I supported a local music shop, and...

805Drummer

Gold Member
...Got a Remo Coated Ambassador for my 14" Birch PDP 805 snare drum!

Problem is, it was totally impulse. So what should I do with it? Would it be could for a snare side head? Or should it replace my Hi-Energy? Much thanks,

-me

(PS: If I get a good answer, I'll post a hilarious picture of this music store's "bargain bin" of drum parts)
 
You bought a coated Ambassador knowing that you already have a batter head? Take it back and get a clear, then put it on your snare side.
 
You bought a coated Ambassador knowing that you already have a batter head? Take it back and get a clear, then put it on your snare side.

Haha, I'm on vacation, and I leave tomorrow morning...I can't take it back. But I don't mind keeping it until I get a new snare drum...however, would it work as a snare side head?
 
Do you already have a spare snare head? I always take one with me wherever I gig. All it took was one snare head breaking during a recording session for me to learn my lesson. Plus, if you are in the middle of a practice session, you can change the head without having to drive all the way to the store...
 
Do you already have a spare snare head? I always take one with me wherever I gig. All it took was one snare head breaking during a recording session for me to learn my lesson. Plus, if you are in the middle of a practice session, you can change the head without having to drive all the way to the store...

Well...I'm not a super-hard hitter, and I have a pretty strong Hi-energy head, so I'd rather just use it now...can I use it as a snare side head?
 
Haha, I'm on vacation, and I leave tomorrow morning...I can't take it back. But I don't mind keeping it until I get a new snare drum...however, would it work as a snare side head?

Yes, it will work fine, you probably won't notice much of a difference between clear and coated on the snare side, but anything is better than a stock head.
 
Well...I'm not a super-hard hitter, and I have a pretty strong Hi-energy head, so I'd rather just use it now...can I use it as a snare side head?

Nope. Too thick. What head do you have on your batter right now? Hi-energy?
 
Yeah, I have a hi-energy on the batter. Is it seriously too thick? I thought it was single ply!

It is single ply.

But snare side heads are about 2-3 mil, less then half the weight of your ambassador. My advice is to just save it.
 
My philosophy is that you can't go wrong by trying it out and seeing how it sounds.

Well, I could go wrong, because my current stock head is stretched super-tight, and won't be usable once I take it off. Is it not common to use an ambassador as a side head? Or would my snare sound better if I just replaced the hi energy?

So, um, would it work?
 
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Yeah, I have a hi-energy on the batter. Is it seriously too thick? I thought it was single ply!

Yes, single ply 7 - 10 mil for batters....typically.

Snare sides usually 3-5 mil.

It will be too thick and non-articulate enough. If that makes sense...lol.
 
Check out the remo/evans website (or whatever drumhead manufacturer you like). I like evans personally. They make heads specificly for the reso (such as the hazy 300). If you put the ambassador on it'll sound dead.
 
Check out the remo/evans website (or whatever drumhead manufacturer you like). I like evans personally. They make heads specificly for the reso (such as the hazy 300). If you put the ambassador on it'll sound dead.

So if the Ambassador is too thick, should I use it for my batter head? Will it sound better than the hi-energy?
 
So if the Ambassador is too thick, should I use it for my batter head? Will it sound better than the hi-energy?

No.

Nothing sounds better than anything else. It just sounds different. I thought you loved your current snare drum head?
 
No.

Nothing sounds better than anything else. It just sounds different. I thought you loved your current snare drum head?

I do. But I want a snare side head. Would it completely kill the snare sound to use the Ambassador, or would it just be a bit more muffled?
 
Do you already have a spare snare head? I always take one with me wherever I gig. All it took was one snare head breaking during a recording session for me to learn my lesson. Plus, if you are in the middle of a practice session, you can change the head without having to drive all the way to the store...

I agree. Keep the Ambassador around as a spare batter head (NOT snare-side head, that's just silly!) in the rare event that your Hi-Energy breaks.
 
I agree. Keep the Ambassador around as a spare batter head (NOT snare-side head, that's just silly!) in the rare event that your Hi-Energy breaks.

Actually, I'm tempted to just try out the Ambassador as a batter head, to see how it sounds, who knows, I might like it? Either way, I'm eventually buying/getting a new snare drum, so we'll see. But heads are so cheap anyways, although they could be cheaper...
 
Just keep it as a snare. Having a coated head on the snare is side is, to the snares, vibrating in mud. It won't let the snares vibrate, it'll sound like a high pitched tom with snares flapping around

If that made any sense
 
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