It costs a lot of money to experiment with heads now, and we know heads make a HUGE difference, so what would you use on a vintage Olympic mahogany kit used for old R&B/Motown exclusively?
Looking for a top n bottom combo that you would suggest on a 12,16,20.
I just put Remo Ambassador coated heads top and bottom on my 1968 Pearls. I've never used coated heads as resos before but man do they sound deep and full with lots of resonance and no unwanted overtones. I play a lot of Motown, soul and funk and it's the perfect sound.
Vote #2 agreed with Lenny- coated Ambassadors for the warmth. Some guys would use the more 'open' smooth white as resos/ but I'd bet you'll love the coated as both/ and they'll look the part also.
I'll also go with the above recommendations for coated Ambassadors top/bottom. They'll sound great! I will say that if you need a bit more warmth and depth, you can also go with coated Emperors top with Ambassador coated on the bottom. Makes a good combination, too!
-Mark
I do like Ambs top n bottom but these are 100%mahog shells and figured they would sound different from say my Sonor beech kit that I love dearly.
Emps have always interested me but I shy away from 2 ply heads on birch or maple, but thought they might sound "old" on the mahogany?
Old school heads when possible nothing like them!
I just put Remo Ambassador coated heads top and bottom on my 1968 Pearls. I've never used coated heads as resos before but man do they sound deep and full with lots of resonance and no unwanted overtones. I play a lot of Motown, soul and funk and it's the perfect sound.
This.
I'd go with coated Ambassadors top and bottom. I love the look of the coated bottom heads as well. Those AM shells will sound great with them, I have a B303 kit with AM shells to, they sound amazing with that head set up, especially for that Motown vibe.
Clear Diplomats on the bottom, clear Emperors on top. Or, if you like Evans, Clear G1s on the bottom, clear or coated G2s on top.
I have received a lot of compliments on the sound of a small drum set that I use for a society band gig and small combo jazz. I have used various single coated heads (currently Aquarian Vintage for brush response) and use snare side heads on the bottoms of all of the tom toms. I don't use any muffling or tone controls, not even Moon Gel, except for the bass drum. This combination might sound strange to you, but I recommend that you have a friend play them and listen from a distance. That is a good way to check out any new head selection. Hope this helps, good luck. Joe
