On drums...

Hey guys hope all is well with you all

Just wondering at what point do you all decide to get new drum heads? Mainly on your toms. What makes you think "Must get new heads soon" Is it when they look past their best? Is it when tuning becomes difficult? I'm not a heavy hitter and my heads never seem to look destroyed therefor I find it difficult to know when they are finished.

Just something I have wondered

_________________
Ron

Going well enough, Ron. How about you?

No hard and fast rule that I know of. Depends on how much you play and how hard, and how sensitive you are to tone. Some of us have more tolerance for old heads than others, but generally it's the sound that gives the clue that a head is no longer what it was. SInce it's a slow process (usually) of degeneration, it really comes down to our ears. If the drums don't sound as lively as they once did, or can't be tuned adequately, it's time.

If a head looks bad, it surely is. But even under light playing heads stretch and lose tone, and the deformation can be hard to see, particularly on coated heads that don't reflect the light.

Economics are a factor, obviously.

There's also the experience of time involved; I mean, if you have played a head for a month, taken it off and discovered it has gone dead, after another month it may seem worth checking the new one.

A friend changes tom heads once a month, and snare heads once a week, whereas I generally err on the side of over use. I like playing drums but I'm not fond of changing heads, so I resist changing them even when I know they're getting soft. But at some point there's just no arguing, the new heads have been bought, and I've got spare time on my hands. However, the combination of a socket drive for the tension bolts and a DrumDial have made that job about a hundred times less daunting.

The real puzzles are resos, that never look bad. But they go dead over time, and I have no idea how to gauge them. They are critical to a drums sound, and I suspect, but do not know, that a reso needs replacing after two or three years.

_________________
Gregory

Right on both accounts Greg... When a tone loses its richness - it's time to change the head...

As far as bottom heads go, 3 years would be enough to turn the head into "a piece of plastic" I think...

I tend to change heads 2 a year. But, I have great difficulty finding Remo Emperor here, and I have to pay extra $$$, so this 6 month period is sometimes extended to 9-10 months.

Plus, the work (and the rehearsal sharing) doesn't give me time to practice on the SONOR set daily, and I rarely have a gig more than once a week - so the drums get played 3-4 times a week which prolongs the head change.

BUT - I always go by the sound rule: If the drums sound "dull", I don't enjoy playing them, so I gotta change heads...


Glad to hear we're all doing well....

_________________
Goki - short from Goran

Let the good drums roll!!!

There's really great mojo that comes with new heads. If you just need some inspiration change em out.
When I'm playing daily it last maybe two weeks. But I don't change the whole kit that frequently. I keep a few 10" heads in stock because that is my most played drum. Then my 8 tom. So those two get changed often, bring the kit back to life.
When I think I have to change the reso's, I box the kit up and ship it out.
I don't think I ever owned a kit long enough to change the reso's

Ron, aren't you left handed? This is something you might check out, as hey should last longer than right-hand versions.

http://drumsonsale.com/product.php?id_product=13044

_________________
Gregory

Hey Kelly,

I was reading through your post, getting ready to hit 'reply' as soon as I got to the end, but I see that a reply was not needed.

You are the one guy I know that keeps the heads he likes and changes shells.

To revevive an old phrase, ' Kelly's right' - there is nothing like the sound and feel of a new set of heads (or shells) dialed in so that it sound like you are playing notes on an upright bass. I change heads as soon as it is practical to get that feeling back.

_________________
Cliff

River City Trio

What if we did all have the same opinions?

Why does it say - April 1st 2011 Prank Product - on the bottom of the page?!??!?!?!

_________________
Goki - short from Goran

Let the good drums roll!!!

Probably because most drum keys turn the wrong way to tighten them.

_________________
Gregory

I'm good thanks Greg and glad to hear all is well with you



Nice one Greg. If I was left handed i'd be up for them for sure



I think this is the answer I was looking for. My toms especially my 10 and 12 are just sounding dead now. It's time to change them!

Thanks for your input everybody.

_________________
Ron

Greg's first post really nails all the reasons. Kelly's post about mojo also rings true.

I tend to play tom heads into the ground-I hit hard and my heads will have dents after just a couple hours, but I keep at 'em until they are stretched and sound funny and won't tune up right. When I do change the heads, they sound so radically different and better that I get all inspired to play even more! Even with as many as 200 shows a year, I may only change my heads every 8-9 months, often only once a year.

I change my resos every 2-3 years or sooner if they get dented or messed up from misuse.

I do the same thing with guitar (and especially bass) strings. I play them until I see wear marks from the frets on the strings or until they break, then I change them one at a time.

Guess I'm a miser...

_________________
Chris