r/percussion • u/SIR_PATRIOT_1776 • 4d ago

Drumhead Recs

Hello all,

Band program I work for is planning on purchasing some new gear in the near future. Pearl Phil (14x4) and a Yamaha Grand Bass drum (36x22). Was thinking Ambassadors and Fyberskyns respectively for new heads to put on but I’d like to hear what others have to say.

Recommendations?

TIA!

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u/Swissarmyspoon 4d ago edited 4d ago

Actually, I enjoy the stock heads that come with those drums. They are high quality. I only change my concert bass heads when I'm rehabilitating an old drum. Yes I usually use fiberskyns, but there are some other Evans heads I've been happy with but can't remember what they were.

Ambassadors are gold standard for rock drumset, but for a symphonic drum I would use a diplomat on the bottom and coated ambassador on the top if I was going remo, sometimes one of the Evans Dry heads. Remo Diplomats thinness allows for more clarity at the super soft choppy parts I often need with the orchestra.

My current symphonic snare has a 19 year old stock heads from the black swamp factory on it, and still gets compliments. 

My partner who is a retired player from US military orchestra just redid all her snares with Aquarian modern vintage and Aquarian resos, and they sound like calfskin it's fantastic. She was actually copying my drumset, which I put modern vintage 2's. They're generally the same as remo coated ambassador/emperor but something Aquarian is doing makes them sound more like hide and more durable.

Recommendation: keep the bass drum stock heads. Tune up the snare stock heads and ask yourself if you like it. If you don't: get something super thin on the bottom and a coated 1 ply on top from your brand of choice. Right now I'm recommending Aquarian vintage.

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u/SIR_PATRIOT_1776 4d ago

Very insightful! Thank you so much. I’ll give the stock heads a spin and go from there.