I had read some chatter on this forum about these heads. I recently picked up a couple. I've matched them with a Remo Renaissance Snare Side head. I tried them out on an early 60's Ludwig Super Classic and a late 60's Ludwig Pioneer.

My findings are positive.

First, the head has that pseudo-skin look that Remo seems to have down to a science. The color is more natural than other iterations. They are getting better at this, no doubt. Second, the head is thinner than I would have expected. Because of this, it has a nice feel and response when tapped lightly and when executing a press or buzz roll. Groove playing is a bit stiff due to the tighter tensioning of the head. I did not like the looser tensioning as it had a more flat sound. When tensioned a bit tighter, the sound is very satisfying due to the crisp bite of the drum. The dynamics of the drum really come alive. I wanted to stay on the snare and lay down more complex off-time grooves. Hi-hat/snare/bass interaction was a delight. The entire surface of the head was playable. Edge to edge, there was a unique sound waiting to be discovered. I swapped out sticks, brushes, rods, and anything else I could whack with. The snare responded wonderfully to each and every one of them. The built-in snare muffler really came into play with this head. Very slight muffler adjustments were noticeable. That baseball bat muffler got a workout, for sure. I spent a lot of time playing with the snares off and just enjoyed the woodiness of the drum. It was such a joy.

All in all I would say this is one of the nicest snare heads I've ever tried. It really breathed life into my snares. There are a few low points, though. It plays a bit stiff. It doesn't respond well to looser tensioning. Other than these two limitations, this head is one of the best out there. If you have a wood snare and you enjoy slap-tapping your way through complex groove patterns, then you really owe it to yourself to pick one up and give it a whirl.

:2Cents: