Do you buy heads just to have spares?

Tamboreter

Tamboreter

Silver Member
Currently, I don't have any spare drumheads in my array of stuff. If I bought some extra heads to have on hand, like batters for snare and toms, will the heads stay fresh or do they tend to deteriorate in storage?? Is is better to wait until they are needed and then order some? What says the hive??

I know the answer will vary depending on playing circumstances. For me, this is my home kit that doesn't go out on gigs.
 
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I have some leftover heads I use as spares, usually heads I tried but didn't love the sound of, so I switched. I figure I will use them in an emergency if I have to, otherwise I order my favorite heads when I feel like the ones I have gets too "muddy" sounding, not much more life to them. I don't think the heads gets worse over time as long as they are not stored in a cold basement for a long time, but I'm no expert on that field...
 
Tamboreter said:
Currently, I don't have any spare drumheads in my array of stuff. If I bought some extra heads to have on hand, like batters for snare and toms, will the heads stay fresh or do they tend to deteriorate in storage?? Is is better to wait until they are needed and then order some? What says the hive??

I know the answer will vary depending on playing circumstances. For me, this is my home kit that doesn't go out on gigs.
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I don't find heads deteriorate under normal conditions. I have heard that Evans early frosted coating got sticky over time, but I think they corrected that.

Back in the days when I gigged every weekend, I kept spares on hand. Musician's Friend used to have ten-packs of 14" coated Ambassadors for about $100, so I'd buy them that way. I always had 1 or 2 heads for each tom in reserve, too.

Since I'm not gigging much now, I don't really keep spares, other than heads I've switched out because I wanted to try something new.
 
petrez said:
I have some leftover heads I use as spares, usually heads I tried but didn't love the sound of, so I switched. I figure I will use them in an emergency if I have to, otherwise I order my favorite heads when I feel like the ones I have gets too "muddy" sounding, not much more life to them.
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I have done this in the past as well, but I've whittled my spares down to nothing. I gave some away that I didn't like to a kid who was happy to have something better than stock heads, IYKWIM.
 
Same as @petrez. I'm a basement dweller and keep any "re-useable" heads as spares. I'll only replace them if the coating wears off, as they *never* get stick dents (unless I let drunken buddies sit at the kit). I'm happy with coated Ambassadors over clear Diplomats on my toms and a coated Amb over a hazy Dip on my snare. Unless something catastrophic happens to my BD heads, I'll probably never change those.

Unless you live in the boonies without internet, you should be able to have replacements in short order.

(edit) On second thought, it might be nice to have a snare batter head on hand - one that you know and like.
 
Smoke said:
Unless you live in the boonies without internet, you should be able to have replacements in short order.
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Yes, and with today's rising cost, I hate to buy "extras" that aren't going to get deployed right away. I've also dialed down the urge to experiment with different heads and I'm also keeping heads on longer than in the past. If I'm no longer getting the sound I want, then I'll know it's time for a change. (y)
 
I go through phases with heads where I'll buy a set either because I know I want/need that particular sound, or if there's something new that catches my eye. Which means I have a lot of various heads stacked up and ready to go. Some have been on the drums before, some are still waiting for the right time to try them out.
 
Yes. Heads aren’t like food. They can store. But if it makes you feel better, you can put them in the fridge 😉

I have a complete set of heads that fits in what used to be the cymbal compartment in my 24x24x12 trap case. There are also spare bass drum beaters, extra pedal and pedal parts/snare drum parts, and tools that travel with me too.
 
Yes, I keep lots of heads for future use, toms, snares and bass drum. Peace and goodwill.
 
Yes I stock up on extra heads, mostly snare drum heads, but also bass drum and toms. I did most of my head purchases back in the pandemic when there were predictions of supply chain shortages. Figured I just get ahead of the problem. Recently I ordered a batch of Aquarian Super 2 Coated for toms (I haven't played coated heads on toms for decades) to supplement several other Aquarian models I already have stocked. I have Aquarian Force I Clear and Superkick I clear heads on hand. Finally a wide array of different snare drum heads in stock: 13-inch, 14-inch, and 15-inch. I'm pretty much good to go at this point for the remainder of my drumming days.
 
If you gig a lot, especially out on the road away from civilization (i.e. music stores), it's a good idea to have some spares available, even if they're just modestly used heads. I tend to swap my snare heads out long before they might fail, and I swap out my tom heads every season or two depending on the number of gigs.
 
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