I use Remo coated Ambassadors top and bottom on ALL of my drums, with the exception of using a thin Diplomat or Ambassador Snare Side head for the snare reso. However, I did use Ludwig medium coated heads for a while and they also sounded good and played well for me. However, I think the Remos are a little more lively sounding, which I like. The Ludwigs did seem very comparable though.

Over the years I've experimented quite a bit with head selection and always seem to return to Remo Ambassadors. They seem like a pretty appropriate head for the Super Classics. I think those shells lend themselves to thin to medium weight heads. For a live setting, you may want to try some clear heads as they seem to have a little more bite.

It can be a tedious and expensive process to try to find the right heads. I'm currently obsessed with finding the "perfect" stick.

I use Coated Ambassadors on top and bottom too.

Vic Firth Maple...BTW if you have not tried them.

I've not, but thanks for the tip. I'm liking the Pro Mark 5A "Stinger". It's hickory though. I haven't tried any of the maple sticks.

What about the new vintage series ambassador? Its slightly thicker than the standard, and slightly darker sounding without losing the resonance.

I just bought a set of coated ambs (top and bottom) for my Super Classic kit I just got. Right now, it has clear emperor batters and clear ambassador resos. It sounds GREAT now, but I can't wait to hear what it sounds like with the new heads. I figure that if the sound doesn't have enough "body" to it, I'll go with coated emperors.

I'm wondering what kind of heads to put on the kick...

I run Aquarian Super Kick II's on the batter and an Ambassador Coated on the Res. With nothing on the inside.

I even use Ambassadors on my bass drum, with only felt strips for muffling. I do like a very resonant, open sound, which isn't to everyone's taste. But, in my opinion, that's the sound the Super Classics were built for.

I play with pretty heavy feet and hands, when the situation calls for it, and I have to say, it doesn't seem like I go through Ambassadors any more quickly than I used to go through Emperors. The one ply of the Ambassador is thicker than each of the plies on the Emperor. The difference is that when one ply of the Emperor breaks, you can keep trucking for a while, although it sounds like a wet sack. When the Ambassador breaks, you're reaching for the duct tape.

Just fyi, the new Remo Vintage A's are actually 2-ply, one ply is 7.5mm and the other is 3mm. The Emperor is two plies of 7mm Mylar, and there is now the Vintage Emperor, which is even thicker, with two plies of 7.5mm Mylar. The regular Ambassador is one ply of 10mm. Hope these technicalities help.

Okay, here's another wrench thrown into the mix (sorry to hijack the thread)...

I was just able to buy 2 new Renaissance heads (13 and 16) for $5. (if you found yourself in that situation, you'd buy them too, right?)

Anyways, now I have 2 coated ambassadors and 1 Renaissance head for each drum. What do you think I should use the Renaissance heads for...batter or resonant head? OR, should I forego them and still use the 2 coated ambs? I'm all for experimenting, (and believe me, I'm going to) but I wanted to see what your opinions were. I'll let you know the results and my opinions as I figure them out...

I love maple sticks. I play with smallish hickory sticks most of the time, but the maples are great for certain situations. They're lighter than hickory, so when I want a fatter, louder tone, I can use a thicker pair of maple sticks without feeling like I'm playing with baseball bats.