Clear or Coated Emperors?

deano

Junior Member
Hey guys,

Just a quick question. I'm just about to re-skin my Pearl Session maple kit. I currently have clear ambassadors on the resos and coated emperors on the batter, which I was quite happy with, but I'm looking for a more contemporary, rnb, hip-hop kinda sound and I think I might get more of that from clear emperors. I found the coated tuned well but maybe cut out a little too much.

Thoughts?

Cheers.
 
Hey guys,

Just a quick question. I'm just about to re-skin my Pearl Session maple kit. I currently have clear ambassadors on the resos and coated emperors on the batter, which I was quite happy with, but I'm looking for a more contemporary, rnb, hip-hop kinda sound and I think I might get more of that from clear emperors. I found the coated tuned well but maybe cut out a little too much.

Thoughts?

Cheers.

I was told that whenever you apply the frosty coating to any heads, the pitch drops slightly because the head is a little heavier than without. That would be the only difference. As far as cutting goes, it's been negligible for me.
 
I use coated Emperors on my toms, over clear, soon to be ebony ambassador resos, and i find they are very versatile. How bout taking your 12 inch tom to GC and trying out a bunch of different combinations of heads and finding whats best for you? May take awhile, but you'll be happy with the outcome.
 
Go for clears. I have the coated Emp's and I'm not impressed at all.

I bought coated for a certain look I was trying to achieve when refinishing my drums, but after hearing them, I swapped them out for my old clear EC2's after all of my project pictures were taken.

My next head purchase will be probably be clear Emperors.
 
I like the clear emps on my maple/mahogany Sessions. I had coated emps. Clear seem a little brighter. I have clear amb's on reso. I also finished the interiors of the shells to add a little more brightness. I think. They sound about right to my ears now, more modern, though I did like the thuddyness of the coated emp's, being an old guy.
 
I think you should have gone for Coated Ambassadors, although I hear the Vintage A's are excellent heads, in between the Amb's and the Emperor's. Great punch to them very recognisable sound.
 
Cheers for that lads... I might go for the clear emperors as I kinda wanted to try them as it is..

On a side-note, I bought an Evans Power Center Reverse Dot today for my 6 1/2'' deep maple masters snare. pretty bright souns, not exactly what I was looking for tbh. Maybe a bit too 'bright' with very little overtone control for that size snare. Have you guys ever used one of these?
 
buy one clear emperor , and try it , if you like how it sound , then get clear emperors for all your toms. this will save money and dissapointments
 
Ah, the eternal question.

I've asked myself the same thing each head change for years. I've swapped back and forth so may times I can't keep up. I find the clear have a slightly more prominant attack with the stick.....they are slightly brighter, while the coated are a little warmer and 'rounder' sounding. Both great heads imho. I'm currently using coated, maybe next time I'll pick up some clears.......or should that be coated again......or clear......damn it...... :)
 
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