Well....it would be "walking on eggshells" if you tensioned the bottom heads really high......I've tried the Bonham/bigband method of tuning, the bebop method of tuning them up as high as they will go, and found that my drums sound best with the heads tuned the same top and bottom and at a moderate to low tension......that shouldn't kill the B&B lugs I would think.....its not the head thickness that kills them, its the high tension.

Again...just slipping in a bit of info. You don't need to tension tight if you use animal skin. If you avoid mylar on the reso side and use real skin, you won't run into any of these issues. Just a thought.

[COLOR="DarkRed"]Can't use animal skin...I am a vegetarian. But, that is a correct answer in that those are the sorta heads which B & B's were originally made for (and which is why they fail on plastic/synthetic heads).

LD, I agree, middle-low tuning is my favorite as well. It's not necessarily a Q of # of plys or head thicknesses, it's just about the stiffness/flex of the heads and headrings as well. Plastic heads destroy B & B's, period. Even a 1-ply Evans clear...they are just too stiff if not tuned below medium tension. That's why I am looking for alternatives.

Any sorta conventional coated on the bottom, Ambassador or F'skin (both of which under normal circumstances would be good suggestions) will just put those lugs in a bad position, IMHO.

Granted, if I am being overly-cautious, it's because each B & B which cracks is another $25 out of my wallet...and I have already invested $800 of reproduction lugs in this kit (and it only covered half the total amount of lugs). The kit only cost me $400...but it needed a fair amt. of work.

This is why folks ditched the B & B's and replaced 'em with Beavertails over the years. If the kit weren't such a rare and special finish, I would have done that, too...

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Yes, but if you did that you'd have to drill extra holes in the shells as the hole spaceing is different than the B&Bs to Beavertails......I know the repros are very expensive but they are worth it if you are planning on keeping the kit longterm, then at least you won't have to worry about cracking lugs anymore....or drilling extra holes in the kit.

[COLOR="DarkRed"]I completely agree w/ you...that's why I ponied up for 'em. But I am not sure anyone can really defend paying $1200 total on reproduction lugs for ANY kit.

I know I can't...

Actually, the B'tails don't require new holes, just elongating the existing B & B ones....it's one of the typical things which Rogers buffs look for if they see an older-serial # Cleveland kit with B'tails....they take off a lug and see if the holes are oval.....;)[/COLOR]

You can't use animal skins, but you "ponied" up for "beavertails"?

Ahhh, I keed, I keed. This is a great thread, sorry if I ruined it.Chewie:

I've tried it before, not crazy about it. Immediately went back to a lighter res head on the bottom.

I came across this - it's a portion of one of Rush's tour books where each member describes their equipment. Neil Peart lists all the different types of heads he uses on all his drums. What gets me is he mentions putting evans "hydraulic" heads (if I'm not mistaken these are double ply with oil in between) on both the top and bottom!! I don't really see how the bottom head would benefit from this. I guess his intention was for it to not vibrate at all? Has anyone ever heard of this practice before?

Neil Peart - "I use Remo clear dots on my snare and bass drums, Ludwig silver dots on the concert toms, and Evans Looking Glass (top), and Blue Hydraulic (bottom) on the closed toms. Clear Remos are used on the timbales and gong bass drums."

[COLOR="Purple"]Plunger-trombone sound: waaaah-waaaah-waaah, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh...[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]Hehe, good one actually.

I actually once threw Hydraulics on the bot of a floor tom...just because It was the last 16 I had lying around. Made the drum sound like sh#t, actually.....

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