Single ply batters

The Vintage A's on snares are awesome, its been my go to snare head over the past year. Havnt tried it on toms. Prefer double ply, I use G2s. Tried a clear Ambassador on my 14" ft and it was a nightmare. Way too boomy and "boingy" for my taste. I like a fatter sound.

Whatever floats your boat, its all good.
 
My reasoning in my early days for either coated emperors or coated ambassadors was partly economic as well. Coated ambassadors (moreso) and emperors are pretty common and in stock in alot of shops around where I live. And if people like Andy Newmark and Jeff Porcaro say ambassadors top and bottom give them the sound on songs I've loved over my lifetime, then they're good enough for me. I've never been able achieve a bad sounding drum with ambassadors top and bottom.

The durability issue can be taken care of by using emperors on top, but usually I can go with ambassadors and just change them out when its time. I hardly ever break heads, even with slamming them pretty hard.
 
Some heads just sound better on some kits than on others. I have three kits that I use single play batters and three that I'm currently using double ply. I love the sound of G2 clear batter heads on the toms of my Starclassic Bubinga drums and after checking many different head combinations, I won't use anything but Evans G1 coated batters on the toms of my Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute. Depending on the sound that you're after, the marriage between the shells and heads are a very important factor, more so than what famous, or not so famous drummers has chosen to use on their particular kit.

Dennis
 
Why not save time & try this :)


Not quite sure what she's doing there Andy...

Tried ironing put the dents in my single ply clear tom heads today. Put a layer of T-shirt material between the iron and the drumhead. Yea, don't waste your time. At first I thought I messed up because I got too close to the collar on my 10" tom head. Then I ironed only the middle of my 16" head without coming near the edges. Doesn't work. Waste of time. Myth busted. Makes your head wavy and doesn't tension so hot anymore. Kinda ruins them.
 
Excuse me for asking but this is for all of you guys that dent single ply heads.
Why do you hit your drums that hard?
I never dent my single ply heads.
If I have to hit a tom so hard that a 10 mil head dents then I simply put mics on the kit.
A drum doesn't even sound good when it is hit hard enough to dent heads.
Again, Im just curious because I have never had this problem.
 
Excuse me for asking but this is for all of you guys that dent single ply heads.
Why do you hit your drums that hard?
I never dent my single ply heads.
If I have to hit a tom so hard that a 10 mil head dents then I simply put mics on the kit.
A drum doesn't even sound good when it is hit hard enough to dent heads.
Again, Im just curious because I have never had this problem.
Either have I. My brother used to all the time, but he hit everything in life too hard!
 
In my case, it's not that they are hit too hard, as much as the angle of the tip. A severe stick/tip angle dents heads without excessive force. I dent my heads because in the thick of a song, sometimes I don't hit the toms at the optimum angle, especially when I'm crossing over myself. Dents happen. In my practice studio, my heads aren't dented. It happens on my gigging kit though.
 
Either have I. My brother used to all the time, but he hit everything in life too hard!
I was gonna say something but I won't ;)
I'll let this one go by me!

Larry, your toms are flat from what I have seen. How do you do that?
 
Well today I did a across the room to across the room on two identical kits, except for the finish of course to compare Emperor over Ambassador on the Burl, to Coated Ambassador over Ambassador on the Yellow Ocher.

Burl
Better attack
More solid feel
more depth of sound(bigger)

Yellow Ocher
Less attack
More mushy feel(reminded me a bit of my Roland Mesh heads)
a more full and natural sound(warmer)
 
I was gonna say something but I won't ;)
I'll let this one go by me!

Larry, your toms are flat from what I have seen. How do you do that?
Yes he used to hit me all the time! :) Or were you going to say he didn't him me enough, or not hard enough! :(
 
I was gonna say something but I won't ;)
I'll let this one go by me!

Larry, your toms are flat from what I have seen. How do you do that?

Well the toms are not flat, they are at maybe a 22.5 degree angle. Optimally, the flat part of the stick bead hits the head, but when the point hits first, that does it. The point hits first because my stick angle isn't optimal. Only happens sometimes.
 
Well the toms are not flat, they are at maybe a 22.5 degree angle. Optimally, the flat part of the stick bead hits the head, but when the point hits first, that does it. The point hits first because my stick angle isn't optimal. Only happens sometimes.
To me a 22 degree angle is flat. I set my high tom/toms that way.
Even when I cross my arms I don't dig my stick tips in.
Perhaps your toms are to low?
 
To me a 22 degree angle is flat. I set my high tom/toms that way.
Even when I cross my arms I don't dig my stick tips in.
Perhaps your toms are to low?
I dent G1 clears Bob. Partially because of the tip shape I prefer, but mainly during the occasional big dynamic burst or accent. G1's & a big full sounding rock band, it's going to happen :( G2's however just tend to dish over time.
 
I'm surprised you never dented a head Bob. My heads also get dented up because every week, at least 5 other drummers play them at the open mic I am a part of. They make the majority of the dents, but it happens to me too. I don't change my heads too much because the other guys just dent the heads anyway. I've learned to let that go a while ago. The dents don't affect the tone THAT much. A little for sure, but nothing to get my shorts in a twist. I've considered changing the heads every week (to a dented set) for the open mic, but it's just too much hassle. The acorn tips are the big offenders, with that point on the front.
 
I'm surprised you never dented a head Bob. My heads also get dented up because every week, at least 5 other drummers play them at the open mic I am a part of. They make the majority of the dents, but it happens to me too. I don't change my heads too much because the other guys just dent the heads anyway. I've learned to let that go a while ago. The dents don't affect the tone THAT much. A little for sure, but nothing to get my shorts in a twist. I've considered changing the heads every week (to a dented set) for the open mic, but it's just too much hassle. The acorn tips are the big offenders, with that point on the front.
Wouldn't it just be easier to accept the versatility of a two ply head for your kit. Especially if others are wacking away at it?
 
Yes it would be easier. But I don't prefer the tone of 2 ply heads on my toms. Plus the 2 ply heads can get dented too. I pride myself on having a fantastic sounding set of drums. I can't remember the last time I saw a live bar band with a great sounding kit, they usually suck. It's a matter of personal integrity.
 
Yes it would be easier. But I don't prefer the tone of 2 ply heads on my toms. Plus the 2 ply heads can get dented too. I pride myself on having a fantastic sounding set of drums. I can't remember the last time I saw a live bar band with a great sounding kit, they usually suck. It's a matter of personal integrity.
Well, I have a great sounding kit also, and it has two ply heads. I have lots of that personal integrity also. ;)
 
Two ply heads sound good onstage. Great even. It's out in the audience, unmiced, that I don't prefer the tone. They subtract from the drum at 15 feet IMO. I'm very sensitive to the sound of the attack. I can sense the thickness of the head just by listening to the attack, and I just don't like the attack of a thicker head. From the audiences perspective. I get to hear my drums, played by different drummers, from the audience, every single week, so I know what works and what doesn't work as well, according to my preferences. The open mic drummers that come to my jam, they have it so good. How rare is that?
 
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