Snare drum heads

[roninnes]

I have in the past faithfully used a Remo Ambassador coated head on my snare drum, however I have noticed the coating which is so important for brush work wears off very quickly.
So being brave I have now changed to an Aquarian coated head and used it on Sunday for a gig and was amazed to see no marks on it after a solid workout.
Has anyone else used Aquarian and what is your comments.
Ron

[Paul Creasey]

Yes, Ron.............been using Aquarian Texture Coated snare heads for a year-or-two now, and won't be using anything else anytime soon. The coating really does outlast anything else that I've tried - unlike Ambassadors, which seem to "chip" very quickly in use. I don't think of myself as a "heavy hitter", either!
My current "problem" with heads, is finding 13", 14" & 16" Smooth White heads for my Toms at a reasonable price ("subsistence drummer" don't ya' know!). Thankfully, they don't need changing too often - but I'm getting to the point of at least thinking about replacements.
Best regards,
Paul

[roninnes]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for that info.
I find buying drum stuff through ebay as good as any, although Gear4Music are very competitive at times and Rockem Music are consistently less expensive than say my local music shop and very good service levels.
It appears, that like you, I am on a limited budget and have to source the best value, hence the gear4music recommendation. I recently needed a new hardware bag and they were way cheaper than anything on ebay.
Let me know how you get on.
Ron

[Paul Creasey]

Hi Ron,

Sorry for delay in replying, but thanks for the Gear4Music recommendation - they've been added to my "favourites" list!

On a related topic, I finally found - totally by chance - "Chord" brand drum heads, firstly on eBay, then also on Amazon. They do Clear, Coated, Smooth White and Mesh Heads in most of the popular sizes, and at TRULY "Subsistence Drummer" prices! I bought 13", 14" and 16" Smooth Whites for my Tom-Toms for less than I would have paid for ONE main-brand 16" Head.
They arrived earlier today and really look "the business". They're not fitted to the Toms yet, and I suppose the "proof of the pudding is in the beating" - so I'll let you know how they sound.
They'll not replace the Texture Coated Aquarian on my Snare, but I've already ordered some more, including one for my Bass Drum - at those prices, even I can afford to take a bit of a risk!

Regards
Paul

[dave robinson]

Aquarian snare heads are great, we have used them for a for a few years now, Dave Eyre put us onto them. Recommended .

[roninnes]

Thanks Dave it's good to have endorsements from other drummers.
Ron

[dave robinson]

Thanks Dave it's good to have endorsements from other drummers.
Ron

It was because of the same problem with the roughness of the Remo head wearing that Dave mentioned the Aquarian option.

[Paul Creasey]

Well.......following our Band "bash" last night.............I'm pleased to report that the Chord Smooth White heads on my 13", 14" & 16" Tom-Toms have proved to be a success. They were a perfect fit, and tuned-up well. I always initially over-tighten my drum heads, and then tune down to the required pitch. More for "experimentation" than anything else, I also tuned both the batter and resonant (tuned a tad higher than the batters) heads a little higher than previously, and this seemed to be beneficial too.

As I said earlier, I won't be replacing my Aquarian Texture Coated Snare Drum head with a Chord (even I'M not that much of a "subsistence drummer"!), but - providing you can manage without "Designer Manufacturer" logo's on your Toms - these Chords seem to "do the business" at a fraction of the cost.

Regards
Paul

[roninnes]

Cheers Paul, I am off to ebay to search for said heads.

Ron

[roninnes]

Paul I received 2 of 3 Chord tom tom heads via Amazon but the 14" was out of stock.
I put them on and the sound is pretty good. As you said for the money you can't go wrong.

I gigged last Saturday with The Eljays and the Aquarian snare head sounded great, really pleased. I see why Dave Eyre and others like it.
Hope you had a good gig at The Acorn.

Ron