Hi Guys.
Was wondering if you had any recommendations for heads for my restored 1960s Pearl Valencias? Is there any one brand/model head that sounds better than others on these drums? I tend to like alot of midrange in my drum sound, so over the years I've used mostly, coated Remo Ambassadors. But I'm willing to experiment now if someone out there has a super sounding favorite for these drums.
Thanks!
Retro.
Try the Attacks. They are cheap enough and these thin shells seem to like single ply heads. I am running the Remo Encore, but those are Taiwanese and discontinued, but if you can find some NOS, they are the right sizes, 20-12-14 and set up as a pre-pack. Living in your neck of the world I would not be surprised to find that you run across one mom-n-pop store that has some hiding in the back room. The box is solid blue with white lettering. They are coated single ply but for some reason they just work well for these shells.
If you like a brighter sound then go for what you have been doing- Remo Coated Ambassadors top and bottom. My 69 Valencias have Remo Fiberskyn 3FAs on the batters and the original coated Pearl heads on the bottoms. For the Valencia snares ( I have a few with different head selections at this moment) I like a Remo Fiberskyn 3 FA with it's warmth in a medium tuning but I like the coated Ambassadors cranked high and tight - Both of these suit my needs.
For bass drums (in general and Valencias included) I use clear, Evans EMAD or Evans EQ2,3, or 4 batters with a felt strip on the reso head, no hole if I can get away with it. One Valencia set up I have is with the bass drum with two Remo Fiberskyn 3FAs each with a thick felt strip and nothing in the drum- a very vintage sound. Good luck- post a pic of your Valencias for us!
Here's mine- Valencias are so under rated!
[IMG]http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn87/Osakabop/P1010003-3.jpg[/IMG]
Guys, thanks for the replys. yes, I've always liked the sound of the ambassadors especially on snare drums. But I will see if I can find some Attacks, altho they are probably hard to find these days anywhere.
I noticed that nobody mentioned Aquarian "True Vintage" heads. I've never used them so I dont know much about them.
Agree about using single ply heads on thin shells....they work well together.
I'm in the process of restoring my set from top to bottom, but when done will take a set of hi-res pix and post them. I'm also planning to build an old fashioned canister throne like they used in the '60s to match the rest of the set.
I have coated Emperors on the tops and coated Ambassadors on the bottom on my old Pearls. Best combination for a tight bright sound.
Here is a link for the Attack heads. This online retailer is really one of the lowest. http://www.zzounds.com/prodsearch?cat=2472&cat2=4051&rl=&rh=&instock=0&blowouts=0&ob=pop&filter=&q=&form=search
You can also try: www.drumfactorydirect.com for other low cost options.
Guys, thanks for the replys. yes, I've always liked the sound of the ambassadors especially on snare drums. But I will see if I can find some Attacks, altho they are probably hard to find these days anywhere.I noticed that nobody mentioned Aquarian "True Vintage" heads. I've never used them so I dont know much about them. Agree about using single ply heads on thin shells....they work well together. I'm in the process of restoring my set from top to bottom, but when done will take a set of hi-res pix and post them. I'm also planning to build an old fashioned canister throne like they used in the '60s to match the rest of the set.
I have used the Aquarian vintage heads. They are extremely warm and smooth. My opinion is that they sound close to calfskin. IMHO I think they sound better than a Fiberskin.
Wow..thanks to all.
jon, what kind of sound do the "Attacks" have? brighter than the Ambassadors?
The attacks seem to be mostly clear heads which I hate, actually. I'm thinking I may go with the Ambassadors all around. Altho I am very tempted to try the Aquarian vintage heads if I could find a low price on 12, 14, and 20 inch sizes...
Thanks,
Retro
