good. They are clear with no indication of make. They might be the originals (mid 90s Sonor).

Now I'm thinking of replacing them (toms).

First does resos go bad with age? The drums are very well kept and not used a lot.

And second, what do I mate my batters with? I want as lttle ring as possibly without killing the drum. Sizes are 12, 13, 16.

Thanks in advance

Jörgen

Mr Orange said:

Hi all!
I have just put on new batters on my kit. I went for Ambassador X. I was a bit cheap and did not get new reso heads since they looked good. They are clear with no indication of make. They might be the originals (mid 90s Sonor).

Now I'm thinking of replacing them (toms).

First does resos go bad with age? The drums are very well kept and not used a lot.

And second, what do I mate my batters with? I want as lttle ring as possibly without killing the drum. Sizes are 12, 13, 16.

Thanks in advance

Jörgen

Click to expand...

Yes, resonant heads age. I change mine as soon as they lose their tone. Which is sooner than many people realize.

Clear Ambassadors would work well.

Mr Orange said:

Hi all!
I have just put on new batters on my kit. I went for Ambassador X. I was a bit cheap and did not get new reso heads since they looked good. They are clear with no indication of make. They might be the originals (mid 90s Sonor).

Now I'm thinking of replacing them (toms).

First does resos go bad with age? The drums are very well kept and not used a lot.

And second, what do I mate my batters with? I want as lttle ring as possibly without killing the drum. Sizes are 12, 13, 16.

Thanks in advance

Jörgen

Click to expand...

A big welcome to the forum Jorgen. Great advice from Wy. As a guide, I change my reso heads on average, every 3 batter head changes.

BTW, been to Goteborg many times. A great town.

Thanks for the warm welcome! Great community you have here.

I will get new resos for sure. Just curious, is it the age or the "mileage" that does it?

And also, clear Ambs is the way to go? Like said, I like to get a bit less sustain.

//Jörgen

Mileage is a key factor but be aware a tuned up drum sitting in a cupboard will stretch a plastic head. If not using a drum for a while I will detune them a half turn.

Reso heads have a huge impact on the sound of a drum. Many people do not realize this fact. I learned it very quickly when I was working as a tech with international acts back in my youth. Changing a tired resonant head will bring a drum to life. I replace resonant heads on snare drums whenever I change the batter too. The reso head on a snare works incredibly hard trapped as it is between the air forcing it down, and the wire restricting its motion and cutting into the plastic.

It all depends on the sound you want from your drums. Most of the heads I use are made by Evans and the Remo clear Ambassador is very similar to the Evans G1 clear heads. Both are single ply, 10 mil heads. My newest kit came equipped with DW (Remo) coated 1 ply heads for the resonant side of the toms. I didn't think that I would care for them, but they produce a nicely focused, vintage sound quality from the drums. I would probably use a clear 1 ply resonant head for your drums and choose the batter heads to get the sound you need. I'm not familiar at all with the sound of Ambassador X heads.

And yes, resonant heads play a very important part in the total sound of your drums. A lot will depend on the tensioning, age and usage of the drums to gauge when to change them.

Dennis

Thanks!
I look forward to changing them and see what happens.

ps. I changed reso at the snare when I changed batter.

//Jörgen

If you like Ambassador Xs, you can use them as reso wads as well.

First of all welcome to the forum Jorgen.
Now, Batter head + reso head + shell thickness + tuning = amount of sustain. (these are the major players).
If you have a thicker shell then you don't want to go thicker than single ply 10 mil for reso. Unless you want a dead drum. Remember you can always muffle if you have to, but if you are too muffled there's no recourse but to get thinner heads which = more $$.
So determine your shell thickness and go from there, its a bit of a balancing act when it comes to sustain and such. Hope you find a happy medium.

If you think that single ply 10 mil clear will give too much sustain, I recommend you go for the coated version of this but I would not go two ply or anything with a ring you will kill your drum. Also a substantial difference b/w pitch of your batter and reso will limit the amount of sustain. (tuning).