I go coated ambs on my sonor Teardrops. 3ply with re-ring beech. I tune then up a bit when I practice my swing/ jazz stuff. Lower for regular stuff. They sound great to me either way.

For me, there's no 'best' or 'worst' option, it all comes down to what sounds good to you. I think most of us would be familiar with some basic facts (e.g. thinner shells resonate more), beyond that it's a matter of personal preference. Also, your touch plays an important part: the way you hold the stick (or push that pedal) and hit the drum can make a huge difference compared to another player. I guess the only way is to experiment with different heads and tuning ranges, play the things and find out.

Personally, I tend to go with coated Ambs for a more 'vintage' sound and clear Ambs for modern styles. I'm not a heavy hitter, but I find that in both cases I get the best sound when I tune my drums a bit lower than the natural pitch of the shell. There are two ways to find what that is: one is described above by Drummerjohn (the DW way), the other is to tune both heads to their maximum resonance point (the point where the drum will give you the longest sound possible) and then take it from there.

Alex

Does this kit have any mufflers installed on any toms or snare drum from the factory?

The snare has a factory muffler which I definitely use. Way too much ringing without it....no mufflers on any of the toms

I have a coated Ambassador on top and a Ludwig clear resonant on the bottom

Look guys, on the three ply shells...well, you know what I'm gonna suggest. Lightly sand the interiors, LIGHTLY hand sand the edges to perfection, tape off the rings, coat the interior with A) lacquer, or B) lay up a thin inner ply of maple, curly is great, as I have done to astounding successes...then apply a few coats of lacquer.

You see, most people just don't get what they got. Send 'em to me, gimme 50 bucks, and pay for the materials, and when you get 'em back, you'll drool.

Oh, I highly recommend Aquarian Z-100 coated heads for all MIJ 3 ply shells.