I'm not trying to split hairs here but Epoxy IS glue. Not glue like superglue or elmers glue....but it is still a form of glue. Adhesive if you will.....Aquarian just seems to do it better than most of the others, mainly due to their hoop design.

Ludwig is the only company that makes heads without ANY kind of adhesive at all to mount their heads, the use a patented mechanical means called "crimplock". The mylar is wrapped around an inner metal hoop, then an outer metal hoop is crimped around that. The tighter the head is tensioned the tighter the head is held in the hoop, no pullouts! Ingenious design actually. Slingerland used to make a head like that at one point, in fact the two companies had a lawsuit over it. Slingerland won the case, yet a couple of years later they stopped making heads alltogether.

I think Ludwig calls their process "Headlock". Remo uses the "Crimplock" name for marching heads that have the aluminum crimped over the epoxy channel to prevent pullout.

Ludwig may not be the only company that uses a glue-free crimping process. I think Attack heads may be made that way as well. In the past, Premier, Sonor, and Slingerland heads were made that way. Remo's U2 heads that were made overseas were crimped. Whoever makes the stock heads for Dynasty drums uses a glue-free crimping process. Any company that makes woven fabric heads for marching or pipe band drums uses a mechanical crimping process.

True, but it is a patent held by Ludwig, they invented it. Any others have to pay a patent royalty to them in order to make that style of head under license.

I now know more about drum heads than I have in my entire life. I'm glad I stumbled upon this thread! All you guys are awesome.

For the record I used Remo heads forever. I recently got turned on to Aquarian.

And I still have a guilty pleasure with good ole' Ludwig heads.

the "new" Remo Vintage Ambassadors are 2 ply and suck........the life right out of your drums. :eek: