Best set of tom heads YOU have ever heard and why

T

Toolate

Platinum Member
Its an interesting thing- heads are most of the sound of a kit- even bad drums can be tuned with a good set of heads to a sound that a drummer might like. The thing is everyone has their own ear and every kit is made of drums with different sizes and wood/bearing edges.

I like a deep sound (as low as the drum can be tuned and still ring) and medium sustain with no pitch bend and no muffling/dampening. A very full sound with plenty of attack but not clicky. Good for rock.

Best heads I have ever heard were ec2s on my teachers vistalite kit in Bonham sizes. The 14" rack which is always the tough one to tune is like music to my ears. A real "dooooom" sound with a capital D.

Second to that would have to be my catalina maple kit with G2s over ambassadors. Huge presence from an intermediate kit- 16:" ft tom can be felt in your stomach but less sustain that the ec2s mentioned above.

Share your favorites and what you like about the sound and how it fits into the music you like.
 
Single ply 10 mil clear heads top and bottom, no muffling ever. Simple. No loss of frequencies as with any premuffled, or 2 ply and even coated heads. The drum is putting out everything it has, and that's what I want. I want every single frequency that drum is capable of.
 
I go back and forth between Ambassadors/G1's top and bottom, or Emperors/G2's on top and Ambassadors/G1s on the bottom (sometimes putting Emperors/G2's on the bottoms if I have the thick head on top.

I would say to me, the Ambassador top and bottom would be the 'pure' sound for me because it was really my first sound when I started to play, and that's what toms should sound like to me. The only reason I've gone a little heavier is to get a bit more durability and a slightly darker tone - but I can get that with Ambassadors top and bottom too, the heads just don't last as long when I do use that combination because I play so hard at times. But I'm like Larry, it's simple. Anything else is icing on the cake, like pinstripes, or black dots, or EC2's....every other head adds something to the mix (that you pay a little more for) and for me it's at the expense of pure projection. I want my sound to go to the back of the room without much effort ;)
 
larryace said:
Single ply 10 mil clear heads top and bottom, no muffling ever. Simple. No loss of frequencies as with any premuffled, or 2 ply and even coated heads. The drum is putting out everything it has, and that's what I want. I want every single frequency that drum is capable of.
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+1, couldnt have said it better myself, as for the brand of the single ply I use its Aquarian all the way, for me and my style of playing they last twice as long as Evans and 3 to 4 times as long as Remo before going dead.
 
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This is the old "what;s the best flavor ice cream" debate."

Personally, I wound up right where I started -- with white Ambassadors. They just sound like drum heads.

Then again, Gadd uses hydraulics and sound great, yet to me, they sound like blankets. Calf skin sound amazing but when I play them, they sound like brown paper bags. So, it's all very, very subjective.
 
Interesting! hah well I'd go with just plain coated Emperors and to be honest they sound flat on fat, warm, and balanced to my ear..
 
I use Saran wrap. A nice squishy attack and no sustain. Problem is, I keep having to replace heads mid-song!

:D

Seriously though, I change all the time. I'm currently in love with the Evans Power Center on both sides. It really brings out the character of the drums themselves. EC2 on top with single ply on bottoms was my last love.
 
plangentmusic said:
This is the old "what;s the best flavor ice cream" debate."

Personally, I wound up right where I started -- with white Ambassadors. They just sound like drum heads.

Then again, Gadd uses hydraulics and sound great, yet to me, they sound like blankets. Calf skin sound amazing but when I play them, they sound like brown paper bags. So, it's all very, very subjective.
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Well then, what is your favorite ice cream? And if you could be any animal, what would it be?

;)
 
I can't remember as far back as "ever", but I can say that I am reaching the end of my rope with Evans heads, particularly their G2 clear and coated. I've always liked the sound of Remo heads and the only reason I switched to Evans about five years ago was because their coatings lasted longer.

Dennis
 
I think the difference between the "which heads should I get" threads and this one is that no one is describing a sound they are trying to achieve and asking for advice.

I just wanted to hear different opinions on what people thought sounded the best to them because it really is amazing how many different options and opinions there are. I would like to see the kind of drums people are putting these heads on though.

I will agree that my evans heads seem to last longer.

I think there are lot of great combinations (obviously) and as time goes on I am liking the wide open/no muffling tuning approach with a 2 ply top and single bottoms. Mostly because I am better at tuning and can achieve that full sound and I think most drums can be tuned to sound good once you know what you are doing and have the right set of heads.

Stock heads are just garbage- kits should be sold without them for the environments sake haha. It also amazes me how poorly every kit I have ever seen in a store is tuned- just like a kid has been playing with the lugs- like an 8" tom with a looses batter- sorry getting carried away..
 
I'm currently liking the vintage emperors I've just put on, but will probably end up sticking ambassadors back on eventually, I usually do.. I occasionally flirt with Evans but always seem to end up back at Remo.
 
It depends on what drums I'm putting them on. If it's the old Slingerlands, I put coated Ambassadors on. I haven't decided what I like on the Ludwigs, yet. I'm still experimenting. Currently they're wearing EC2's.
I used to love the sound of Black Dots, top and bottom. And Hydraulics....weird, but those were fun too.
If I could afford it, I'd try all kinds of things.
 
different heads for different playing styles.

Loads of sensitive stick work tends to get lost on the multi-plys...better off as single ply coated.

Real high energy hits tend to have round tones and thicker frequency distribution off of multi-plys.(let alone longer head lifespan)

I've even heard very lively tones created on a set of fiberglass weave heads...but that was pure touch by the player.

I dont think there is a best...just like there isnt a best size of socket for use on a socket wrench.

The lower bound issues are more relevant as considered generalities...bad workmanship(uneven gluing, scoring from bad handling, uneven folds, plain old poor materials...) exists with varying frequency usually depending on cost.


hmmm.. could have sworn I've tried to make this point before ... ; )
 
Otto said:
different heads for different playing styles.
I dont think there is a best...just like there isnt a best size of socket for use on a socket wrench.
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I think the reason the title puts "YOU" in all caps is that the question is what's best for you, not what is best in general (and agreed, that simply isn't quantifiable).
 
yeah..I need a range of sockets to work on the range of bolts, nuts and (to stretch the metaphore) "screws" I want to work with. ; )

Someone else may very well have a best for themself...
 
Toolate said:
I am liking the wide open/no muffling tuning approach with a 2 ply top and single bottoms.
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Wouldnt wide open/no muffling be just the opposite of a 2 ply head? IMO 2 ply heads are very muffled and dead and not open sounding at all.
 
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