Drum Head Survey

[PocketPlayer]

I recently decided to change my sound and picked up some new heads.

I was wondering what you guys (gals) are using.

I switched from Ambassador coated on snare to Aquarian High Energy w/a coated dot for a more "boxy" pop. I'm not sold as of yet, but will give it some time. Bottom head is Ambassador snare- standard.
If anybody has a Drum Dial or another precision tuner, I'd like to know what numerical setting your top and bottom heads are cranked to. Currently, I'm at about 88 on top and 82 on bottom.

I tried the Powerstroke 3 on BD and am very pleased. I was going to try the Evans EQ1 or 2, but it sounded so heavy in the store I went with the PS instead.

[Rhinodentist]

The only batter head I'll put on my bass drum is a Powerstroke III from Remo. I've got a 22" Yamamha Maple Absolute and a 20" Premier birch Genista bass drum and that head sounds great on both of them.

For toms I love either coated Ambassador or Emporer with clear Ambassadors on the bottom.

[Steve Holmes]

Power Stroke for BD. Coated Ambassadors for the toms. Clear for the bottom.

[davfrancis]

I use a Powerstroke on the bass drum (I'm SUCH an individual!)

On the snare i decided to try one of those Evans 'vented' heads with the small pin holes. I quite like it so far but i have used Remo Ambassadors, Remo CS reverse dot and Evans Power Center heads in the past.

On toms my tastes go between Remo Pinstripes, Ambassador coated batter/clear response and Evans G2. I tend to chop and change when I replace heads just to get a different sound and feel, not for any 'sensible' musical reason!

[davfrancis]

Just remembered....

I've seen a photo of Jim Keltner's kit where he wass clearly using a non matching set of heads - somw were clear and some were coated etc. Keltner is a fairly unique individual though!

Also I used to work in a drum shop and was fortunate enough to drop off some floor tom legs for Omar Hakim to use at a local gig. When I arrived, the techs wre busy setting up lighting rigs, PA system etc. I decided to take a sneaky look at Omar's kit and noticed thatthe heads were a mixture of Remo and Evans heads. I made some throwaway comment to one of the techs about this (given that Hakim is a Remo man) and made my way back to work....

.....about an hour later a very distressed looking runner burst into the shop looking flustered and blurted out "Omar needs a new set of REMO heads...quickly!!" which caused me to laugh out loud. It was definately a case of "Something I said?!!"