What drums heads should I buy?

N

nimrod.

Junior Member
As a novice, I honestly have no clue about drumheads...or anything else related to drum equipment. Anyways I was wondering what drumheads should I buy to replace the stock ones that came with my drum set. I play pop-punk, punk-rock, rock, and alternative. And I tend to be a hard hitter at times if that helps. Any other questions just ask. Thanks for the help!

-Zach
 
Ask 10 different people -- get 10 different answers. But the standard costed ambassadors were used for everything for years and are still used today -- even by guys who've tried everything else. At any rate, it's a good place to start.


Like I said.... : )
 
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You can try different sounds and tastes but mainly is your call.
The classic weights and finishes are: Remo Diplomat, Remo Ambassador, Remo Emperor, Evans G1 / in Smooth White, Coated, Clear.
 
Read websites of Remo, Evans and Aquarian. Take the time to learn about 1 vs 2 ply, coated, thickness, rings, etc.the fit for what kind of music and then choose. Hint: they're all good, and Aquarian will be the cheapest. I'd recommend a 1 ply.
 
1 ply over 1 ply will give you the most, warmth, attack, resonance and fullness but depending on your tuning skills you may want to go with a 2 ply over single ply as they will be easier to tune and give you a sound closer to the prerecorded music your probably listening to. As was said earlier Aquarian will be less money but will also will last a lot longer before starting to go dead sounding.
 
Thanks for the info. Next time I stop in at Sam Ash I'll have to pick up a few ambasitors for my kit.
 
It is all your call. In the beginning it is pretty much a blind shot, but over time you will figure out what you prefer. No one head is the answer. Experiment and try them out.
 
Having tried quite a few different ones I came back to Remo Ambassador coated and decided I preferred single to double ply mainly because double tends to have a certain amount of dampening built in which you can't remove.
Single ply if you want more dampening you can dampen to taste and venue with tape, moongel or rings and get them to sound much more like double ply if that's what you want and you can remove it any time you fancy more resonance ..... gives a lot more flexibility / wider range of sounds.

I also think that how you tune your drums makes a far greater difference to the overall sound than just the head you're using.
 
if you do go the 2 ply route, I'd like to recommend the Aquarian Force 10 heads, they are 2 ply, designed for the heavier hitter, and in my experience were easy to install and tune, and I as a newbie, have struggled with tuning until I found these heads.

Aquarian also has a great section on their website discussing their heads, and how they compare to Evans and Remo heads.

Let us know how you get on.
 
I'm not really sure what to recommend for your toms but I would recommend a 2-ply head with a reinforcement dot for your snare batter. It will hold up to your playing as a 'hard hitter' and also with give you that extra punch you'd want from your snare playing rock and pop punk.
 
Ive found that, within reason, the tuning matters more than the head.

now, a pinstripe will effect timbre differently then a Remo Ambassador...but for like type heads/thicknesses/composition, the difference tends to be consistency within the product...and cost...usually congruently proportioned like other products.

With this in mind, take the head out of the package after approval from the salesperson and check features...warping...even thickness of glueing...divots on the head from bad handling...etc...things you tend to learn from not doing this and purchasing inferior products...an experience this post or any other will not compensate for.

Make the mistakes...they will be worth the cost in the end IMHO.
 
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