What heads are you currently using?

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Odd-Arne Oseberg
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Re: What heads are you currently using?

Postby Odd-Arne Oseberg » Sat Dec 04, 2010 12:45 am

Not a very experienced drummer yet, but pretty happy with the coated Ambassadors on top and going between clear and coated resos. Mostly coated Powerstroke 3 on bassdrum. On the snare it varies, but it's mostly Ambassadors, though sometimes they seems a bit too bright. Ahven't gotten around to experiement too much there yet, but I'm pretty happy with the BD and toms.
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Mike Meyers
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Re: What heads are you currently using?

Postby Mike Meyers » Sat Dec 04, 2010 11:06 am

I've been using Aquarian heads for the past 5 years and have been totally satisfied! For the past year, I've been using Coated Response 2's (or Coated Double Thins before the quit making them) on tops of my toms and Texture Coated heads on the bottoms. I've been trying to duplicate that Benny Greb tom sound, but I can't stand Remo. I had bad luck with them and never went back, quality control issues. I've been using Response 2's on my snares and SuperKick 1's on bass drums.

It also helps having Chris Brady from Aquarian on this forum. I had an issue with coating coming off on new heads the first time I used them a few years back, and he got me all fixed up in no time! Great customer support!

Willy, I absolutely hate hanging floor toms. They move around too much and you have to carry an extra stand to hold them. Plus, I could never get the toms in the right place if I was also using the same stand for a cymbal. I really like the WorldMax floor tom baskets that I got from http://www.drummaker.com. They are sort of like an all around RIMS mount with floor tom legs. Also, I took Pearl OptiMounts, drilled them for DW tom mounts, and use DW tom stands for my stuff. If you are changing a head (top or bottom), you don't have to take the mount fully off. I like that!

Try Aquarian drumheads, I love 'em!

Mike
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chris Hendrich
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Re: What heads are you currently using?

Postby chris Hendrich » Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:45 pm

I would definitely try the superkick I or II from aquarian. My Bdrum (DW) sounds like a cannon now.
on drums i use coated ambassador top and bottom.
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Matus
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Re: What heads are you currently using?

Postby Matus » Sun Dec 05, 2010 2:13 am

I use Remo exclusively and don,t really change things around, I like my sound as it is right now: clear Emperors on tom tops, clear Ambassadors on bottom. Coated Emperors on the snare (I just kept denting G1s and Ambs) and Amb snare side.
On the bass drum I've been using the Powersonic head since 2009 and it's just perfect every time. Nothing inside my BD ever since and little to no sound problem at all in any recording or live situation. I highly recommend it and our sound guy for the last tour does as well, he called me from another tour's rehearsals to ask me about the head model because he wasn't happy with their drummer's bass drum sound. True story.
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YamahaPlayer
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Re: What heads are you currently using?

Postby YamahaPlayer » Sun Dec 05, 2010 7:51 am

I've always found it interesting the two major schools on kick heads, you got the normal heads and then you got the special pre-muffled kick heads.

Of course, then there's the it doesn't matter school where they just fill the drum halfway with pillows. Or all the way.
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Matus
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Re: What heads are you currently using?

Postby Matus » Sun Dec 05, 2010 9:10 am

It always depends on the user and how dedicated one is to investigating the use of sound. It's just like people who buy maple drums just to fit them with pinstripes and muffle the hell out of them instead of getting a birch set in the first place.
Actually, I'd differentiate between practical and impractical heads. And users, of course. For instance, if I were playing a jazz gig I'd get your regular single ply head, tune it tightly and use no muffling at all because that's the sound I'm supposed to bring and the most practical way to get it.
Now, for the stuff I play for the most part, I have to bring a certain controlled sound and also deal with sound men who expect a certain sound to come out of the PA system. So I just give them what they need and that way I can avoid the massive gating/eq/compression they'd use instead. And the best way I found is with the Powersonic head, double kick falam and either felt or plastic beaters.
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YamahaPlayer
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Re: What heads are you currently using?

Postby YamahaPlayer » Sun Dec 05, 2010 6:44 pm

Matus wrote:It always depends on the user and how dedicated one is to investigating the use of sound. It's just like people who buy maple drums just to fit them with pinstripes and muffle the hell out of them instead of getting a birch set in the first place.
Actually, I'd differentiate between practical and impractical heads. And users, of course. For instance, if I were playing a jazz gig I'd get your regular single ply head, tune it tightly and use no muffling at all because that's the sound I'm supposed to bring...


Haha oh for sure.

I love checking out opening bands and seeing duct tape on A Customs Crashes... like WOW, really?!

Thanks for the tip on the powersonic heads actually, got to check one out today and dug it. Going to try that out for the heavier music I play.

"Investigating" the sound, such a great way to put it. I love trying to play with drums and head combination's, tunings and just to see where what drums like and where they sound great. Maybe that's why we like having snare drum collection's.... hahaha a whole different beast!
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Joe Nocella
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Re: What heads are you currently using?

Postby Joe Nocella » Mon Dec 06, 2010 5:26 am

+1 on the Powersonic heads. I don't know why they are not mentioned more often.

I also don't get the old Remo quality control story. I've never had a problem with them...
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Matus
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Re: What heads are you currently using?

Postby Matus » Mon Dec 06, 2010 6:21 am

I had previously tried the EMAD heads but didn't do it for me. Too plastic-sounding and the device was too fragile for my taste. I was endorsing Evans and still used EQ3 or EQ4 heads...
As for the Remo quality control issues, I've encountered them in the past but not anymore. They're not actually 100% consistent but I'll give that for the warm sound they give me.
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drum6282
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Re: What heads are you currently using?

Postby drum6282 » Mon Dec 06, 2010 6:37 am

I've tried different heads and I always go back to the coated ambassadors on top and clear ambassadors on bottom. Coated control sound on snare top, medium weight hazy on bottom. Coated Powerstroke 3 on bass batter and Coated Ambassador on bass resonant. I may have coated emperors on top of toms in some occasions - depending on the situation - rarely though.

Recent article Modern Drummer had Steve Smith talking about the Raga Bop Trio album and he described his set up - he played the Tony Williams heads - clear black dot on tops and bottoms - sounds great on his kit. I've never tried this set up though.

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