Guess what? Back in the day no one got the projection in sound and resonance of modern coated Ambassadors. We got round, mellow and melodic tones. Nothing wrong with your preferences of course, but to me the Evans '56 Calftones seems much closer to sound of the real calfskin heads I was playing in the late '50s to early '60s. Like almost everyone else back then I moved to mylar for the practicality and the cost, but from the very outset I realized there was a price to pay in the quality of the sound. Some compare the Calftones to the Remo Fyberskins, but to my ear they are far superior and look more like the real thing as well.

I agree with your assessment. But playing today's music with louder volumes, for me coated ambassador or emperors work better. I play more blues, funk, classic country stuff with a few cover bands. I'm no heavy hitter by any means.. I just can't seem to get a sound that I like out of them. I shouldn't say "like." I'll say I can't get a sound that I prefer. They aren't terrible, they're just not for me.

Things are different today,. Modern drums, mounts, and heads are manufactured for greater projection and resonance and are usually brighter sounding than in the days of old. Modern 45 degree bearing edges are also part of the equation. In the end, what's most important is for your instrument to serve the music you play. if Ambassadors or Emperors do it for you that's all that counts. For me the joy of a vintage '60s kit is emulating the sounds I remember from my youth. Of the various heads I've tried so far, the Calftones seem to come closest to the sound I carry in my head. When I put one on my circa 1962 Lugwig Jazz Festival snare, my first reaction was "Oh my", followed by a shiver down my spine.