G1 or G2's over G pluses for attack & tone

65' Corvair

Junior Member
Good day all,

I've been following Larryaces' thread regarding the added sustain of the G pluses as resonant heads and am gonna try them this week. But since my batter heads are due I'm thinking of making a change there too. Currently I've been ordering the original DW heads from Cascio Music and have them over G1's. The sound is fine at lower tunings but gets some high frequency harshness above that range.

So here is what I'm looking for. The most stick attack and sustain with warm tone. I've tried coated Super 2's and Emperors over the years and felt the drums became too dead, but I've never tried a clear 2 ply. I agree that Evans website is misleading since their illustrations show more sustain on thinner drums so I'm looking for anyones' real world experience to help in my decision. Larryace I notice you switched from G1's to G2's of the G pluses, what do you like better about this setup? FYI my kit is a DW custom maple and we play classic thru current rock if that info is relevant. Thanks for the help.
 
You will definitely get more "umph" and attack with G2s than you will with G1s for you batter side.

After reading Larryaces' thread I also decided to give the G Pluses a try as resonant heads. I'm trying out EC2s over G Pluses on my 8"/10"/14" toms. I won't be able to get them until next week though...

Keep us informed as how it went for you : )
 
I just posted a response to fmass92's "switching from Remo to Evans" thread. My response seems applicable here as well so I'm copying and pasting it here.

I suppose I can see why they (G Plus) would be a popular choice for reso heads being that they're single ply. I don't know when I decided this but I think single ply heads are the way to go for both top and bottom. I think they have a better tone to them compared to 2 ply heads. If you want your toms to ring out a little less, try thicker heads.
I've tried a lot of different heads from Evans on the toms. Here are some specs for you.

G1 - 10 mil single ply
G Plus - 12 mil single ply
G2 - 2, 7 mil plies
EC1 - 14 mil single ply w/Edge Control Ring
EC2 - 2, 7 mil plies w/Edge Control Ring

I tried to arrange these in order from most open to least open in terms of how "ringy" each head is. The G2's and EC1's are pretty close to each other but I think I got it right.
I tried the G1's on the batter before and I loved the sound but they just weren't practical for my use from a durability stand point. I can't afford to buy new heads every few weeks. I used G2's for a while and why they were more durable, I thought they still lost they're tone too early in their life. I tried the EC1's and really liked them. They had a really full tone and it took them a long time to play out. When it came time to replace them, I decided that I wanted a head that rang out a little more, so I tried the G Plus.
The G Plus heads are really great. Like I said in my earlier post, they are right between the G1 and G2 as far as their tonal characteristics. They still provide a fatter sound like the G2 but ring out a little more. They open up like a G1 but with a slightly bigger tone and are certainly more durable. The EC1's lasted for about a year. I've had the G Plus heads on since Thanksgiving and I see no reason to replace them yet. I practice with my band once a week for 3 hours and play 3-4 gigs a month (4 hour shows) so I'm feeling pretty good about how long they're lasting me. I'm still a little up in the air between the EC1's and the G Plus. I wish they made a single ply 14 mil head without the edge control ring. I would definitely buy that.
 
Keep in mind that the actual Edge Control line is being discontinued and replaced by the Edge Control Sound Shaping Technology heads (instead of thin metal rings, Evans now use ink rings). They are said to be a bit better in regards to the concept they are going for with these heads. I have not tried them out yet though... The EC2s I am mounting have been lying around for a bit since my local drum shop gave a whole set - 8"/10"/14"/16" - to me not too long ago, so why by any? :D

The reason I am going for G Pluses as resonant heads is because I am hoping that they will slightly open up the sound of the EC2s - keeping that punchy attack while adding just a tad more sustain. If they could sing just a bit more it would be perfect for me!
 
The reason I am going for G Pluses as resonant heads is because I am hoping that they will slightly open up the sound of the EC2s - keeping that punchy attack while adding just a tad more sustain. If they could sing just a bit more it would be perfect for me!

It really sounds to me like you should try the EC1's. The thicker 1 ply head will have more of an open tone than the 2 thin plys. If you want to open the sound up even more, go with G1's on the bottom.
 
It really sounds to me like you should try the EC1's. The thicker 1 ply head will have more of an open tone than the 2 thin plys. If you want to open the sound up even more, go with G1's on the bottom.

Sorry - I think I didn't express myself very clearly. I do not mean an open sound per se, see it more as enhancing the EC2s by giving them more sustain. I like the EC2s, the sound just dies a tad too quickly.

I can't really speak of the EC1s since I have not tried them, but in general I do not use single ply batters on my toms because I have never got the sound I wanted out of them. Also, I like to tune my toms quite low and usual single ply heads aren't, in general, the best way to achieve that. But maybe I'll give them a go one of these days!

Finally, I already have used G1s as reso heads, they were quite nice with G2s on top (the usual pairing I would go for). The G1s need changing now and I wanted to try out the EC2s that were offered to me. Since that thread about G Pluses as resonants I just thought this was the occasion to try out a see for myself how they would work out on my kit in combination with the EC2s. I just thought I would experiment this time around : )
 
Last edited:
Sorry - I think I didn't express myself very clearly. I do not mean an open sound per se, see it more as enhancing the EC2s by giving them more sustain. I like the EC2s, the sound just dies a tad too quickly.

I can't really speak of the EC1s since I have not tried them, but in general I do not use single ply batters on my toms because I have never got the sound I wanted out of them. Also, I like to tune my toms quite low and usual single ply heads aren't, in general, the best way to achieve that. But maybe I'll give them a go one of these days!

Finally, I already have used G1s as reso heads, they were quite nice with G2s on top (the usual pairing I would go for). The G1s need changing now and I wanted to try out the EC2s that were offered to me. Since that thread about G Pluses as resonants I just thought this was the occasion to try out a see for myself how they would work out on my kit in combination with the EC2s. I just thought I would experiment this time around : )

I would imagine that with EC2's on the top and G Plus as resos on the bottom will provide you with a nice beefy controlled tone. They'll sound killer when they're all mic'd up!
 
I just got done changing the batter heads on my Yamaha Maple Custom Absolutes. I decided to try Evan G1 coated heads instead of the G2 clears. So far I like them. I keep my drums tuned fairly low and the G1 coated heads give me a lot of resonance and sustain with warmth. At one point I tried the EC2s on the Yamahas but it just killed their tone and resonance. I also tried the EC2s on my pearl kit and liked them even less there. I switched to Evans G2 coated heads and my drums are alive again.

Heads and tuning can get one flustered until you get the right combination that works for you and your kit.

Dennis
 
I just got done changing the batter heads on my Yamaha Maple Custom Absolutes. I decided to try Evan G1 coated heads instead of the G2 clears. So far I like them. I keep my drums tuned fairly low and the G1 coated heads give me a lot of resonance and sustain with warmth. At one point I tried the EC2s on the Yamahas but it just killed their tone and resonance. I also tried the EC2s on my pearl kit and liked them even less there. I switched to Evans G2 coated heads and my drums are alive again.

Heads and tuning can get one flustered until you get the right combination that works for you and your kit.

Dennis

You should really try the G Plus heads. They're a great balance between the G1 & G2 heads.
 
For the sound you are describing I recommend the Coated G2 over Clear G1, or The G-Plus over clear G1. IMO the coated G2 is just about the perfect tom head and excels in about any genre. The G Plus has a great feel and more low end than a G1, a good middle ground. And I cannot stop praising the GMAD Bass Batter head, I have never been more pleased with a bass drum head in my years of playing.
 
For the sound you are describing I recommend the Coated G2 over Clear G1, or The G-Plus over clear G1. IMO the coated G2 is just about the perfect tom head and excels in about any genre. The G Plus has a great feel and more low end than a G1, a good middle ground. And I cannot stop praising the GMAD Bass Batter head, I have never been more pleased with a bass drum head in my years of playing.

Have you played an EMAD? I'm very curious about the GMAD and I was wondering, it is a big improvement over the EMAD? If so, in what way?
I had to replace my EMAD about a month ago. The crater from my kick beater was really deep which made me nervous because I had two shows that weekend. I went to the local shop looking forward to trying a GMAD but they were out so I had to get another EMAD. Not a bummer because the EMAD is a great head. I just missed the opportunity to try something new.
 
Back
Top