Remo Fiberskyn/Skyntone Questions

[vyacheslav]

Greetings,

I notice that typical Remo Diplomat heads are 1 ply. 7.5 mil, yet the Fiberskyn is 7.5 mil + a 3 mil polyspun Fiber (the "Fiber in "Fiberskyn"), so a Diplomat Fiberskyn is a 1 ply, 10.5 mil. A regular Ambassador is 10 mil. So basically, a Diplomat Fiberskyn is an Ambassador weight head.

As mentioned, a regular Ambassador head is 1 ply, 10 mil. The Fiberskyn Ambassador is 10 mil + the 3 mil polyspun Fiber, so a Fiberskyn Ambassador is a 1 ply, 13 mil head. An Emperor, although 2 ply is 14 mil total (two 7 mil plies). So a Fiberskyn Ambassador is nearly the thickness of an Emperor or an Ambassador X14 (1 ply, 14 mil).

This is a little misleading in my opinion. If you're used to the weight and sound of an Ambassador and get a Fiberskyn Ambassador, it's going to be 30% thicker than you are used to. Same with a Diplomat, which the Fiberskyn version is 40% thicker than standard. Seems Remo could do a better job with the names/weights on those.

Also, a recently bought a used snare with a Remo Skyntone batter head. It is similar to a Fiberskyn, but it felt a little thinner and didn't have as "Fibery" a texture as a Fiberskyn. It felt more like a Suede or Renaissance head to me. I wasn't familiar with this line of heads, and it looks like they are only available in Diplomat weights, but again it's a 5 mil ( as opposed to 7.5) but with the 3 mil Polyspun Fiber, it's 8 mil total, which is in-between an Ambassador and a Diplomat. According to Remo, it's the closest head they make that simulates real Calfskin (I though it would be the Fiberskyns).

Does anybody have experience with the Skyntone heads on toms? Also, didn't the Skyntone used to be available in Ambassador weights or am I mistaken? Finally, what is the difference in sound and feel between a Diplomat Fiberskyn and a Diplomat Skyntone (other than 3.5 mils).

Thanks for your help.

V

 

[Griener]

Haven’t used Fiberskyn in years, but before I switched completely to calf skin I used Skyntones exclusively for some years on almost every drum I played regularly. I think they only come in one weight and yes, I also think they‘re the closest to real calf from all the drum heads available. And trust me, I tried all the options. Fiberskyn always sounded rather dull to me and I always had the problem of the top layer dissolving after some time, just like with the Evans Calftone (they’re closer to Fiberskyn than to Skyntone anyway).
So I can recommend the Skyntones if you’re a light hitter, but there is still nothing like real calf.

 

[Griener]

And yes, I used the Skyntones on toms as well as on my 18“ Slingerland bass drum.
sounded great, but I do like the open sound of thin drumheads.

 

[Neilage]

I have Skyntone batters on my Gretsch Renown RN2 and absolutely love them!

IMO, the tone and feel are far better than the Fiberskyns. As a bonus, they are aesthetically gorgeous.

The only negative is they are susceptible to dents for very hard hitters, so I do not recommend them for metal players.

I believe they are best suited for jazz, 70's funk, big band, Yacht Rock, etc.