I actually bought new heads for the kit after someone suggested it. The ones on the kit are Remo Pinstripe I believe.
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I actually bought new heads for the kit after someone suggested it. The ones on the kit are Remo Pinstripe I believe.
What kind of music are you playing? Pinstripes are two ply, oil filled heads, and so they will be pretty muffled. If you want more of an open sound, try Remo Ambassadors, either clear, or coated. They're single ply, and so will have more sustain.
Well since I'm still just starting out I'm trying to play a lot of different styles, but I guess I'm currently gravitating more towards rock and its basic beats, since it's easier than some of the other styles out there.
Bennyandthe skins is right. I was told the Remo pinstripes didn't have oil though.
http://remo.com/catalog2/dh_ds.cfm
I'm not sure if any company uses oil filled heads anymore. I used to use the Evans Hydraulics back in the 80's for a min. for that dead 70's sound.
Aquarian Jack Dejohnette heads hold up well in my opinion.
I like Evans on the bottoms for some reason and use Remo, or Aquarian on tops.
I think the pinstripes on the top and clear ambassadors on the bottom are the way to go for general rock use.
Experiment if you can afford it. The heads make more difference than the drums do, as far as sound in my opinion.
-good heads on bad drum sound better than bad heads on good drum. That's my experience.
CDelle,
what kind of drums are they, and what are the sizes?
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 06, 2004 02:23 PM: Message edited by: ladanny ]</font>
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Heh, good question. Its a 5 piece $300 Pacific starter kit. I'm honestly not sure about the sizes and I'm not near the kit now (its at my mom's).Quote:
Originally posted by ladanny:
CDelle,
what kind of drums are they, and what are the sizes?
<font color="#a62a2a"><font size="1">[ January 06, 2004 02:23 PM: Message edited by: ladanny ]</font></font>
Another question for you guys... I've been told that the bottom heads don't matter nearly as much as the top heads, so I've been using the factory heads on the bottom since I've had the set. Should I consider getting some name brand heads for the bottom?
For a $300 starter kit, I would use Remo Pinstripes on top and clear Remo Ambasadors on the bottom. Very forgiving combination.
Or some of the thicker Aquarian heads might be nice too for the top batter heads.
Danny
Hi guys,
I'm still a newbie to drumming so bear with me. I've had my kit for about 7 months now and have had the same heads for about as long. I've never been very good at tuning but recently I've been getting more serious about it. The problem is that I still can't seem to tune them correctly, but I'm wondering if that has to due with my heads being worn out? It seems like the more time I spend tuning them the worse they sound =/
There's a circle about the size of a baseball worn into the snare head, and all the other heads have a bit of wear, though none of them look dented.
I'm wondering if I should just go out and blow my Guitar Center gift certificate on some new heads and try tuning them correctly from the start. Or should I bother to salvage my current ones and save the gift certificate for a new cymbal?
That depends on what kind of heads came with the kit. If it's an entry level kit, like a Pearl Export, or Yamaha Stage Custom, there's a good chance the heads are pretty cheap, and you'd be well served getting yourself a set of Remo or Evans heads. That never hurts. Evans has instructions for tuning drums on the head carton, and I've had good success with them.
Do you guys think buying bottom heads will improve my drumkit's sound? I'll probably end up buying new heads for the tops but I'm not sure if I'd be wasting my money on bottom ones as well...
Well-tuned, good sounding bottom heads can make a huge difference in the quality of the sound!
Investing in good bottom heads are worth it.
There are many schools of thought on tuning and head combinations. There are no rights or wrongs. The above suggestions are very good starts.
I presently use Aquarian-top&bottom-, Ronn Dunnet finished my set with these on the snare and 2 toms(both sides). I use Remo coated Ambassadors on both sides of my kick, with no port hole.
I hadnt tried Aquarian heads b4, and im very pleasantly suprised, in the fact that they were easy 2 tune. I think Evans are quite easy to tune also.
Remo's ive found to be inconsistent in thier manufacturing, though i still use them on my kick.
Experiment with tuning. Mess around. Experiment.
Pacific drums aren't as low end as some may think.
You may have an easy time tuning your drums. I dont think DW cuts corners with this line of drums.
..all my best..........beats
Keep in mind that the room you're playing in will affect your sound too. Drums can sound like crap in a small bedroom and sound great onstage without changing anything.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yeah I was thinking the room where I play has something to do with it. It's a very small room filled with various things like a gun safe, bookcases, filing cabinets etc.Quote:
Originally posted by hanayalator:
Keep in mind that the room you're playing in will affect your sound too. Drums can sound like crap in a small bedroom and sound great onstage without changing anything.
Also I think I'll take the advice of getting some new resonant heads. I have a feeling they'll make a difference, even if it is small. Thanks for all your help guys!
If you're in Sacramento, just run on down to Skip's music. They should have everything in stock. And don't forget to ask for the "good guy" discount! [img]wink.gif[/img]
Danny
<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 14, 2004 04:06 PM: Message edited by: ladanny ]</font>
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Actually, we have a Guitar Center now, and the prices there are typically better than Skip's. They're pretty good with the discounts too [img]wink.gif[/img]Quote:
Originally posted by ladanny:
If you're in Sacramento, just run on down to Skip's music. They should have everything in stock. And don't forget to ask for the "good guy" discount! [img]wink.gif[/img]
Danny
<font color="#a62a2a"><font size="1">[ January 14, 2004 04:06 PM: Message edited by: ladanny ]</font></font>
Oh. I just like "local" stores for service as they typically have "smarter" staff compared to the big stores. When I was growing up in that area, I used to get everything from Andy Penn's, but they're long gone. Too bad.
Danny
I'm with you 100% Danny....
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Luckily the drum section in my Guitar Center is staffed by guys who know what they're talking about. But yeah, at Skip's it's a bit more of a laid back atmosphere and the employees are easier easier to approach.Quote:
Originally posted by ladanny:
Oh. I just like "local" stores for service as they typically have "smarter" staff compared to the big stores. When I was growing up in that area, I used to get everything from Andy Penn's, but they're long gone. Too bad.
Danny
I'm SO lazy with changing the bottom heads on my drums. I had the retail bottoms on longer then I care to say. They sure do make a big difference though.
Keep in mind that the room you're playing in will affect your sound too. Drums can sound like crap in a small bedroom and sound great onstage without changing anything
Words of wisdom by Mr. Smith...
Steve Smith: MD April 2002 p130
Uses coated heads (softer, warmer sound)and tunes relatively high for jazz
Uses 5A hickory sticks, a lighter stick
Ringy Room: tweak top heads tighter. This dries the drum sound and adds attack.
Dry Room: The opposite happens when the top heads are looser. The toms sound wetter w/ more overtones.
Tuning both heads the same creates a the fundamental tone more dominant creating a longer sustain and ring.
Check out: http://www.drumweb.com/profsound.shtml
Pocketplayer, that's a great litle bit of advice from Steve Smith! It does work too...
Steve's right, bottom heads are usually kept on drums far longer than they should be. It's worth mentioning that a head under constant pressure/tension still moves with every strike of the drum (even if it's not being 'played') it will still lose its tonality after about 4 or 5 months of playing, maybe even shorter if you play a lot...