Snare, Drumheads - Batter side

Coatings and material type are as described in the section “Tom, Drumheads - Batter side”. There are some similarities here to that which is used for a tom.  But there are also some real differences such as the Evan’s Genera Snare and Genera Dry vented series.

1.         Single ply Thin Weight such as REMO Diplomat, Renaissance, FiberSkyn FD (FD extra thin), Evan’s Genera Concert Snare, all are coated and are great for very articulate, extremely sensitive, bright, open overtones (FiberSkyn warmer), not very durable. Special mention - Evan’s Genera Concert Staccato Snare, a drier very articulate version of the “thin” group.

2.         Single ply unmuffled/unvented medium weight such as REMO Ambassador, Renaissance and FiberSkyn FA, Aquarian Satin Texture Coated and the Evans G1 series, UNO 58 1000.  Uno 58 is brightest, FiberSkyn warmest.  All-purpose head, accentuated overtones, articulate, takes punishment from all but very heavy hitters. Aquarian coating most durable.  Special mention – Evan’s PowerCenter, all the virtues of a single ply head but has a perforated 5” coated thin dot that will withstand high tunings and severe abuse without the dot coming off (only 14”).

3.         Single ply muffled or Heavy Weight such as the REMO Emperor, Renaissance, PowerStroke, FiberSkyn F1 and the Aquarian Studio X series, Evan’s Genera Batter. The sound here goes more mellow compared to single ply with overtones becoming less prevalent on the initial attack and less or minimal sustain. There is still an element of ring to the drum.

4.         Single ply muffled and very “Dry” or “Vented”.  Evan’s has the most in the market for this category with the Genera Dry, Uno 58 1000 Dry, The sound has a sharper, quicker attack and is almost void of overtones. This head requires careful attention to tuning and generally will make the midrange tone of the shell material standout while limiting the low frequencies of the drum.

5.         2 ply muffled or wear resistant heads like REMO Pinstripe, Aquarian Performance II or Double Thins and the classic Evans G2, or anything with a “Power dot” on it, these produce a very short initial attack coupled with a very short sustain.

6.         Heavily muffled with an oil barrier such as the Evans hydraulic. These heads are the most inherently “boxy” or “dull” of any. Almost void of any inherent sustain on their own.

Snare, Drumheads - Resonant side

Note: Obviously you can use any head, but it is correct to use a “Snare Side” head.  If you use any head other than a “Snare Side” Head, it will be the equivalent of using a “Heavy” weight or thicker head and the result will be the lack of or absence of snare sound, buzzing, no sensitivity or all of the above.

1.         Thin resonant heads: Heads like REMO Diplomat Snare Side and Evan’s Genera Hazy 200.  These heads are great to increase snare response, sensitivity and crack while allowing ghost notes and rolls to become more articulate.

2.         Medium weight heads: Heads such as REMO Ambassador, Renaissance, Aquarian Classic Clear Snare Side or Evan’s Hazy 300.  These will have less sustain than the thinner counterparts such as the REMO Diplomat or Evans 200, the sound becomes more focused and not as bright and articulate.  The Evan’s Genera 300 and Genera Glass 300 go drier in tone yet retain very good snare response while the Renaissance goes warmer.

3.         Heavy Weight resonant heads: REMO Emperor, Evan’s 500 Hazy are both very dry heads and not real articulate.  Clear/glass versions of these heads are a bit drier yet. Aquarian Hi-Performance Snare Side is built to counteract wear yet give response characteristics of the medium weight heads.