Source
r/drums•
tsreadit

Thoughts on different heads for each tom?

I play a 20/12/14 kit. I usually use coated 2 ply heads, like Evans G2 and I can get the sound I want. The 12x8 tom sounds great. The 14x14 floor tom sounds great too BUT the sustain is unrelenting, which I know can be an issue with 14x14s. That thing sings like a gong. Tuning hasn't solved the problem. Moon gels help but it reaches a point where it sounds dead. I'm thinking about trying an Evans HD Genera or HD Dry (both of which are typically snare heads) combined with a coated resonant. Not having matching heads on the toms will drive me crazy, but if it sounds better I can live with it.

Anyone else experienced this or tried different heads on different toms?

Posted Sep 28, 2017, 5:03 PM UTC

37
swamicarl•

I know u/sirosvaziri uses one of those EMAD heads on his floor tom and it sounds pretty good. Not sure they make it for 14" toms, but I'd assume that that would be a good solution.

4
SirosVaziri•

I wish they did, lol. Unfortunately the version of the head that fits on tom hoops only comes in 16".

3
calllistdetabarnak•

This might sound like heresy, but I learned this from a friend who has an amazing drum sound: drop a moongel or two on the reso head (from inside)

I had similar issues with the 16x16 on my kit, would resonate like crazy with bass drum hits too. But I don't like the sound of muffled tom heads (clear emperors for me are it). Dropped a couple moongels and now it perfect.

3
samuraialien•

Haven't experienced it but why not. It's probly not uncommon. A shitload of drummers do use various brands of cymbals, stands, snares, etc. after all.

2
jazzdrums1979•

Try a more controlled reso head if it is too gong like. I have used a 14” PS3 on my Ludwig Classic Maple floor tom. It has the right amount of sustain now. When I had the clear reso it was definitely harder to tame. I like to tune my drums with a tight reso so they sing.

2
SirosVaziri•

I'm a strong advocate for using different heads for different toms. Rack toms and floor toms, in my opinion, are two very different instruments, and to me it makes sense to treat them as such, and equip them with heads that are specifically tailored to the sound I'm looking for in each drum. Typically that ends up being more open soundings heads and tunings on the rack toms, and thicker, more muffled heads and more "closed" sounding tunings on the floor toms.

Definitely give that head combination you were thinking of a go! I remember using a HD Dry as a resonant head on my 12" rack tom once, sounded pretty cool actually. Don't be afraid to experiment!

2
askopa•

I put a HD Dry in my floor tom once. Can't say it was particularly good sounding. It wasn't super dead but was kinda thuddy and boxy. You'd probably get better results from a Remo Powerstroke 4. The HD Dry's 2nd ply is kinda like a smooth white and makes the head feel really stiff compared to most 2 ply heads.

Try a Remo Diplomat or Evans Reso 7 for the reso head. Thinner single ply heads actually sustain less. You can also put cotton balls in the drum to act as subtle dampening.

1