I think if you want the original sound from 1959, then you must consider the heads that were available at that time -either calfskin or a very thin mylar -such as is found with a Remo Diplomat snare head. A new calfskin will probably cost you an arm and a leg....a new Diplomat is cheap!

Got it, thanks...Diplomat (7mil)it is. But, if thin is what gives the sound, I did find an Evans head - Hazy 200 - which is 2mil....any effect?

Thanks.

Oh, yes, it will definitely have an effect! The thinner the snare side head is, the more sensitive it is. However, the thinner heads also add a certain "boink" (think of a bouncing ball sound) when played forcefully....which may not be what you want. BTW....A Diplomat snare side head is much thinner than 7 mil. I think it's 3 mil. or even less!

I use a coated Diplomat (7.5 mil) for my snare and tom tom batter heads on my vintage drums and I always use a Diplomat snare side head.

If you ever decide to go with some calfskins, then get a really good "slunk" snare side head and a thin, white Irish calfskin for the batter. Ooh la-la!

Okay...I did look it up and, in fact, the standard Diplomat snare side head is 2 mil. thick.

Great, then that is what I will put on.

Very much appreciated

Hi, not to be anal, but I thought the Diplomat Snare Side is a 3 mil thick head. Where did you read this info from? Mark

Thinking again, I may myself be wrong about this, as I believe it is the Ambassador Snare Side which is a 3 Mil Head, and not the Diplomat. Sorry! :-) Mark

No problem. I wasn't sure, myself, until I looked.

From Sam Ash:

"The Remo Hazy Diplomat snare side drum head is a single ply of 2-mil Mylar designed as the perfect resonant head for snare drums. They are known for their bright warm tones, resonance, and sustain. Hazy Diplomat heads accentuate snare drum response and give a classic look to snare drums...."

And I always used the clear ones in the past. I don't know what difference "hazy" makes...but as long as the weight is the same, I suspect the difference bewteen "clear" and "hazy" is minor.

Howdy O-Lugs,

I suspect this information is correct. I've yet to find this type of info on Remo's own website, which is odd, don't you think? On musiciansfriend site, most of thier info is vague, and sometimes innacurate, and as an instance, stating that a Diplomat Snare Side is 7.5 mil thick, as we know it isn't.

Over the years I've tried both the Evans 200, and 300 Hazy Snare Sides, and I personally had difficulty with loss of tension with the 200 Hazy on my Slingy Spitfire Snare (Of course, others mileage may vary). Nothing but stretch stretch stretch! lol

The 300 worked fine, with maintaining high tension, and just recently, I re-headed this drum, went back to Remo, with a Diplomat Snare Side, and a Diplomat M-5 (5-Mil) Coated Batter. Very sweet combo with no probs. Mark