Tommy_D
Platinum Member
Wow, that subject line sounds like some music majors title to their Master's Thesis Project, but in essence I'm asking if anyone here has chosen drum heads not only by the sound they are looking for, but also varied their heads on the kit based on the size of the drum the head will be on.
Sure its easy to tell people G2's over G1's, but I don't think that rule works when you have drums that range in size from 8" to 18". In my case (and many others as well) I have 8" to 16" toms and I want to try to balance the attack and sustain of the drums as I move around the kit. I have found in the past that the small drums have a quick "ping" of a sound that cuts, but doesn't do much else. On the other end of the spectrum you have big floor toms that rumble, but sustain for days... I could just buy a matching set of heads for all the drums and use moon gel to cut some of that sustain, but I would like to work with the varying heads that manufactures offer to design a set that balances all the drums. Ideally, I would like to get good tone and sustain out of the drums while cutting out the excessive sustain of the floor toms.
Here is what I'm working with and what I'm trying to achieve:
Kit: Gretsch Catalina Maple kit 30 degree edges (8/10/12/14/16)
Sound: Rounded tone (somewhat fat/wet but not too muffled) with soft stick attack.
I'm thinking a two ply coated head like a G2 would work well. EC2's may be too muffled for what I'm trying to achieve but they may be good for the floor toms? Balanced sustain along the 3 rack toms (8/10/12). Maybe I need a G1 coated on the 8" so it can speak more? The floor toms should have a good bottom end but not ring out for ever. Maybe EC2's for the batter heads is a good idea to control the sustain?
Then what should I do for the resonant heads? Genera Resonant for the rack toms and EC Resonant for floors?
What are your thoughts?
Sure its easy to tell people G2's over G1's, but I don't think that rule works when you have drums that range in size from 8" to 18". In my case (and many others as well) I have 8" to 16" toms and I want to try to balance the attack and sustain of the drums as I move around the kit. I have found in the past that the small drums have a quick "ping" of a sound that cuts, but doesn't do much else. On the other end of the spectrum you have big floor toms that rumble, but sustain for days... I could just buy a matching set of heads for all the drums and use moon gel to cut some of that sustain, but I would like to work with the varying heads that manufactures offer to design a set that balances all the drums. Ideally, I would like to get good tone and sustain out of the drums while cutting out the excessive sustain of the floor toms.
Here is what I'm working with and what I'm trying to achieve:
Kit: Gretsch Catalina Maple kit 30 degree edges (8/10/12/14/16)
Sound: Rounded tone (somewhat fat/wet but not too muffled) with soft stick attack.
I'm thinking a two ply coated head like a G2 would work well. EC2's may be too muffled for what I'm trying to achieve but they may be good for the floor toms? Balanced sustain along the 3 rack toms (8/10/12). Maybe I need a G1 coated on the 8" so it can speak more? The floor toms should have a good bottom end but not ring out for ever. Maybe EC2's for the batter heads is a good idea to control the sustain?
Then what should I do for the resonant heads? Genera Resonant for the rack toms and EC Resonant for floors?
What are your thoughts?