Best drum head brand for retaining tone

[gretsch-o-rama]

I recently tried out some G1 level 360's on my toms and snare.

I really liked them when they were new, but they went to shit quick... the Top tom is so dead now that I don't need any moon gel, in fact, I need reverse moon gel.

Before that I was rocking Aquarian Modern Vintages and they lasted forever... I just changed them because I was curious about the level 360s.

Yeah this was pretty much what I found with the new Evans. I was wondering about Aquarian. Their vids don't sound phenomenal but longevity of tone should be a given with any brand....

[bigbone]

REMO Vintage A…………….

[Matthijs Ament]

I don't know how they do it, but I think Remo heads are both the best sounding and the most durable drumheads. My Gretsch set came with Evans heads, when I changed them for Remo's the whole kit opened up. It's a mystery to me.

[kinkymook]

IMO Remo have always had a tone that has more staying power. Evans, while sounding good right out of the box, do tend to lose their tone sooner. If I were recording I might use Evans, but for heads that last a long time and retain tone, it's Remo. And, It's a never ending search that has a lot to do with the drum set the heads are going on. My Eames birch kit sounds fantastic with Vintage Coated Emperors, but when trying Vintage Coated Ambassadors on my Pearl Masters Studio (which I use primarily for recording), I can't get a decent sound at all. Aquarian makes some good heads but I find that they feel "hard" and unpleasant to me. I have been thinking about trying some Evans (due to the 360 aspect) but haven't taken the plunge. I'm refinishing an old Sonor kit, giving it a Tung oil treatment, steel wooling all the chrome and parts, and am undecided on what to put on it, I'm going to start with some Clear Ambassadors and see how that goes.

[Odd-Arne Oseberg]

Remo all the way. Only issue is the durability if their coating.

Ambassadors have that midrange that makes them cut through other instruments in just the right way.

It's sort of like certain classic guitar pedals. People start messing with them and updating to make them sound a certain way by themselves, but it just doesn't work in context.

[chris perra]

Remo is a harder plastic.

For Evans I like G plus or G 14s if G2s are too heavy.
that's closer to a Remo sound than the G1s

[Morgenthaler]

Remo is a harder plastic.

Aren't they both mylar? (Remo & Evans)

[chris perra]

Both are Polyester.... Mylar is a Dupont product. That's their trademark. Evans uses a different kind..

The Evans stuff is softer.. To me it's less durable if you are a pounder.. That said my live kit has had the same clear G plus skins for a couple years now..

That's the shtick I've been told by Dadarrio in Canada.. It makes sense as they have different tonal characteristics. If you take a clear G1 and an Ambassador both are 10 mil thick but sound totally different.. The only visible difference is the collars..

Doing a search for Mylar on Evans vs Remos website Nothing shows up on Evans site.. Remos has it everywhere..
I think if Evans was using it they'd have to use the Mylar trademark. I'm by no means an expert.. But that's the info I've been told..

I remember having a Sonor kit ten years ago and I couldn't get the 14 to tune up low with Evans but could with Remo no problem..

[Morgenthaler]

Well, Mylar is a polyester film. And both Evans and Remo claim to have started with Mylar®.
And just because you have the same materials doesn't mean you do the same with it nor that the end product will be the same.

[chris perra]

http://www.evansdrumheads.com/EvansAbou ... iveID=3565

I don't know for sure....just working from what I've been told.. No mention of Mylar on Evans site..
To me if you were taking sheets of Mylar and not coating them only throwing a collar on them. Like Clear Ambassadors and G1's Both 10 mil thick.. they would sound the same..

Unless they do something to the raw sheets.. I dunno..

Softer Polyester would explain why they wear out faster... Remos to me break easier.. I don't think I've ever broken an Evans.. they wear out before that.. That would support softer materials as well..