So I may be experiencing this again

Bo Eder

Platinum Member
One of the things I’ve always complained about with Evans heads (pre-UV), is that when they start to go dead, they literally go dead. One of the reasons I suspect they developed the UV line. It’d be nice if they extended the UV film into all of their heads as my EC2’s, G2’s, and EQ4 heads have all died at about the same time. I have a fresh set of G2’s to install and a new EQ4, but I swear this is why I’ve stayed with Remo most of my life. Remo is like the head for people with no money since they tend to sound good the longest amount of time before giving out or just breaking (I’ve not broken a head in years).

So I’ll install these G2’s tonight but after this I’ll probably head back to Remo. I keep wanting to like Evans but that Mylar they’re using is different from Remo and unless I go UV, Evans heads will always need to be changed earlier.

OK, rant over, but am I wrong?
 
REMO rules Bo.
I know. I've been playing them since there was a choice (at least since 1974 when I got my first drum from mom & dad), and like Zildjian, I just always made them work, and they have worked. But in the last few years, every now and then I'd get a dead emperor or something (which you didn't find out until you put it on the drum and played it - which meant you couldn't return it at that point), so hopefully that's all worked out by now.... I do know if I use pinstripes or black dots, those have always consistently sounded the way they have - maybe I'll go super-1980s and get pinstripes....
 
I like my Evans drum heads. I have not had a problem with them going "dead". However, I don't use two ply heads; G2's and EC2's . I always use one ply heads. Possibly it has to do with the two plys. Maybe the space between each ply increases as the heads get used. ????

I have been using a UV head on my snare drum. Wow, the UV head can sure take a beating! And it keeps looking near new.

.
 
I like my Evans drum heads. I have not had a problem with them going "dead". However, I don't use two ply heads; G2's and EC2's . I always use one ply heads. Possibly it has to do with the two plys. Maybe the space between each ply increases as the heads get used. ????

I have been using a UV head on my snare drum. Wow, the UV head can sure take a beating! And it keeps looking near new.

.
That’s just it. When I use 2-ply Remo heads, I don’t have a problem with those going dead. It’s almost as if Remo knows it because their heads are always a bit more expensive than Evans.
I just got some new coated G2’s on the toms and a new EQ4 on the bass drum - my snare has a new DW Ambassador on it so I should be good for two months of home practicing for now.
 
I found Aquarian to take a few days to settle in, but they sound great after that and last a long time. Not like UV1s, but still long lasting.
For some reason I'm not a fan of Aquarian. It might've been that warped bass drum head I got from them on a mail-order. I've been turned off ever since.
 
I know. I've been playing them since there was a choice (at least since 1974 when I got my first drum from mom & dad), and like Zildjian, I just always made them work, and they have worked. But in the last few years, every now and then I'd get a dead emperor or something (which you didn't find out until you put it on the drum and played it - which meant you couldn't return it at that point), so hopefully that's all worked out by now.... I do know if I use pinstripes or black dots, those have always consistently sounded the way they have - maybe I'll go super-1980s and get pinstripes....
I swear by pinstripes on my toms...it’s my sound now so can’t imagine using anything else. (y) :D?
 
OK, rant over, but am I wrong?
Well, if this has been your experience with Evans heads several times, how can you be wrong?

I think it’s ridiculous that those EC2s have gone sour in the short time you’ve owned that sweet DW kit. It’s not like you’ve gigged them 6 nights a week, so I’d say moderate use right? Underwhelming.

I will say that I bought coated Emps for my Premier kit, and they seem different than the Emps I’ve used in the past. IMO they definitely did something to the coating. These Emps have not shown the instant stick marks/coating wear I’ve seen in the past. They sound fantastic, they have that Remo tone, the coating seems improved, and they crackle when you install them! Unlike you, I have never gotten a bad 2 ply Remo. Ever. In over 30 years. I’m thinking I’ll find Bigfoot before I find a bad 2 ply Remo.

On the contrary I have had Evans heads with defects. It happens. They took care of me and made it right.

I’ll sit back and wait for you to try Remos on that beautiful DW kit.
 
For some reason I'm not a fan of Aquarian. It might've been that warped bass drum head I got from them on a mail-order. I've been turned off ever since.
You owe it to yourself to try it again, although I'm not sure I'd recommend trying their BD heads again, since you're a PS3 fan. If you're into the pre-muffled heads, the Regulator or SuperKick series, can't be touched. I tried the Studio-X series for BD and it wasn't much different than a simple single ply with no ring. If you are going into the studio, the Studio-X series is fantastic on toms. When you're done, the rings peel off easy and your back to Texture Coated. Remo Ambassadors sound great right out of the box. I like their tone, but the overtones can run away a bit. If you play brushes, the coating is gone in a week under regular sticks, so they don't do that well with brushes, much beyond new. The Aquarian Texture Coated takes a couple of days to really settle in and sound good and don't struggle with runaway overtones nearly as much. They do have overtones, just not runaway ones like the Ambassadors can and the coating lasts a really long time.

My go to heads have been Remo PS3s for BD and Aquarian Texture Coated on toms and snare for a while. I will run an Ambassador on my aluminum snare, if I can't get Aquarian. That snare is dry, so the extra overtones from the Remo just make it a touch wetter sounding. On my bronze, the same head has way too much twang! I'll use it, but almost never without dampening. My mics seem lo love the twang from that snare, where the TC heads are nice and smooth. Playability, body, fullness...all there with both brands.

Not sure why Evans goes dead for some and not for others. I don't play hard and can keep a set of heads dent free for a long time. Every Evans I try just suddenly dies, except the UV1. I used to be all over those heads, but then one day, I just didn't like them. I don't know, maybe they died too but my 12 and 14" toms had this slappy sound I couldn't tune out. 16" FT was still fine. They still looked new too. Killer concept though!
 
I agree. Try Aquarian again. Also. . . .Attack is making some new drum heads that I've seen on Sounds Like A Drum. Haven't tried any, but they seem very similar to Ambassadors (at least the coated ones I've seen). I'm sure considerably less expensive as well.
 
I’m old enough to have had coated ambassadors on a bass drum with a felt strip as stock from the factory ?. And this was pre-black dot. I’m tempted to try black dots top and bottom too. Heck, Tony and Charlie don’t seem to mind.
 
Where the EC2s new when you put them on or had they been mounted before? I've been using g12s on rack toms and G14 on floor toms and they have lasted a pretty long time. Due to lock down I'm playing a lot more now than before.
 
Where the EC2s new when you put them on or had they been mounted before? I've been using g12s on rack toms and G14 on floor toms and they have lasted a pretty long time. Due to lock down I'm playing a lot more now than before.
Same here. I’m playing everyday and I put the heads on new. They are probably at the end of life anyway for me. I only play four drums so compared to guys with big sets, my heads are probably pummeled 4x as much!
 
You owe it to yourself to try it again, although I'm not sure I'd recommend trying their BD heads again, since you're a PS3 fan. If you're into the pre-muffled heads, the Regulator or SuperKick series, can't be touched. I tried the Studio-X series for BD and it wasn't much different than a simple single ply with no ring. If you are going into the studio, the Studio-X series is fantastic on toms. When you're done, the rings peel off easy and your back to Texture Coated. Remo Ambassadors sound great right out of the box. I like their tone, but the overtones can run away a bit. If you play brushes, the coating is gone in a week under regular sticks, so they don't do that well with brushes, much beyond new. The Aquarian Texture Coated takes a couple of days to really settle in and sound good and don't struggle with runaway overtones nearly as much. They do have overtones, just not runaway ones like the Ambassadors can and the coating lasts a really long time.

My go to heads have been Remo PS3s for BD and Aquarian Texture Coated on toms and snare for a while. I will run an Ambassador on my aluminum snare, if I can't get Aquarian. That snare is dry, so the extra overtones from the Remo just make it a touch wetter sounding. On my bronze, the same head has way too much twang! I'll use it, but almost never without dampening. My mics seem lo love the twang from that snare, where the TC heads are nice and smooth. Playability, body, fullness...all there with both brands.

Not sure why Evans goes dead for some and not for others. I don't play hard and can keep a set of heads dent free for a long time. Every Evans I try just suddenly dies, except the UV1. I used to be all over those heads, but then one day, I just didn't like them. I don't know, maybe they died too but my 12 and 14" toms had this slappy sound I couldn't tune out. 16" FT was still fine. They still looked new too. Killer concept though!
I tried an aqurian super kick batter and a regulator front head on my 22x16 yamaha SC BD and hated it , had a sharp boxy attack, could not get a nice warm thump attack ?? curious to see how aquarians would sound on my toms ?
 
I tried an aqurian super kick batter and a regulator front head on my 22x16 yamaha SC BD and hated it , had a sharp boxy attack, could not get a nice warm thump attack ?? curious to see how aquarians would sound on my toms ?
I liked them on my 22x18 PDP BD. That BD liked to sound like a basketball without muffling. My Brooklyn BD is 22x14, but sounds way bigger with no muffling. the Aquarian muffled heads would just ruin that drum. The SC BD has a nice thump and punch with the UT heads it comes with. The SK and Regulators would be too much I would think. The SC toms have a pretty short note, so I'd guess the single ply Texture Coated to be a decent choice if you like the Ambassador or G1 already.
 
Aquarian does offer a PS3 equivalent, to those curious about Aquarian but feel the SKs are too dead.

 
Bo, Evans now makes UV2's, which are double ply UV1's. So essentially they are G2's with the UV coating. They are fairly new, so I didn't know if you had heard of them.
 
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