Less sustain ... Some advice needed

Dutch Drummer

Dutch Drummer

Member
Hi all, I could use a litte advice from you ...
I have coated emperors on top and coated ambassador on the bottom side of the toms of my birch kit. Sound great.
But now I am looking for the head combination with less sustain. I don't want my kit sound dead or dull. I just want less sustain (I guess I want more sustain again in a few months, but then I can put the old heads back 😊)
Suggestions are very welcome, thanks
 
Pinstripes are a classic head combo with birch kits, so maybe you could try that and see if that's what you're looking for. Also, using moongels/o-rings/snare-weights to quickly reduce the sustain without needing to change heads is also an option.
 
The canonical way to shorten sustain is to adjust the interval between the heads. Tune the bottom head a bit lower or a fourth higher than the batter will help.
Any perimeter dampening (rings, moongel, etc.) will control the overtones but leave the fundamental sustain intact. By the time you get "shorter sustain" the drum is stone dead. The only way is to dampen the centre of the head like a Controlled Sound head.
 
Head choice is about sound. Sustain is to be controlled by tape, moon gel or snare weights etc.
Pre-damped heads are ok, but if you suddenly find you need a bit more sustain you have to change heads.
The emperor/ambassador combo is a classic IMO.
 
Keep your heads and try Rem-O's tone control rings (most other brands have their own as well) - I've had very good luck with them. You can get a set for less than 25 bucks. If you want more sustain for a certain song you can pull them off in a few seconds. I usually cut them down (circumferentially) by about 50% - they deaden the tone a bit too much for my liking. If you have old heads lying around, you can cut them up and make your own - a good reason to save those old heads.
1704022695004.png
 
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die cast hoop top and bottom
1 outer (h) ply maple/ 4 gum (v/h/v/v) /1 ply inner (h) maple
5 lug 12 and 10
silver sealer inside
trying to come up with a name
 
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JoeVermont said:
Keep your heads and try Rem-O's tone control rings (most other brands have their own as well) - I've had very good luck with them. You can get a set for less than 25 bucks. If you want more sustain for a certain song you can pull them off in a few seconds. I usually cut them down (circumferentially) by about 50% - they deaden the tone a bit too much for my liking. If you have old heads lying around, you can cut them up and make your own - a good reason to save those old heads.
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They kill a lot more than sustain
 
AudioWonderland said:
They kill a lot more than sustain
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Man, these O-Rings mean business then.
arnold schwarzenegger predator GIF
 
jda said:
die cast hoop top and bottom
1 ply maple/ 4 plies of gum (second stacked vertical) /inner 1 ply maple
5 lug 12 and 10
silver sealer inside
trying to come up with a name
Click to expand...
Does it start with a G and does end with retsch USA Custom?
 
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technical point- still not satisfied- I know for sure.

Horizontal and Vertical. no I'm not speaking John Good.
The Gretsch formula Jasper/ keller USAC shell.
here's what is known.
maple/ 4 plies of gum/ maple

horizontal (outer) maple - (inner) horizontal maple
Now to the four plies of Gum- and where it isn't clear.
It's a fact the second ply of gum is stacked different.

But-
are the four plies of gum- stacked

horizontal/ vertical/ horizontal/ horizontal
or
vertical/ horizontal/vertical/ vertical

I hope to discover (even Paul C sort of muffs the answer in a vid ) the clear answer in 2024; no hurry 😁
 
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