Evans vs. Aquarian

AZStickman

Senior Member
Time to change Tom and snare heads on my kit and I wondered what your thoughts were on Evans Vs. Aquarian. I have narrowed my choices down based on the sound I am looking for to either;

Toms batter = Evans G2
Toms Reso = Evans G Plus Clear

Snare Batter = Evans Power Center Reverse Dot Coated or G2
Snare reso = Evans Clear 300

or

Toms batter = Aquarian Response 2 Black Coated
Toms Reso = Aquarian Response 2 Clear

Snare Batter = Aquarian High Velocity Black Coated
Snare Reso = Aquarian Classic Clear

Thanks for any responses....... Terry
 
I am a huge Aquarian fan, the coating is probably the best out there, and they have a great warm sound. Make sure you get a Classic Clear Snare Side, and not the regular Classic Clear.
That all being said, Evans just came out with a new collar design that apparently makes tuning a breeze. I don't think you'll mess up either way.
Maybe you could buy one of each brand for a 12" drum or so, and try them both before you get a whole new set. It will only cost one head extra, and you'll be sure you get the sound you want.
Good luck.
 
Jodgey4....
Thanks for the input..... I have been very impressed with the sound clips on the Aquarian site, The response 2 black coated are exactly the sound I am looking for, at least from the sound clip. I have yet to hear anyone say anything bad about these heads and I am leaning that way.....Terry
 
Have you also considered the Aquarian Super 2 Tom heads? I think they are closer to the Evans G2's.
 
Terrence....... I just listened to the Super 2 recording and it seems like they do have nice sound .... What reso heads would you recommend with them?..... Terry
 
Be sure to know that those recordings are processed through audio mixing and such, they aren't on your drums, and they aren't tuned how you tune- so it's not a good idea to just go by the recordings.

Anyways, the Super-2s are great all-purpose heads. What kind of sound are you looking for? Response-2s on the reso side of your toms will have a much different effect than G-Plus, I'll tell you that.
 
Since both companies make quality heads, I'd say try both brands on your drums, with the way you tune to find the best match.
I'd do a top and bottom from each brand for one drum, and see what makes you say "that's it" right away.
That's not too much an investment.

The Evans collar change seems pretty cool, and their coating is nice and they hold their tone for a long time.
Aquarian recently changed their film, which seems to be more along the lines of what they initially had. They have literature about the new film being used.
I'm happy about a film change, because their initial film was a lot sturdier in my experience. The coating has always been great, but when they changed their film (back around 2000), heads which did NOT dent on me, were denting like crazy--within a 30-40 minute period of time. That was a bummer!
Other people have not had that issue with Aquarian, but dent Remo heads...and don't dent Remo heads at all (??!!).

Good luck with your testing!
 
I'm looking for good attack, moderate sustain, and heads that will tune low well. I am very good at tuning. Even though the sound clips are mixed they still seem to have the same settings for each demo and provide a good comparison head to head. Although not necessarily brand to brand....... Thanks for the input guys....... Terry
 
I think any of Aquarian's tom models with a "power dot" will do well, especially their Performance IIs. You might want to look at Evans' Black Chrome heads as well- they have a wonderful low tone and actually aren't as metal!!!! as they're advertised.
Also, do what Karl suggested :)
 
Evans PCRD used to be my go to snare head now I use Aquarian Hi-Velocity or Hi-Energy. I still love the sound of Evans G2 over G1 clear on my toms though. But that is what works for me, I would suggest for anyone that likes Evans PCRD on their snare to try hi-velocity or hi energy on their snare.
 
I think overall both companies make great heads, so as long as you choose a model that suits your tuning and playing style, I doubt you'll go wrong with either one.

That said, I've recently begun switching over from Evans (which I've played for almost 15 years) to Aquarian because I've really liked the tone and durability of every head I've tried.

The Hi Velocity is an outstanding snare head. I just recently picked one up and I really like the sound.

I haven't seen anyone mention the Hi Performance snare side, but it is without a doubt my favorite snare side head. For me the extra laminated patches seem to add an extra bit of rigidity to the head that translates into crisper snare response.

As far as general construction goes the G2 and the Response 2 are the same; two 7-mil plies. The Super 2 is a 7-mil and a 5-mil, which should sound similar but perhaps a bit more open. I've not tried either one on my kit so I can't comment with any actual experience.
 
I use the Super-2s on my kit. I got a Hi-Energy for a friend's Acrolite and I now love playing that snare. Great round, full sound, without high overtones. It's not as dry or dead or quiet like many other pre-muffled heads -- not to mention it's near indestructible. I would have recommended it to you earlier, but I thought you wanted black heads all around.
If you use the search bar, you can find lots of great threads about all of these heads. Also, there are videos on YouTube comparing many heads. I think the best thing to do would just to be to buy a few to try. What styles do you play?
 
Lots of good info, thanks guys....... I play mostly classic Rock and Blues. But enjoy a little jazz and sit in on a country session every now and then........ Terry
 
Ah, alright, I figured more of a heavier rock 'n' roll thing given the criteria. I think the Super-2s would do really well, I have coated ones on my fairly dead kit and they sing like birds. If you're looking to cut down sustain a little bit but add some warmth to the sound you might try some coated resonant heads, I have Remo Ambassadors but Aquarian's Texture Coated and Evans's coated G1s are the same category.
 
I'm torn, and I'm really interested in which head will win. I have my favorite Aquarian head (Texture Coated Reverse Dot) on one snare drum, and my favorite Evans head Coated G1 PCRD) on another snare drum. It may take awhile, but in the end, only one head will be left standing. The suspense is killing me.To be continued....
 
If you do more classic rock blues and jazz , coated response 2 would be the ticket. And like others say , the high energy snare heads are awesome and nearly indestructible.
 
Using a 12.9 Saturn, I've gone through many combinations in an effort to get that gut punching low tone...So far the winner to my ear is clear G2 over clear G1....but there is still more attack than I want

Clear G1 on bottom seems like my preference....going to try G12 on top and coated G2 and I suspect one of those will end the search.


Edit: after thinking there was too much attack on the clear G2, I came back to it the next day and found I was wrong....Clear G2 it is.
 
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