Evans 13" G2 Clear Drum Head

I put these heads on my Tama Starclassic B/B drums before I really knew what sound I was going for and they immediately replaced the factory G1 clears that were on the bottom. Now, as a great standard reso head, the G1 is already the go to head for many, including me. But I've found with this head on my toms, sized 8", 10", 12" and 16" diameters, they all speak clearly and with an open tone and get out of the way. This innovation reminds me of comparing a fast crash to a standard crash. You still get the initial attack, power and a pure tone when you hit it, but the fast aspect creates a sooner decay like a smoothly tapered studio gate. And it's not a dead shortened ring like the hydraulics create on some toms. For me these heads are great and I've got nothing but ... MoreI put these heads on my Tama Starclassic B/B drums before I really knew what sound I was going for and they immediately replaced the factory G1 clears that were on the bottom. Now, as a great standard reso head, the G1 is already the go to head for many, including me. But I've found with this head on my toms, sized 8", 10", 12" and 16" diameters, they all speak clearly and with an open tone and get out of the way. This innovation reminds me of comparing a fast crash to a standard crash. You still get the initial attack, power and a pure tone when you hit it, but the fast aspect creates a sooner decay like a smoothly tapered studio gate. And it's not a dead shortened ring like the hydraulics create on some toms. For me these heads are great and I've got nothing but compliments on my drum's tuning and the sound of these in recordings is amazing, just controlled enough to require little editing. Lastly, batter heads are an important factor so I will mention that mine are UV1s, a great combo with these resos and while I did first miss some of the open depth of my stock G2s over G1s, I feel the warmth and controlled sustain brings the best out of my drums in a way that those original clear heads, muffled or not, can't. Bottom line, this is another excellent Evan's product worth a try, with the proper tuning you won't be disappointed.

Who would think a coated 14mil head would be a good reso? These were designed as batters, and they're great for sound and durability, but the thickness also allows them to resonate longer. The coating tames the tone a bit, so it's a mellow resonance, not boingy. I'm using a clear EC2 as the batter on a thinnish shell (maple/cherry Neusonic) and the combination of those 'heavy' heads is just right!

I've used Remos my whole life, but tried Evans heads for the first time last Feb when I treated myself to a new drum kit. Evans is all I'll consider now.The Level 360 technology really makes a huge difference. With Remos or Aquarians (which sound great too), I always have a wrinkled area by a lug, and tuning takes a long time. The Evans are simple: 1) Seat, 2) finger tighten and (for toms) 3) turn each lug half a turn beyond finger tight - the drum is in perfect tune with itself; 4) tweak up to suit.The coating on these heads is something else. The Remo coatings wear through and you have a clear spot in the head within a couple of weeks. I play these drums with the G12s nearly every day, and have had the heads on for seven months. Though there is a dirty spot in ... MoreI've used Remos my whole life, but tried Evans heads for the first time last Feb when I treated myself to a new drum kit. Evans is all I'll consider now.The Level 360 technology really makes a huge difference. With Remos or Aquarians (which sound great too), I always have a wrinkled area by a lug, and tuning takes a long time. The Evans are simple: 1) Seat, 2) finger tighten and (for toms) 3) turn each lug half a turn beyond finger tight - the drum is in perfect tune with itself; 4) tweak up to suit.The coating on these heads is something else. The Remo coatings wear through and you have a clear spot in the head within a couple of weeks. I play these drums with the G12s nearly every day, and have had the heads on for seven months. Though there is a dirty spot in the center of them, all of the coating remains intact.The G12 is 12 mils thick as opposed to the G1, which is 10 mils thick. This slightly lowers the fundamental tone, but still gives the characteristics of a thin, single ply head. These heads sound low, full (they have great sustain - I've got Gauger RIMS on the mounted, and isolation feet on the floor, not muffling to get the most out of the sustain), warm, and "round" with just the right amount of attack for smaller venues.One thing I've learned over the years is that the heads used must be determined in large part by the sticks used. These heads require light sticks. 7As are about the upper limit for them, with Vic Firth 5AJs and Regal Tip Combos making them sound really sweet. If you use a 5A or larger you probably want to look at the G2s. If you use something with a "B" in it, you probably want to look at the Evans EC2s.Over the years, I have come to realize that you can overdrive a head with too-heavy-a-stick, much as you can overdrive a woofer with too-powerful-an-amp.If you need to keep the volume under control, and you use or are willing to switch to light sticks, these heads will make your drums sound amazing when you tune 'em to the sweet spot. The head/stick combo works for everything from Steely Dan to Dixieland, to Deep Purple (played at a volume that leaves your hearing intact).