We'll discuss general purpose information, give you some tips on tuning, tell you all about bearing edges, discuss the influence of shell materials on the sound, and fill you in on options that will help improve the overall performance of your kit. For the most part, you'll be able to do a lot of the work yourself, although you'll probably need the help of a qualified drum tech for some things. In any case, we'll turn your drum set inside out and help you understand the basics. This time around the topic is how to select a drumhead. The accepted standard drumhead is made of Dupont Mylar, a specialized high-tech plastic that has many different formulations and is used extensively in all kinds of industries.
Several companies manufacture drumheads, each with different sound characteristics.
Start your selection by tapping the head right out of the box, and ask yourself is this the sounds you want for your drum. You'll find that some heads are stretched tightly in the hoop and already have a tone. Other heads sound flat, light the sounds you would hear if you held up a piece of paper and struck it. The 2-ply heads are made with heavier weight Mylar. When struck, the two plies vibrate against each other to dampen the overtones, and let the fundamental drum tone come through.