Drummers have more bass drum head options than ever before. It seems every year manufacturers add heads with different thicknesses and design features, often appealing to drummers who play a specific genre of music. If you mainly play a certain style, there are probably a few heads tailored to your sound. A website like DrumheadSelector.com can even help you find specific heads for your particular drum specs and playing style.
But what if you want a head that will perform well in as many genres as possible? What if you want a head that can get the job done at just about any volume, on almost any size or type of drum? For that type of versatility, a few bass drum heads stand out from the rest. They’re thick enough for all but the hardest hitters (especially with a bass drum protector patch), thin enough to sing without a bass drum pillow, and have a nice wide tuning range.
This list of heads perform well across many styles of music, volumes, tuning ranges, and shell types. These heads aren’t perfect for every style, but can get the job done in many musical situations.
On with the list! These are the most versatile bass drum heads for all-purpose drumming.
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Remo P3 – Clear/Coated
Evans EQ4 – Clear/Frosted
There’s good reason this style of head comes pre-installed on so many semi-pro and professional bass drums. Single-ply, 10-mil thick, and with a permanent dampening ring on the inner side, these heads are extremely versatile. When used with a bass drum pillow, they give drummers a wide range of sounds to choose from.
Need a full-bodied tone? Just take the bass drum pillow out completely and these heads should be thin enough to sing. Want a controlled sound? Just put the pillow back in. You should get a fairly punchy tone with the combination of a pillow and the head’s built-in dampening ring.
If you’re worried about the durability of a 10-mil single-ply head, both of these models ship with a free bass drum protector patches. Most players shouldn’t have any issues with damage after the protector is installed, but keep in mind that the included patches are sized for single bass drum pedals.
Both the Remo P3 and Evans EQ4 come in clear and coated versions. The coated versions aren’t as popular as the clears, but they’re still very versatile. If you prefer some added warmth or if you’re going for a vintage tone, the coated versions should do the trick. They’ll also be a bit less resonant than their clear counterparts, although when it comes to bass drum sizes, that difference is minimal. The coating is more about the tone.
Heads Up!
One word of warning about the coated versions: if you haven’t used coated bass drum heads before, using a protector patch can be a wise move, even if you usually play softly. Coating (particularly Remo coating) can wear down felt beaters quickly. Unless you like a flat spot on your beater, you’ll probably want to add the patch before use.
Finally, keep in mind that some kits will ship with generic versions of these bass drum heads. You can certainly use those, but the tone probably won’t sound very good. If you upgrade to a name brand version, your bass drum sound should improve dramatically.
See Remo Clear P3
See Remo Coated P3
See Evans Clear EQ4
Remo P3 w/ Black Dot
The Remo Black Dot P3 is an interesting twist on the standard P3. With the simple addition of a large center dot to its 10-mil base ply, a few possible advantages come into play, while retaining much of what makes the standard version so versatile.
The most obvious added advantage is durability. The dot is 5-mil thick, giving drummers plenty of extra protection. Even when using hard beaters, this head can take a lot of punishment without showing much wear. The large diameter of the dot provides more attack than the standard version, as well. Notes are more clearly heard, especially when playing faster patterns. Finally, the dotted version will be slightly more controlled than the normal P3 or Evans EQ4.
Whether those are features you want depends on your drum size, shell type, and your personal taste in sound. Generally speaking, the benefits of the added dot increase as the diameter of your drum increases.
Why is that? On larger sizes, a standard 10-mil Remo P3 or Evans EQ4 can get somewhat muddy, especially when playing fast foot patterns. That can be alleviated with a pillow, but then you’re sacrificing durability. On the other hand, the standard Remo P3 or Evans EQ4 may be more versatile than the Black Dot version on smaller bass drums. Getting a wide-open sound from small drums can be difficult when using a head with a thick center.
The type of drummer who could really benefit from this head might be someone who wants extra durability, the option of longer sustain, and has a standard-sized or larger bass drum.
Remo Ambassador SMT – Clear/Coated
Evans EMAD – Clear/Coated
The Remo Ambassador SMT and Evans EMAD are designed with versatility in mind. Evans came up with the design many years ago, and saw a lot of success with it. Then, more recently, Remo introduced their SMTs. The foundation of both designs is a 10-mil thick film, where an adjustable foam dampening system is added. That combination of 10-mil film and free-floating foam dampening makes these heads versatile option for many types of drummers.
Remo keeps things simple by including one foam insert with the SMT, while Evans includes two of different widths with the EMAD. Most drummers use a foam insert, but you can also just leave it out all together for the fullest amount of sustain. Add that to the possibility of using a bass drum pillow, and you get a lot of control over your drum’s resonance. The coated versions of these heads add even more tonal warmth.
When comparing the two models, the Remo SMT and Evans EMAD produce similar sounds, but with subtle tonal differences. Ambassador SMT’s tend to have a bit more attack, while EMAD’s have a bit more body. Both are darker-sounding than standard Powerstroke or EQ4 heads, but brighter than the Evans GMAD and most dampened 2-ply heads.
Finally, if can’t decide between the popular P3/EQ4 heads and a 10-mil foam-dampened head, there are other things to consider. Standard heads are little more aggressive when compared to the more processed sound of foam dampening. If you tune your bass drum high and tight for certain styles, foam-dampened heads can also sound choked. On the other hand, if you tune low, like a full-bodied tone, and want some easy resonance control, the Ambassador SMT and EMAD could be great choices.
See Evans Clear EMAD
Evans GMAD – Clear
Evans had so much success with their EMAD dampening system that they designed more variations of the head. One of those is the 12-mil GMAD. As we mentioned in The Most Versatile Snare Drum Heads, we really like 12-mil heads at Drum Intel. They combine many of the good traits of single-ply heads with good traits of double-ply heads, making them a very versatile design.
On bass drums, a GMAD gives you more durability than an EMAD or Remo SMT (although not as much as the Remo Black Dot P3), along with a deeper tuning range. You can get a lot of low end out of a GMAD. That extra thickness comes at the cost of a bit less resonance and sensitivity, especially on smaller diameter drums.
If you can’t decide between an 10-mil SMT/EMAD and a 12-mil GMAD, consider the overall size of your drum and the playing styles you tend to play most often. The larger the drum, the more the GMAD makes sense. The extra 2 mil of thickness will help control the extra resonance that comes from those larger sizes.
The GMAD is also a good option if you’re the type of player who may play the occasional low-volume gig, but typically plays with more aggression. In that case, the extra thickness of the GMAD will lengthen the lifespan of the head. If you still can’t decide, we usually recommend going for the head with slightly more natural resonance. It’s easy to add external dampening to a head, but it’s nearly impossible to add resonance.
See Evans GMAD
Wrap-Up
Those are the most versatile bass drum heads for all-purpose drumming. If you’re a drummer who plays a wide variety of music, one or two of these heads should help you sound your best, no matter which style you’re playing. The only way to really know is to pick one out and give it a try!
By Peter Treuden – About the Author
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