Head Selection

Drum heads are definitely a personal preference. There are many types and brands of heads, (also known as skins). Each one plays, feels, tunes and wears differently. If you are a hard hitter and worry about durability, then try using strong heads, like the 2 or 3 ply hydraulic heads. Deciding which one is right for you is solely your choice.

There are a lot of heads out there, the basic big companies are:

Remo
Aquarian
Evans
Attack
Premeir

Evans is a good company, but their heads sound best on expensive, maple or birch drums. This doesn't mean that they won't sound good on your set. They don't have as many styles, but they are good. They are easy to tune and are durable. The G1's and G2's are a good choice. They are easy to tune and are very consistent.

They offer a consistent coating which obviously makes the head sound full and sustained. These Genera's are guaranteed not to pull out and they are also very durable. Evans also makes the best bass drum heads. Their EQ Systems offer a great sound. They come with a front and back head plus an EQ pad which goes inside the drum.

Remo has a lot of styles to choose from. They make some great heads and are very popular but they do have inconsistancy with tone. With the two ply heads, the plys don't sit right together, which causes problems.

They go dead faster than other heads, but they do have a lot of good choices. Their Pinstripes offer a funky sound. Their Controlled Sound is great if you don't want any over ring.

Aquarian is a great choice. They have quite a few choices. The Response 2's are 2-ply, with great attack, great sensitivity and great warm tone. They have a classic 2-ply sound not unlike a pinstripe. The Performance 2's are also 2-ply with powerful attack with big sound. Great for loose tuning. A favorite with hard players who prefer that classic, big, fat low rock and roll sound. The texture coating may add a little bit of brightness or attack They have a great built in muffle ring with some of there heads and are easy to tune. They make several great styles including a vintage style for that "mellow, calf skin" sound. Any of these would be a great choice.

SINGLE PLY MEDIUM WEIGHT DRUM HEADS

Clear single ply heads have an open sustained tone with a bright attack. There are full frequencies from top to bottom. Coated single ply heads are slightly dryer with a focused attack. They sound warmer than single ply clear heads.

SINGLE PLY THIN WEIGHT DRUMHEADS

Clear single ply thin weight heads have an open sustained tone with a brighter response. They produce more high frequencies. Coated single ply thin weight heads are slightly dryer with a bright, focused attack. They sound warmer than the thin clear.

TWO PLY DRUMHEADS

Two ply drum heads have a deeper tone, moderate sustain and a punchy attack. Low frequencies are more predominant than in single ply heads. Coated two ply drum heads are more focused and produce a warmer sound. Two ply heads that are glued at the perimeter bring out the lower frequencies from the head. They eliminate the high frequencies and overtones.

MUFFLING

Muffling of any type, whether designed into the head or attached to the top surface, is more effective when place near the edge where the higher frequencies are.

The Tap Test

The Tap Test confirms that the collar height is even all around the head. Tuning is fast and easy because you don't have to spend extra time compensating for an uneven head. It also demonstrates that the head is level within the hoop. This also makes tuning easier. The Tap Test is the only way to test a drum head before it goes on the drum. It means that you have a way, at last, to test for tone quality and consistency in drum heads.