Bottom drumheads play an important role in getting a great drum sound. While not struck, these heads resonate in tandem with batter heads and drum shells. That’s why bottom heads are also called ‘resonant’ heads or ‘reso’ heads. They provide much of the tone to toms and bass drums, and create articulation for snare drums.
The problem is many drummers don’t change their bottom heads – a mistake we talk about in 4 Common Drumhead Mistakes. Some drummers may not realize the importance of good resonant heads, while others might not be sure which models to consider.
Well, we’re going to talk about the most popular bottom drumheads now. This is, in many ways, a list of the best resonant drumhead options for most drummers. They’re heads you can’t really go wrong with, no matter what type of player you are. They get the job done in many situations, and their popularity is evidence of that.
On with the list! These are the most popular bottom drumheads.
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Snare Resonant Heads
Remo Hazy Ambassador
Evans Snare-Side 300
Specs:
1-ply, 3-mil
Snare side only
If you’ve ever made the mistake of putting a standard head on the bottom of your snare drum, you probably have a good understanding of why specific snare-side heads are important. These resonant snare heads need to be very thin, allowing vibration to activate the snare wires and achieve the correct sound.
Snare-side heads come in a few different thicknesses. You can get them from popular brands in 2-mil, 3-mil, and 5-mil thicknesses. Some thicknesses are geared towards specific styles. 2-mil heads are designed to be as sensitive as possible, but they lack durability for medium and loud volumes. 5-mil heads are made for very heavy hitters, but they lack sensitivity. That leaves us with the 3-mil thickness, which is the most versatile.
Every drumhead company makes a snare-side head. The most popular model by Remo is the Hazy Ambassador. From Evans, it’s the Snare-Side 300. Both of those have the same basic specs. As we mentioned, they’re 3-mil thick. They also have a built-in collar, which means the head shape is rounded along the edge, rather than perfectly flat. Those two specs, along with quality materials, will give most drummers everything they need from a snare-side drumhead.
Time For A Change?
There are a few signs to look out for if you don’t know whether or not you need to change a snare-side head. First, since these heads are so thin, they can show obvious visible wear. If the head has dents or tears, it’s time to change it. Second, if you have a generic snare-side head, the materials are almost definitely poor quality. You’ll get better performance from a name brand head. Finally, even quality snare-side heads lose tone and performance over time. If you’ve changed your snare drum’s batter head a few times, but you’re still using the same reso head, you’d likely benefit from a fresh bottom.
Tom Resonant Heads
Remo Clear Ambassador
Evans Clear G1
Specs:
1-ply, 10-mil
Clear surface
Of all the drum types, toms are most impacted by worn-out resonant heads. The tone of tom bottoms tends to be very exposed. There are no snare wires or bass drum pillows to hide frequencies and shorten the tone. Instead, you hear much more detail. The longer vibration also tends to wear out tom bottom heads faster than most snare and bass drum resonant heads.
Several styles of drumheads are commonly used on the bottoms of toms. Some are very specific for the purpose, like Evans EC Resonant heads. Some people use thinner models, like the 7.5-mil Remo Diplomat. However, the most versatile and popular designs are made of a single ply of 10-mil film. This style has a good mix of tone, attack, and durability. It also provides a wide tuning range.
Remo’s Clear Ambassador is the best-selling resonant tom head in the world. It shouldn’t be confused with Remo’s Snare-Side Clear Ambassador. The snare-side version is too thin to use on toms. Evans’ best-selling tom resonant head is the clear G1. Both the Remo and Evans versions can be used as tom batter heads, but they’re more commonly seen on the bottom side.
Time For A Change?
It can be difficult to realize your tom resonant heads are going bad. The process is often slow enough that it goes unnoticed for a while. However, there are signs that your tom reso heads are overdue for a change. The most common sign is having difficulty tuning. You might have fairly new tom batter heads, but you can’t seem to get your toms sounding as good as usual. New bottom heads will often help the toms sound fuller, with more low-end body. A good rough estimate to follow is every 2-3 times you change your tom batter heads, change the resonants, as well.
See Evans Clear G1
Bass Drum Resonant Heads
Remo Ebony Ambassador
Specs:
1-ply, 10-mil
Glossy black finish
No dampening ring
Remo’s Ebony Ambassador is commonly pre-installed on bass drums. It’s a very straightforward drumhead, with no dampening ring or port hole. This head is meant to be used with a bass drum pillow, which helps focus the sound and take away unwanted high frequencies. Many drummers also add a port hole to this head. Our recommendations for internal muffling and port holes can be found further down on this page.
Remo Ebony Powerstroke
Specs:
1-ply, 10-mil
Glossy black finish
Dampening ring
If you like the look of an Ebony Ambassador, but want some built-in dampening, the Remo Ebony Powerstroke P3 could be a good choice. The Powerstroke is another 10-mil thick head. A dampening ring around the inner edge creates a more focused tone, which most drummers prefer. You may still need a pillow, but the ring does much of the work. This head doesn’t have a pre-cut hole, but it ships with a hole template, so you’ll be set to add a port hole later.
Evans EQ Resonant
Specs:
1-ply, 7.5-mil
White/black/coated finishes
Dampening ring
5″ port hole
Evans EQ3 Resonant heads comes in several versions. You can get them with or without a port hole and in multiple color options. Most drummers prefer a version with a pre-cut hole, as shown above. Along with its built-in dampening ring, these ported heads include both of the features most drummers want in a resonant bass drum head.
A pre-cut hole gives you easy access to internal dampening, a slightly tighter sound, and a good place to put a microphone. The dampening ring focuses the low-end, giving the drum a punchier tone. The EQ3 Resonant comes smooth white, coated white, and glossy black.
Evans Calftone
Specs:
1-ply, 12-mil
Fiber finish
No dampening ring
Many drummers like the vintage look and sound of a fiber-coated drumhead. Remo makes the Fiberskyn series, but a popular newcomer to the industry is the Evans Calftone. The standard version (with no dampening) works particularly well on the front of a bass drum. It’s 12-mil thick, which adds extra warmth and helps control unwanted overtones. Many players still add a small amount of muffling inside the drum, but the fibrous finish of the head dampens the sound quite a bit.
Be aware of cutting a port hole in a fiber-coated head. It’s easy to cut through the material, but it’s more difficult to get a clean cut with this type of finish. The fiber tends to leave a rough edge, even when using a sharp blade. The best solution is using a Gibraltar Port Hole Protector. That product will hide any minor blemishes that show after the hole has been cut.
See Evans Calftone
Time For A Change?
Resonant bass drum heads generally last longer than any drumhead on a drum set. It’s usually dampened and minimally tensioned. The most common reasons drummers change their reso bass drum heads is just to get something different, rather than because their old head got worn out. Players may want a different look, a different dampening design, or a pre-cut port hole.
That being said, resonant bass drum heads will eventually lose tone, like any drumhead. If you’ve been playing the same front bass drum head for many years, you’d likely give your drum some extra oomph by changing it out.
Possible Add-Ons
Bass drum heads are often adapted by drummers to fit their particular needs. If your bass drum heads has too much resonance, a pillow is the obvious easy fix. We really like the Evans EQ Pad and the DW Muffling Pillow.
If you need to cut a port hole, the most popular option is using a simple template. It’ll help you cut a perfect circle and protect the hole afterwards. We recommend the Aquarian 5″ Port Hole. Our guide to cutting a port hole can be found here.
Wrap-Up
Those are the most popular bottom drumheads in the industry. All of them are great for so many different types of drummers, no matter what style of music they play. They’re all versatile and high-quality. So, if you find your drums are missing something, try some new resonant heads. You’ll probably be surprised how big of a difference they make!
By Peter Treuden – About the Author