So what's the deal with DW heads?

So I am bombarding the drum forum with tons of questions all of a sudden.

I bought a Pacific FS Birch kit and A Custom Mastersounds and K Custom Ride. I am wanting to replace the heads on the kit with some really decent heads. What kind do they put on DW's? They have that white ring around them for dampening, I guess. Also, the bass head that has all those little holes around the edge, can you buy thoses separately? Or should I just get something else. Arrgh!

So really, I just need some heads.

The white ring's not for dampening; it's not an extra ply of mylar. It's supposed to produce a sound half way between a clear head and a coated head.

What don't you like about the stock heads? Have you experimented with tuning to get the sound you want?

Many drum companies are using much better heads on their kits than they have in the past. I recently played a yamaha Stage Custom, brand new with stock heads. A few tweaks with the drum key, and they sounded phenomenal. Granted, this was at a rehearsal studio, and a couple weeks later, after 40 or so drummers bashed away on them, they weren't that great anymore, but with regular use from one drummer, they definitely seemed serviceable.

Anyway, Aquarian, Remo, and Evans all make good drumheads. I wouldn't put DW heads on a kit seeing as they're probably just made by Remo or somebody else anyway (as yours probably are).

My motto is, use 'em until they're worn out. THEN replace them.

I've got a couple of Pacific kits myself that I play regularly. I don't have the FS, but I do use an L and a CX Maple.

The Pacific heads didn't work well for me. The little white ring is a dampening device, but it just doesn't do well. I just wasn't pleased with the tones coming from them.

I put Attack 2 ply medium thin coated heads on the batter side and Attack 1 ply medium coated on the resonant side. Great results. Not too dead and not too live. I chose the Attack heads first because that's what I sell but also for their durability. The sound I'm getting is spectacular.

I use the stock Pacific head on the bass drum, but did use the DW resonant head. I've gotten better results from the White coated DW head without any port. I just use the standard Pacific pillow inside as well. It's got a nice resonant "woof"

I hope this helps!

Cool! Who makes the Attack heads?

The drums came with the Pacific heads on and tuned pretty well out of the box. I evened out the sound all the way around and was good to go. I just want the best sound possible. I am gonna try that DW tuning method from another thread.

Attack is their own brand. Although they may notbe as big as Remo or Aquarian, I like them better. I've been getting a better sound and they last longer.

I sell the Attack heads. If you want some, email me and I can hook you up. My web site is coming but isn't quite ready.

So the FS birch kits sound pretty nice eh? How good of quality is the wood, if anyone knows??

I went to this other Ma and Pa store here (run by REAL musicians) and they had a CX maple kit and an FS birch kit set up right next to each other. The CX had an Aquarian Batter head (not anything like a Superkick, but it did have a dampening ring, I'd say it was a cheaper head) and Pacific Reso, and the FS had stock heads. The CX sounded AWESOME. The FS sounded good with the stock heads, certainly better than some of the kits they set up at Guitar Center. I think mine sounds great, but I want the bass to sound more solid.

I put an Aquarian super kick I on my cheap pearl bd and it sounds great...i got the pack, it has the beater head, resonant head and a little pad to put where the beater hits...it was a few dollars but totally worth it...i went from the factory heads to those and the difference was huge...they are really easy to tune too...you dont have to worry about stuffing anything in your drum...i recommend them...

whatever thats worth...