Single-ply musicality with double-ply durability and focusYour choice of drumheads has arguably a bigger effect on your sound than even the kind of drums you play. Jazz drummers and those who play other primarily acoustic styles generally prefer the open response and melodic sound of single-ply heads. But they usually need to attenuate the sound by applying tape or other muffling as single-ply heads tend to have excess ring and a lot of unwanted overtones. Harder-hitting rock, pop, and fusion players often prefer double-ply heads for their fat, punchy sound and increased durability.
The new G Plus tom and snare heads from Evans take a different approach. Rather than slap another ply onto a single-ply head, G Plus heads use a single, thicker 12-mil ply of specialized film to increase durability and decrease ring. The concept is to provide the toughness and natural tone-dampening qualities of a double-ply head in a head that retains the tone and feel of single-ply design in order to satisfy drummers in a wide range of styles from jazz to headbanging. I was keen to find out how G Plus heads would measure up to this lofty goal.
Sticks meet skin
G Plus heads are available in sizes ranging from 6" to 20" in clear or a frosted translucent coated finish. The head selection Evans sent for testing included two pairs of 14" clear G Plus heads for the snare and floor tom; one clear and one frost-coated translucent head for the 12" tom; plus one 20" EMAD Adjustable Dampening Bass Drumhead. First I tried out the 14" tom head by suspending it from the rim while tapping the head with my other hand. It produced a distinct fundamental musical note without even mounting it on the drum, which is the sign of a good drumhead. I then mounted the G Plus heads on my vintage Rogers drum set. Tuning the heads was a breeze. They had a punchy attack and lively melodic tones almost as soon as I got them up to playing tension, without a lot of finessing the tuning lugs. The sound had a character like those heads that have a "power dot" applied to lessen overtones, with more vibrance and resonance.
The next night I tried out the G Plus heads during a club gig with a four-piece smooth jazz/pop quartet. After the first tune I adjusted the tension of the heads to a point where they delivered a punchy presence in the band’s mix. While I used to feel compelled to use a strip of muffling tape on my tom heads to get a focused sound, particularly in live small-to-medium acoustic spaces such as the bar my band was now playing in, I found the G Plus heads sounded just fine without any dampening. On the snare drum, the G Plus delivered a full tonal spectrum from cracking rimshots to a solid, deep tone when played in the center sweet spot.
The attractive frosty translucent coated finish on the 12" tom gave it a sound that was a bit warmer and rounder than the clear G Plus heads on the other drums, rolling off the attack just a touch. For the player who prefers a more controlled sound, I would recommend the frost-coated G Plus heads, especially for the snare drum, where coated heads are usually used, particularly by drummers who like to play with brushes. The clear G Plus heads gave my snare and floor tom riotous new life. The drums had a singing quality without confusing overtones, providing plenty of sustain; a dry, punchy attack; and panther-quick response.
Mad about EMAD
The Evans EMAD bass drumhead has been around for a few years—long enough to acquire an enthusiastic following among players. The EMAD head features a 10-mil single-ply design that includes two interchangeable dampening rings that maximize attack and low-end. You can change the dampening rings in an instant without removing the head, allowing you to customize the drum’s resonance, sustain, and attack on the fly. No more need to stuff a pillow into the bass drum to get it to sound right!
I found that using the smaller of the two rings provided a great kick drum sound—full and fat without too much ring, providing just the right amount of propulsive punch to drive groove-oriented songs, yet still producing a musical fundamental note ideal for the call-and-response of jazz improvisation and Latin rhythms.
Four decades of drumheads
G Plus drumheads are the latest product of a company distinguished by its ability to respond to the evolving demands of drummers from pros to students. One of the more memorable products Evans has created came about nearly 4 decades ago when they were asked to make a drum for the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena. Evans responded with a massive drum called the "Boot Hill Boomer" that measured seven feet in diameter and took four drummers to play!
In 1958, Evans produced some of the earliest All-Weather drumheads that could sonically compete with the calfskin heads that still ruled the day, sandblasting their heads to simulate the feel of real skin heads. In the ’60s Evans produced the first transparent heads, and in the ’70s created a popular line of hydraulic heads that incorporated a thin layer of oil between the head’s two plies.
The years that followed saw the evolution of pioneering products including the Genera and EQ Series, giving drummers unprecedented control over their sound. The purchase of Evans by D’Addario has served to further energize and diversify Evans’ offerings. The introduction of Evans EC2 heads with their integrated tone rings in 2005 is particularly notable, counting among their enthusiastic fans players such as the great Dennis Chambers.
With their G Plus Series, Evans would appear to have another hit on their hands. There are other heavier-grade single-ply heads out there, but to my ears they don’t compare with the open, musical tones you get with G Plus heads. The longer I play them, the better they sound, and more importantly, they make
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