Clear Over Coated?

Jsk36

Senior Member
Well i just played my tom upside down for about 1 minute and it sounds surprisingly good.

The heads are coated ambassador and clear ambassador.


Anyone ever notice this can be a good combo?
 
Well.My floortom has this and it sounds great. It adds a bit more of an darker tone I think.
 
I tend to find that coated heads on the resonant side muffle the sound a bit more than I'd like. I run single-ply coated heads on the batter and clear on the resonant on all my drums (visit my new kit thread if you want proof). Resonant heads are meant to really be the lighter of the two so they can work in sympathy with the batter. Rarely have I seen it the other way around and it is even more rare that I find that results in a sound that I like.
 
Just to clarify the original post...

You're saying that you have coateds over clears, and you tried it upside-down, which means clear over coated, and you liked that sound? If you like it, then go for it! Whatever sound YOU like is what's important, no matter the conventionality of it or not. Here are some factors to consider, though...

1. It may be that your coated head was used for a while (I don't know...the original post didn't say), and the resonant head had more resonance/tone due to the fact that it hadn't been hit with a stick.

2. Maybe you've gotten used to the sound of a coated head, and the clear head sound is novel and refreshing to your ears.

3. Some drum manufacturers cut the batter and resonant bearing edges differently to enable those heads to maximize their potential in their role of the drum's total sound. What kind of kit do you have? If this is the case, you might like the sound of all of your toms reversed...

I go back and forth between clear and coated quite a bit (live, studio, live, studio, live, studio....). I have concluded that I, personally, like the sound of coated over clear the best. When I play coated for a while, the sound of clears is appealing, but when I play clears for a while, the sound of coateds is amazing to me.
 
Just to clarify the original post...

You're saying that you have coateds over clears, and you tried it upside-down, which means clear over coated, and you liked that sound? If you like it, then go for it! Whatever sound YOU like is what's important, no matter the conventionality of it or not. Here are some factors to consider, though...

1. It may be that your coated head was used for a while (I don't know...the original post didn't say), and the resonant head had more resonance/tone due to the fact that it hadn't been hit with a stick.

2. Maybe you've gotten used to the sound of a coated head, and the clear head sound is novel and refreshing to your ears.

3. Some drum manufacturers cut the batter and resonant bearing edges differently to enable those heads to maximize their potential in their role of the drum's total sound. What kind of kit do you have? If this is the case, you might like the sound of all of your toms reversed...

I go back and forth between clear and coated quite a bit (live, studio, live, studio, live, studio....). I have concluded that I, personally, like the sound of coated over clear the best. When I play coated for a while, the sound of clears is appealing, but when I play clears for a while, the sound of coateds is amazing to me.
Good point Caddy.

But should I risk using my reso's as a batter and have them not suited for being a reso in the future because of being worn?

ah I don't know.

But as much as I enjoy hearing drummers play with coated heads, when I find myself playing one, I really can't get into them as I can with clear heads. It's just me.
 
But as much as I enjoy hearing drummers play with coated heads, when I find myself playing one, I really can't get into them as I can with clear heads. It's just me.

Well, it sounds as if clear batter heads are for you, then.

If I were in your position, I would swap the heads (to clear over coated) and play them that way for a while, since you know that you like the sound. Then, eventually, get some new clears and try them out as reso heads (clear over clear). If you like that sound better, than you have your ideal head combination. If you like the clear over coated combo better, then hey, you've got yourself your next set of batters...

I wouldn't recommend clear over coated, but since you've got the heads and like the sound, go for it!
 
Just to clarify the original post...

You're saying that you have coateds over clears, and you tried it upside-down, which means clear over coated, and you liked that sound? If you like it, then go for it! Whatever sound YOU like is what's important, no matter the conventionality of it or not. Here are some factors to consider, though...

1. It may be that your coated head was used for a while (I don't know...the original post didn't say), and the resonant head had more resonance/tone due to the fact that it hadn't been hit with a stick.

2. Maybe you've gotten used to the sound of a coated head, and the clear head sound is novel and refreshing to your ears.

3. Some drum manufacturers cut the batter and resonant bearing edges differently to enable those heads to maximize their potential in their role of the drum's total sound. What kind of kit do you have? If this is the case, you might like the sound of all of your toms reversed...

I go back and forth between clear and coated quite a bit (live, studio, live, studio, live, studio....). I have concluded that I, personally, like the sound of coated over clear the best. When I play coated for a while, the sound of clears is appealing, but when I play clears for a while, the sound of coateds is amazing to me.

Couldn't have said it better myself!!
 
Well, it sounds as if clear batter heads are for you, then.

If I were in your position, I would swap the heads (to clear over coated) and play them that way for a while, since you know that you like the sound. Then, eventually, get some new clears and try them out as reso heads (clear over clear). If you like that sound better, than you have your ideal head combination. If you like the clear over coated combo better, then hey, you've got yourself your next set of batters...

I wouldn't recommend clear over coated, but since you've got the heads and like the sound, go for it!

wow man thanks for the advice you cleared up what I should do lol.

I do have a clear emperor sitting around somewhere I will maybe try that out!
 
wow man thanks for the advice you cleared up what I should do lol.

Are you being serious or sarcastic?

I do have a clear emperor sitting around somewhere I will maybe try that out!

Sweet! What I did a while back was buy a whole slew of 14" heads (coateds, clears, 1-ply, 2-ply, fiberskyn, renaissance...you name it, I bought it). I tried them out on all of my miscellaneous snares and 14" toms. It's a time-consuming experiment, but the results I found totally made it worth it! I found out so much about head selection that way.
 
Are you being serious or sarcastic?



Sweet! What I did a while back was buy a whole slew of 14" heads (coateds, clears, 1-ply, 2-ply, fiberskyn, renaissance...you name it, I bought it). I tried them out on all of my miscellaneous snares and 14" toms. It's a time-consuming experiment, but the results I found totally made it worth it! I found out so much about head selection that way.

No i'm not being sarcastic lol, sometimes my comments sound like that, but i'm never sarcastic unless it's a funny situation haha.
 
No i'm not being sarcastic lol, sometimes my comments sound like that, but i'm never sarcastic unless it's a funny situation haha.

Well alright then! Glad I could help.

I forgot to mention that my favorite head combo was coated G2s over clear G1s, except on my 1970 Ludwig where it's coated ambassadors over clear ambassadors.
 
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