New Ambassador X

Sirwill

Silver Member
Anyone try the Remo Ambassador X coated head yet? If so, please post a review. It looks like Remo has found something here.
 
I assume that its Remo's answer to the Evans G-plus (12 mil) which have had positive reviews.
 
I don't think they're available yet--I did a quick check of major online dealers and my local shop.

I'm definitely going to try them, as I need sustain for playing unmiked, and I've been a regular Remo Ambassador guy for decades.

The Evans G-plus are quite nice--I've been using some as resos--but the only coated version Evans offers is their frosty "coating," which I find awful.

Will be nice to try a thicker head with a traditional coating.
 
I don't think they're available yet--I did a quick check of major online dealers and my local shop.

I'm definitely going to try them, as I need sustain for playing unmiked, and I've been a regular Remo Ambassador guy for decades.

The Evans G-plus are quite nice--I've been using some as resos--but the only coated version Evans offers is their frosty "coating," which I find awful.

Will be nice to try a thicker head with a traditional coating.

That's why I'm kind of excited about these. I agree... I'm not a fan of the frosty coating at all. Still feels and sounds like a clear head to me, just.. rough texture.
 
alright, these are now in stock at Interstate Music and MF, so who wants to try them first? These ought to be sweeter sounding than the frosty g plus.
 
I'll wait til my local drum shop gets one or two in and then maybe try.

I've been using Vintage A Ambassadors in the meantime... ever, ever so slightly thicker than regular Ambassador (b/c of the 2-ply) but gives me better feel.

Maybe these new Amb-X are the ticket!
 
We've got them at my drum store I work at.

They're equivalent to a G-Plus. Just a tad bit thicker than industry standard Ambassador (G1 for Evans) Haven't heard it on a drum yet. But I go to work in about 9 hours so I'll see if I can get my hands on one!
 
let me know how they sound. i've been looking for them from my store rez drums in florida and they haven't gotten any yet. so i am forced to play coated ambassadors on the racks and coated emperor on my floors. great sound as usual from remo, but i want to check out their new stock, you know. let me know how they sound. trust!!! keep drummin'..
 
Yes, very interested here as well. I like the sound of a coated ambassador, but the durability is an issue. I also like a coated emp or G2 on my snare (a supra 402), but sometimes I get the dreaded "dead" head and it sounds like crap because the plies aren't meshed together properly and the sound lacks tone and resonance. A thicker ambassador like the "X" may be the ticket. Looking forward to hearing reviews, and I'm hoping to get one this weekend. I'll post a review if my store has them in stock.
 
Yes, very interested here as well. I like the sound of a coated ambassador, but the durability is an issue. I also like a coated emp or G2 on my snare (a supra 402), but sometimes I get the dreaded "dead" head and it sounds like crap because the plies aren't meshed together properly and the sound lacks tone and resonance. A thicker ambassador like the "X" may be the ticket. Looking forward to hearing reviews, and I'm hoping to get one this weekend. I'll post a review if my store has them in stock.

Well, for snare you can try a Powerstroke X, which is a single ply 14 mil head with a muffling ring. You can easily remove the muffling ring if you don't like it. These heads are fatter sounding than the ambassadors, yet they still have the attack and response of a single ply head. Plus, they're very durable and the coating sticks to them really well. This is the only single ply head I've used on snare that I haven't pitted up. The one with the dot is a little fatter sounding, and the no dot one sounds closer to an ambassador.

As far as the Ambassador X, I think the major online stores get the stock first. It may take awhile for the local stores to get these except for maybe GC.
 
Here's the first review of the ambassador X I've seen. Check it out:

IT'S ABOUT TIME! Posted by JAGGED from EAST COAST on Feb 27, 2010
Experience w/product: I own it
Reviewer's Background: PROFESSIONAL DRUMMER
Reviewer's Play Style: ALL

EXCELLENT HEADS! Playing in a cover band for 3 hours a night, set after set, night after night can wreak absolute HAVOC on your drumheads, particularly your snare head. What Remo has done here is create a drumhead that allows all the same sensitivity of it's 10mil counter part with the added durability of the 12mil film. The sound is slightly drier than your 10mil with the focus you would expect from a two ply Emperor. That is not to say these heads do not "ring out" like the standard ambassador because due to the added thickness, the impact from stick to head -to air pushing down to the bottom head- to rebound back to top travels travels at the same distance but enhances the decay. The physics behind it can be simply described as a "thicker" ONE ply head will reverberate LONGER than a "thinner" ONE ply head as the added mass takes longer to stop vibrating. Many people (myself included) believed applying a Diplomat on the underside of my toms would create longer decay than an Ambassador but the exact OPPOSITE is actually true. Enter an Ambassador 12mil head and you have even MORE shell presence in your sound. IMO, there is no head like your standard coated Ambassador for a snare drum be it in the studio, live, your ear...whatever. These heads have me wondering if my beliefs still apply. The added "shell" focus was always the reason I would go for an Emperor in the studio (if ever) but this new head has an almost identical feel to the original Ambassadors....maybe better. Look at it this way....you have a thin and a thinner piece of rubber pad to work your chops on......both are one solid piece and both provide rebound. BUT, the "thicker" of the two will have slightly less "give" and more "kick back" to your wrist....a real commodity when executing fast doubles on your snare drum. Singles, doubles, paradiddles....all feel amazing and these heads are great. I semi-seated the 12" for my Kodiak figuring I would have to tune it again today....WRONG....stayed in perfectly. Just put the 14" on my other Kodiak without seating it and same thing..........these heads seem to lock onto the edge better than the 10mil. More shell, less head, same sensitivity, better rebound (singles are effortless even cranked tight)- these heads are very impressive.
 
As a matter of fact, I just bought one today and then saw this post. I'll try it out tonight and let you all know!
 
cdrums21 described it well.
Tried it last night and I have to say this is an AWESOME head! I have been experimenting with different heads on my snare for awhile because I have never really liked the sound of my snare (yes, I know there could be a lot of reasons for this but...). This head is "the one"! It has the dry sound that I have been looking for. For some reason it seemed easier to tune as well (could just be me).
My search for the perfect snare head is now over!
 
cdrums21 described it well.
Tried it last night and I have to say this is an AWESOME head! I have been experimenting with different heads on my snare for awhile because I have never really liked the sound of my snare (yes, I know there could be a lot of reasons for this but...). This head is "the one"! It has the dry sound that I have been looking for. For some reason it seemed easier to tune as well (could just be me).
My search for the perfect snare head is now over!

I also want to know how the durability is. I can really pit up regular Ambassadors, so I'm really needing that durability aspect. I really wanna hear these on toms, too. Anyone tried these on toms yet?
 
I also want to know how the durability is. I can really pit up regular Ambassadors, so I'm really needing that durability aspect. I really wanna hear these on toms, too. Anyone tried these on toms yet?

Rather than take an internet stranger's word on how something sounds, when I want to try out a new type of head I'll get one for just one tom--say, a 12"--and try it out. You get a pretty good idea of what a full kit of them will sound like without spending a fortune.

And at the risk of opening up a can of worms, denting heads can most often be attributed to the use of ball-tip sticks, toms at an angle that's too severe, or technique. My kid uses a coated amb on his snare, playing loud rock unmiked with 747B oak sticks, and never dents a head. He is an extremely hard hitter.
 
Rather than take an internet stranger's word on how something sounds, when I want to try out a new type of head I'll get one for just one tom--say, a 12"--and try it out. You get a pretty good idea of what a full kit of them will sound like without spending a fortune.

And at the risk of opening up a can of worms, denting heads can most often be attributed to the use of ball-tip sticks, toms at an angle that's too severe, or technique. My kid uses a coated amb on his snare, playing loud rock unmiked with 747B oak sticks, and never dents a head. He is an extremely hard hitter.

Nah, no ball tips here, just the typical 2b tips, and crap technique. I dunno if it's because I'm a big s.o.b. or not, but when I hit something hard I dent or break it. A friend of mine hits really hard, uses ambassadors on snares, yet he doesn't dent or break heads either. I'm working on my technique right now, because I'm tired of denting heads. My technique is good on my own, but when I get with a loud band it goes out the window. I tend to dent tom heads more, I guess because of the looser tension, but I also like the articulation and attack of single ply heads. So, these ought to be just the ticket if I can get my technique under control.
 
I received my ambassador x heads the other day and I'm waiting until I get through the current head I'm using before I put the ambassador x on. It won't be long, I switch out snare heads every 4 to 5 shows. One thing though, right out of the box they had a very nice tight resonance to them when tapped and seemed very sturdy in construction, better that the normal ambassador or a double ply head. I can't wait to hear it on my edge snare drum as I've read that single ply heads work well on them. Durability and sound will be the tell tale factors for me. To be continued.....
 
OK, I can't wait any longer....I just changed my coated G2 on the batter side of my new 7x14 edge and threw on the ambassador X for tonight's show. It's stretching out now, so I'll leave it alone for a few hours then tune it up and play it tonight. I'll let you know my thoughts (for what it's worth) tomorrow. This will be the first gig I play with the edge and the ambassador X, so it should be interesting. The room we're playing has a good sound for drums, so I'm hoping that the snare drum sounds great, that'll make my night. So far, just from tuning up the G2 on the edge here at home, it sounded good but the double ply head may have been just a bit to "dull" sounding on the edge. I'm hoping that the ambassador X brightens it up a bit as well as opens it up, and lastly, lasts at least 4 or 5 shows. If all these things are accomplished, I'm sold. Until tomorrow.....
 
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