Heads for a Vintage Kit

[TamaDrummer88]

Hey

What are some good heads for a vintage kit? Its not a fancy kit. Its a U.S. Mercury made in Japan. I was thinking about getting the Remo Fiberskins, or the simluated calf skins, but I dont know much about them. Im looking for the vintage look also.

Thanks

[Mr. B.]

I think your pretty lucky to have the original bass reso head, and I’d keep it if I was you.

If you look at it closely you would see it’s likely very close to a Remo coated Ambassador in feel and weight. And with the exception of the snare reso (smooth Diplomat weight) that’s what would have been on the whole kit when new from the factory.

I my opinion that’s not a bad vintage sound for these old Japanese Luan shelled kits, although I personally use coated Emperor weight for batter sides. I’ve also heard good results with Pin Stripes for tom batters.

That’s the vintage perspective, but actual sound and tone is so subjective, it is really up to your own taste.


-Mr. B.

[Jazzer Ed]

Hey

What are some good heads for a vintage kit? Its not a fancy kit. Its a U.S. Mercury made in Japan. I was thinking about getting the Remo Fiberskins, or the simluated calf skins, but I dont know much about them. Im looking for the vintage look also.

Thanks

Fiberskyn Heads are great for batter side of snare and tom. They feel like calfskin and respond well to brushes. Use clear ambassadors on resonant side of drums--except bass drum. Use Fiberskyn on resonant side for control of ring and also for batter side, or even a clear pinstripe on batter side of bass drum. Get a tilter for cymbal or a cymbal stand instead of bass mounted cymbal holder. A stand gives you much more flexibility for positioning of the ride cymbal. There are adjustable extensions you can buy in a drum shop to make the cymbal holder you have adjustable--they usually come with a tilter. I'd just buy a cymbal stand, however, and put the old BD mounted cymbal holder away. thats what I did on old Rogers kit I used to have.