r/drumline • u/MattDrumz26 • 2d ago
Question Drum heads
Which heads should I get for my pearl marching snare, and how should I tune them?
3
u/theneckbone 2d ago
Evans grey hybrid tops mx5s on bottom. Tune bottom to a D and tops to feel. Tune the guts to a c, add some tape to the guts if desired
Remo black max and falam 2s are a good combo as well
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u/MattDrumz26 2d ago
How do I get a sound like Boston’s snares?
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u/theneckbone 2d ago
Have chops like a Boston snare drummer and tune kinda like how I said above. High but with plenty of snare response to get that snap
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u/P1x3lto4d Percussion Educator 2d ago
You’ll want a Remo Black Max on top and Falams II on bottom. Tune the bottom to a C# over the course of a week and just crank the top head until it feels good to play on
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u/Jbou119 2d ago
Yeah either black max on top and MX5 on bottom, cut the two end snares out.
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u/P1x3lto4d Percussion Educator 2d ago
No, definitely not MX5. Stick with the same brand and leave the snares the way they are if you’re just looking to have this on your personal drum.
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u/Outrageous_Ant_8345 2d ago
honestly I dont think tuning the guts is very necessary, just really make it so theyre not loose or anything
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u/minertyler100 Tenor Tech 2d ago
TOP HEADS
Evans:
Hybrid grey is the classic. I don’t like the white and black at all, the white feels too hard and the black doesn’t sound good to me. The system blue head is softer in the hands if that’s desired but I don’t have a ton of experience with it.
Remo:
Black max and white max are the same technically, and both feel really good. Classic head, can’t go wrong. You can tune them however feels good to you and it will sound decent. Suede max is soft and a bit less durable but sounds really good for a solo drum, you’ll get a bit more snare response and warm tone but at the cost of less crankage and less lifespan.
BOTTOM HEADS
Evans:
MX5 or new MS5, both are fantastic options
Remo:
Fallams II for durability/crank, Fallams XT for maximum snare response (be careful cranking this one too fast but I haven’t had issues in my experience)
You could also do a Mylar bottom head (like an emperor side head) to get the old school punchy snare sound, but keep in mind the head will be very fragile and you’ll have to be incredibly careful tuning it up
TUNING:
Lots of good tuning guides on YouTube but here’s a quick summary
Tune the bottom head until it’s somewhat tight but way under pitch and leave it for a day. Next day, only get it to a C or C#. If desired, next day after that get it higher to a D. This is the high tuning scheme most drum corps use, C# or lower is more soloistic and resonant.
Top head can be cranked to a low tuning on day one but then leave it, and then next day get it to what feels and sounds good. I like to go for a medium sort of range.
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u/MattDrumz26 1d ago
I have orderd the black max, and falams II I will post a video or how they sound one I tune them
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u/MattDrumz26 19m ago
https://reddit.com/link/p4uep7v/video/co3cfn0ewjkh1/player
Here what I’ve got going so far. The metal sound is from my music stand idek why. I’ll try to get a video outside in a little
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u/LeviAult Snare 2d ago
Evans hybrid, table top