What shape is it in? If it's in good shape and sounds crisp leave it on. If there's a lot of wear replace it with a coated diplomat.

Jack

:)

You guys are killing me. No clue what kind of shape it's in. Looks like a head that's been on a drum since 1970 I suppose. Sorry, I last played these thingsa in approx. 1976. Also, I want to keep these drums essentially "stock," how they originally were. To that, I THINK the Dyna came with a Diplomat batter head and Ambassador snare side head. The batter head was of course replaced several times over the years.

Chuck!!!!...

Nah... Jack completely misunderstood your question! You asked about the SNARE SIDE... as in resonant side, yes?! Not batter side. So having cleared that up,...

If the resonant/snare side is the ORIGINAL head with the Rogers logo still on it, I would say yes, keep it on the drum. Chances are that it isn't too stretched out from tensioning. It would be a nice place to start in any event. Regarding the batter side on a Dynasonic:

Yes... 'tis true that the Rogers Dynasonic OEM batter head was in fact a Remo Diplomat... and... the Diplomat will supply the "crispy nuance" that the Dynasonic is so known for... but! ... so will a single ply Ambassador, and with the added benefit of a bit more milage, if you know what I mean. I have two wood/WMP 60's era Dynasonics, a 1963 COB/7 line, and a 1965 COB/7 line, and not one of them has a Diplomat on it. I admit that I personally like the Aquarian Satin Finish single ply coated white heads... ( essentially Ambassador weight, but different mylar ) ... and all my Dynasonics have those on them, and man do they SING. But, as many have already said: This a completely subjective subject. It comes down to what YOU want to feel/hear on YOUR drum. Anyway,

OEM batter side on a Dynasonic was in fact the Diplomat. GREAT heads... but they fade fast if you are doing any real amount of playing. Resonant, or snare side: Clear and/or Hazy, and most probably Ambassador weight... but again: The clear/thin ones... not the coated batter's.

Tommyp

Just re-read the post...and yes, duh, I missed that entirely.

Tommy, I never cared for the Ambassador sound on my Dynas. I found them not to be crisp enough for me. Having said that, Bruce Felter sent me an Evans j1 etched head just a couple of days before he died and he called and asked what I thought. Let me tell you, I love them. They are crisp and responsive across the whole head. Perfect for brushes right out of the box without any of the head prep you need for coated heads. They are just slightly darker sounding than a Diplomat. I believe they are 10ml. If your playing brushes or doing jazz or blues they are great. Haven't tried them on rock or funk yet but think they will be fine there too.

Jack

:)

Hey Jack!...

You know, Bruce and I talked a lot about different heads for the Dynasonic, and I told him, like I also mentioned previously, that for me, the Aquarian Satin Finish coated white head is it. I have those on all my Dynasonics... and I like them a lot. You may not... the next guy may not... but that's the whole point of this discussion: It's completely subjective! That's not to say that the Evans j1 etched isn't a great head too... it's just that the Aquiarian gives ME what I want in feel/sound on my drum... and for my playing style/impact. And yes... I actually play a LOT of straight ahead jazz with a good amount of standards thrown in, and a better than good amount of brushes in most situations. I also hit the funk grooves and the R&B with the 6 piece band and at a slightly elevated volume level if you will. The Aquarian Satin Finish coated white heads deliver across the board... for me. That's why I have no interest in trying the Evans... I'm quite happy with the Aquarian's! You know,

Bruce ended up trying the Aquarian after we spoke, and he asked if the head had to be "prepped" for brushes. Well, unlike the Evans which I guess is ready to go right out of the box, yes, the Aquarian needs a little work. My method, which I shared with Bruce, was the GRAY 3M Scotch Brite pad. That has just the right amount of "cut" to gently wear the fresh coating on the Satin Finish head, without removing an overly lot of material. Brushes play/feel/sound fantastic. Bruce said he used to use sandpaper... he liked the Scotch Brite pad trick... no residue! Anyway,

You know Jack, I think even the perception of "sound" is subjective. I don't care for Ambassador's on my Dynasonic's either... but I really like the Aquarian's. And again, that's what works for me! But!... if I ever get to where I'm no longer knocked out with the Aquarian Satin Finish coated's, I'll give the Evans a try!

Tommyp

Just my two sense..... Tommyp you and I had this similar discussion about batter heads and preferences. I have not tried the Aquarian that you mention because I still am in love with the Fiberskyn by Remo. As you said months ago when I posted, it's all in the players preference. Since I got my first Dyna (Big R) I found a second one (also a Big R) for a excellent price and used an Ambassador that I had laying around. I still go back to the Fiberskyn sound, but that's what I like. Might have to try your recommendation of the Aquarian.....As far as everything else goes Jack, experiment and use what you like, as for me.....I'm still searching for that Kenny Aronoff "Scarecrow" sound......We all should kneel at the alter of Tommyp (the resident expert on Rogers) and listen to the gospel, Amen brother!!

That had to be the worst mental breakdown Ive ever had, in a single post................ heres the edit. .

Ok. Ive just put the Evans J1 Etched on two dynasonics, one 6.5 maple 10 ply, and a COB 5x14. Ill try them out this week at practice. We'll see how that goes.

I agree wholeheartedly Tommy. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I didn't mean to imply that my answer was for everyone but wanted to throw some different meat in the stew for folks to taste.

Jack

:)

backbeatkeeper!...

Nice to hear from you!... and thanks for the very nice words too! You know, your post is a fine example of exactly what I have been talking about. You and I had discussed different heads for the Dynasonic a while ago and again, I mentioned that I really like the Aquarian Satin Finish coated white model... but you are still playing the Remo Fiberskyn model and love it... because it's the right head for YOU. That is exactly it... personal choice. We are so fortunate to have such a WIDE choice of heads to choose from today... enough so that everyone can have their own sound and/or personal favorite. Completely, and totally, subjective!

Jack!...

A little different meat is always good for the stew!! :-) And I'll tell ya: If I weren't totally happy with the Aquarian's, there is no doubt in my mind that I would instantly try the Evans j1 Etched, or the Remo Fiberskyn! Course we all know that old adage: "It it ain't broke, don't fix it". If you, and in this case you is a general term, are happy with the current set-up and sound performance of your Dynasonic... leave it alone. It's already there! If not... well, there is a virtual cornucopia of head choices available for today's drummer!

Tommyp