Buying the WEIRDEST Drum Heads I Could Find

IG: / davidraouf
Support on Patreon: / rdavidr
Bob, the former gear reviewer for Modern Drummer, hit me up to check out these wooden Index drum heads, so I had to buy a set of them for myself to check out. Check em out here:
www.indexdrums.com/
Music used (background & playalongs):
www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
- Gear Used - (affiliate links)
Pearl Session Studio Select:
imp.i114863.net/Xxgmdb
Zildjian 19" K Custom Special Dry Trash Crash:
imp.i114863.net/3610B
Zildjian 21" K Custom Special Dry Ride:
imp.i114863.net/DVWEgy
Vic Firth Beaters:
imp.i114863.net/oex4zE
Vic Firth Dreadlocks:
imp.i114863.net/P0kPQX
Vic Firth T1 Mallets:
imp.i114863.net/jWYV95
Rods:
imp.i114863.net/zaAxyW
- Mics -
Pair of Slate ML-1 (as overheads):
imp.i114863.net/vn663A
Austrian Audio CC8 (as rooms):
imp.i114863.net/yRvLOv
Earthworks DK7 Drum Mic Kit:
imp.i114863.net/mP25y
Lewitt DTP 640 REX Bass Drum Mic
imp.i114863.net/jW3Odn
Shure SM57 (snare bottom):
imp.i114863.net/DVeNMj
Austrian Audio Hi-X60 Headphones:
imp.i114863.net/kjvgKx
On my quest to find the WEIRDEST Drum gear, I came across these drum heads from Index Drums. These heads are made of plywood which as you can imagine is a totally different sound than your typical plastic drum heads. By no means are these meant to "replace" normal drum heads, but these wooden drum heads definitely create a unique sound which would be useful for a lot of different genres.
Buying the WEIRDEST Drum Heads I Could Find

[@rdavidr]

I finally got a hair cut 😎

[@drumsmichael]

When? After the video was fimed? 🤪

[@rdavidr]

@@drumsmichael in the middle of it lol

[@Meenakshibedi2225]

@@rdavidr timestamp please

[@RedDogMamaHD]

@@drumsmichael @Ambi-pure DANCES 5:58 about the time when he plays with Old Man Bob ...

[@porcelainthunder2213]

Which one?

[@CBW_MT]

The toms would probably sound really cool using those Vic firth rubber tip practice sticks

[@tallakbertin]

I agree. Could also see how a concert bass drum with a plywood head could be a very interesting effect in a more classical setting, especially with big rubber mallets

[@ckextreme]

Also marimba mallets with the yarn removed

[@DouglasStevens0521]

I was just coming to comment this! that or some marimba mallets could sound pretty cool

[@coconut6431]

Thats exactly what i was thinking

[@biula3278]

@@ckextreme If you wanna play on wood with marimba mallets, then play the marimba!

[@mokeimusic]

Kind of cool to know that one of the writers from a magazine I used to read is in your video. Most people that wrote for drum magazines were not paid very much and did it more for the love of drumming. Many of them have disappeared and sort of faded any along with the magazines. There is a vast knowledge out there that is at risk of being lost forever and having Bob in your corner is a wonderful chance to preserve some of that.

[@drewbocop]

Seriously.

[@joshuajopp2896]

dude also got a voice for radio!

[@saydlowski]

@@joshuajopp2896 I've been told I have a face for radio... Lol

[@botondbugner-carvalho2673]

At 3:56 when you play randomly the upbeats on the backing track is just gold editing

[@kelzakdub]

I had to come to the comments to see if anyone mentioned this. So clever!

[@evantate7990]

Literally came down here to comment that

[@iiswythak]

Man, now I'm wondering what they would sound like as resos, especially on the bass drum

[@VarionJimmy]

Yes! Hope David tries that. 👍👍👍👍👍

[@tamski6567]

Same thought here. I think pretty good

[@simonsmith2642]

Same curiosity here!

[@TK-eg6vp]

As a timpanist, I liked the way the drums sounded with the mallets. Interesting concept, that's for sure

[@lxxwj]

yeah i was surprised that they both didnt like it, i thought that was the most tone they had gotten out of the toms the whole vid lol

[@jasonjarnet8141]

I thought the same!

[@Jaburu]

@@lxxwj yea. it was the only time those toms had a sound lol

[@eboone]

I must not be a timpanist because idk what good sound y'all are hearing

[@DeadKoby]

Depending on the sticks used, sometimes its sounded like tribal rhythm, and sometimes Casio grade electronic drums.

[@eddy-kun5590]

Came for wood heads, stayed for old man Bob 😎🔥

[@StreetsOfVancouverChannel]

They definitely have a funky distinct sound... very cool textures for a variety of music styles.

[@giullianomartini]

Yeah, reminds me a bit of that Motown Drum Sound.

[@clayfoster8234]

This would be really cool as a secondary percussion element in a world music type of sound.

[@Bike_Chain]

I feel like I can get the same bass drum sound from knocking on any door in my house

[@thetechfromheaven]

I was actually thinking about chopping some circles on some scrap doors I have laying around and try it by myself

[@famitory]

i'm still hoping someone will make drumheads that are actually gongs, made of cymbal bronze with enough flex that tightening the lugs actually adds tension to the surface.

[@warrenwerks]

Really interesting idea. I wonder if tension on it would ruin the sound though, almost like hitting a cymbal that you’re holding with the other hand

[@cvnb77]

The snare, floor tom and bass drum actually sound really good 👍🏽

[@mountainhobbit1971]

'be gone boring drumhead!' I thought they sounded best with the brushes followed by the 'tubes' and then the 'rods'. I do agree that they do sound best on the kick and snare.

[@blujay9191]

Fun video. I really liked the sound with the rods. 8:21

[@mightyV444]

That sounded best also to _my_ ears! 😀👍

[@AndrewKonkey]

Love the idea, Dave! Out of curiosity, what would happen if you used them as resonant heads? It might be cool!

[@rebelcat420]

I was also thinking try them as batter heads, but removing the reso heads. I’d like to hear both ideas

[@stevenraparelli3396]

Pretty cool experiment. The world of sound is endless and you never know where those sounds may come into play in overdub.

[@MPCmanNL]

Great video. You can use the wooden plates as template to DIY your own weird drum heads from other materials. Metal maybe? Or Lego floor plates? Trimmed down cymbals?

[@bentheturntableguy182]

I’ve been planning on checking out some of those Index heads, especially cause they’re from Louisiana. A pleasant surprise to see them here!

[@supermario2100]

I've been following Index for awhile, but I don't think i've heard many demos of these heads. Very cool snare sound, and a really nice bass drum sound too. Definitely not for the average drummer or gig, but there are definitely some applications where this sound is perfect. I definitely wanna hear the wood heads as resos on the toms, I think you'd like the sound more with a mylar batter head.

[@hiptoalieu]

I LOVE the way the bass drum sounds!

[@ronmcguire9045]

That K ride sound goes so well with the wooden heads. The snare is definitely my favorite.

[@rosejuliette9180]

I thought this was going to be a stupid gimmick but... I genuinely love the sound 😍 I would probably want just the toms.

[@RegebroRepairs]

Damn, I LOVE that hex thing on snare. Instant gated reverb!

[@two-eyesmckay1400]

Excellent vid. More Old Man Bob!

[@giullianomartini]

6:15 Old Bob plays one of the sexiest and groovy beats that I've ever heard on drums.

[@rosmakloma]

seems like they would be really well suited for one or two drums in a percussion setup vs a full drum set

[@alsdrumhang]

The snare and bass sounded really interesting, I would love to hear a full lo-fi song with those heads on it. Great job finding the weird, and great to see Bob "out and about!"

[@jeffsr8300]

I'd also think they might work pretty good in like a small club or coffee shop that had live music, I think most all of us have been there. Great job 👍👍

[@TheYrthenarc]

I don't particularly care for how the toms sound but the snare and the kick are very interesting. I could imagine having one of these wooden heads on an aux snare.

[@unggoyfarmer]

Might be a good idea to use the Vic Firth practice sticks with the rubber tips since they’re similar to the rubber cajon beater

[@12Saosin]

Hey David! You should try broomsticks on these. I find they’re the best option when it comes to hitting wood. I use them on a cajon snare in one of my projects, and don’t have that attack of regular sticks or hot rods. Cheers

[@starshiplazyboy475]

It seemed odd that the toms sounded so digital until I remembered that the playing surfaces on my old Simmons drums from the 80s were all just plywood. It makes sense now.

[@RainMakeR_Workshop]

I think I'd go for one on an aux snare. But that's about it.

[@mat4410]

Once again, it just goes to prove, anything is fair game in percussion. Thanks Dave

[@thenameless3271]

Wow, I love that tune that plays during the drumhead changes. Reminds me of something Chick Corea would do.

[@sohamsengupta6470]

That snare would also be really good in some fast rock stuff imo, I find myself to be quite fond of very wooden sounding snares in that kinda music

[@mightyV444]

"Wooden sounding snares" reminds me of Alex Van Halen! Especially on VH's earlier albums 😀

[@organicsatanic]

my thoughts exactly, I'm in love with that snare

[@DumbArse]

Those hexes sound real good, love it!

[@JulesO]

I was smiling the whole way though, great job, rdavidr.

[@vanfigs]

Great video and review! Fun to hear these less conventional pieces of gear

[@d._minor3303]

I find comfort in watching drum content, I remember it used to just be drum covers now we got drum hacks

[@mightyV444]

Same here! 😊 I've been binge-watching videos on the Drum History Podcast channel since discovering it a few days ago, too! 😀 I also play bass, guitar and keys, but I find that drummers are the most enthusiastic group of musicians when it comes to chatting with each other 😁

[@SCUBAchick99]

Looks nice David! Great job

[@georgewalker3702]

That snare sounds great.

[@hieronymus1288]

Thanks for the content ! Always so good

[@thebwalden]

I love those heads. They sound best with “broom head” type sticks. Basically, use the same thick brushes you would use with a cajon. Perfect for singer song writer back up.

[@drzoom3696]

The snare and BD sounded surprisingly good!

[@IanJamesBeats]

The cross stick sounded AMAZING. 6:52

[@CRUCIFi777]

Sounds like hitting wooden hatboxes of varying sizes for the toms, taking paper towels to the nth degree for the snare, and the bass could be achieved by just kicking household cabinetry with your foot.

[@amcsdmi]

awesome drumming in this video. I feel like I learned a lot

[@JordonBeal]

I’d kill for a one shot sample of that bass drum. Such a cool sound for production elements/lo-fi beats.

[@gregwonhoff7161]

Great video presentation, rdavid. I think that the snare was the only drum that actually sounded good, but then again, I thought that the plastic tubes produced the best overall sound. Oh, I like thence trim job on your hair that showed up about midway through the video. I can’t wait to see what’s next. Thank you so very much for all you do for the drumming community.

[@Bike_Chain]

I got out of my chair and bust down each time I hear David play a flam groove

[@danielorozco3196]

Kinda love how the pure essence of a drummer’s musical journey is “I should hit that thing with a stick and see how it sounds”

[@MrSalocio]

Great video and review! The chop-out sticks by Vic Firth could also be interesting on these heads 🪵

[@duranjerome]

Every video I watch you get better and better at drumming

[@ChurchOfTheHolyMho]

Not familiar with the Tubez and they look like they would be weird to hold and play... but they managed to get a pretty cool sound out of the toms. What a fun video. Kudos to the company making the wooden heads... Let the tonewood wars begin. :P

[@Chikenfriedfury]

The wood drum heads look good with the back wall ha Also that crispy jazzy thing you played at 6:50 got me in the mood to listen to jazz all day 😎

[@reubenk7331]

Sounds a lot better than I expected!

[@julianw9248]

These wooden jingles actually sound amazing

[@youtuberninja9285]

Those Regal Tip Rods have such a lovely Afro-Cuban or Brazilian resonance. No buzzing. Very clean. The silent stick is so sweet. The heads are great for when you want a more "ethnic" sound when used the with the correct beating instrument. Thanks for testing this for us!

[@DeathsPit00]

Really interesting that's for sure. I actually surprisingly thought that the red tubes gave off a better sound, but that's probably because everything else in the audio sounded drowned out by the clacking on the wooden heads. Especially the Dreadlocks since they were metal. I imagine that rubber headed sticks like the old practice ones would sound really good though.

[@JulianFernandez]

nice playing, bob!

[@donchristensen227]

Thanks Dave for this review. I'd been thinking about trying these plywood heads. Now I don't have to, wasn't terribly impressed. Maybe as a special efx, but a lot of work changing all the heads for a little efx. Though I did like the tubes, have you reviewed them for us?

[@DarthCiliatus]

I could see myself using the plywood head on like a 12 or 10in auxiliary snare but not on my main snare.

[@SethonMeth6344]

You should do a part two where you put a timpani head on a bass drum

[@ericstearns170]

I agree about the snare and kick being the stars. Extra love for making the Tubes actually sound good though. You tried the VF wire brushes, wish you would have tried the ProMark Nylo-brushes. It was interesting that most of the alternative sticks sounded more 'lifelike'. I have some glass practice sticks that sound like...well.. nothing good, when you use them wondering now what they would do on these.

[@jefftegenkamp8939]

Like to hear them on as the reso heads. May be interesting.

[@jerrylehti7230]

That was fun , for super quiet practice or gigs these would work well Cool !!

[@smashallpots1428]

i love the snare actually i wanna hear a couple different snare sizes with one on them like a nice piccolo snare of a big tall snare

[@williambradfordbaldwin4386]

Keep up this kind of stuff love to think outside the BOX!

[@mbk337]

Dude, that tubes and the tom... that sound is nuts :D

[@LilZombieFooFoo]

Yeah...I love these a lot. Can't afford a drumkit, but if I could, I'd totally use these.

[@OTOss8]

I love this. I hope to see you playing these in the next Peter Jackson Middle Earth movie, ever they ever get around to making one.

[@bellame1]

You are now one step closer to making a video of hitting a set of sticks with a drum. JK love the vid! Love old man bob! Would love to hear him talk about his time working for MD!

[@Kneedrums]

im sold on that as a snare head for sure, thanks for posting this, wish you would have tried them with a rubber tip drum stick (mallets or even those vic universal rubber tips thingys)

[@olivialambert4124]

That kick and snare sound incredible. The toms not so much, but that kick and snare is so worth it.

[@thompardoe8303]

David I would like to hear what it sounds like if you replace the reso head with the wooden heads, especially the toms.

[@dogwater5097]

Wood heads, wood hoops, wood lugs, wood tension rods, wood drums. That would be cool

[@i3randy824]

love the snare sound

[@DangerousPictures]

we need more videos of you and bob trying out weird stuff

[@ot-mills]

I’d use these to make percussion sample packs…in fact think I will do just that!😁. Thanks!

[@mikekelly7862]

I thought the slap sticks sounded by far the best! Though that cross stick sounds unreal, and the bass drum with the cajon beater kicks ass; plus it looks like Jupiter. 👍🏻 I wonder how it they would sound as resos... maybe like a concert tom but way more dead and choked... if nothing else it would look wicked as a bass drum reso. I love the idea of being able to cut heads from easily attainable material in my shed even if they end up sounding like garbage... thats why I love this channel. Always inspiring in one way or another.

[@sixinarow1]

I am a self taught drummer, who through the years (started in 1978) have never really interfaced with other drummers much. So I am ignorant to many terms and pronunciations. What I would like to see is a video on terms such as "attack" and "decay"

[@mouldeck]

Did you try removing the reso heads on the tom and bass drum? I've had the idea of wooden heads for years, glad to see someone got to the point of actually making some!

[@mightyV444]

That 'base' drum head reminds me of an interview I read around '83 with the drummer of the German Punkrock band _Die Toten Hosen_ , in which he said that he sticks a board of plywood onto his, for a harder attack 😄

[@sixinarow1]

About time. I happened apon one of you videos that wasn't seven years old. so I had to check to see if I was subscribed and I rang the bell. I don't know. Anyway I love your videos. These wood heads are weird, but actually sounded great, I think the tubes made them sound the best..

[@BonesawCal]

We definitely need auld man Bob in future vids.

[@iamcoolguy2000]

@rdavidr I didn't know you were out of Richmond, I'm over in Williamsburg!

[@KunaevNS]

Bob is the coolest guy ever!

[@acidbath3226]

I got an attack orbit resonance head for the bass drum and im pretty happy with those

[@OfficialKevinFox]

Just like how you switch the beater on the kick drum to a rubber or softer beater, probably would’ve done good to do the same with the drumsticks. Maybe having drumsticks with rubber tips on the ends, would have brought the tone out in the drums a lot better. Using the pro Mark tubes, the drums had the most “tone “. Overall, these heads are very interesting. 🤘🏻

[@fernandoperdomomusic]

Man ... This is a game-changer for drummers that hate Cajon's for Cajon gigs... .. I can see me bring a cocktail kit with these heads to the hotel lobby soulkiller "Tennesse Whiskey into Brown Eyed Girl" gig ...

[@evannewell1338]

The snare and kick are actually surprisingly useful sounds. A few thoughts I had: - What do these sound like if you play them with your hands? - How would the tom heads sound on shallower drums? On concert toms? - Does the jingle have adhesive? Could it be affixed to the bass drum?

[@dustinthiessen]

that's interesting! i'd be slightly concerned about them shredding bearing edges potentially, if you're cranking them down too hard.... has that been an issue?

[@IndexDrums]

If you cranked them, you could have some high point pressure at the very tip of the round over, so maybe don’t put them on the new Collectors Series. They’ll sound about the same on any shell, might as well put them on the beater kit.

[@BrandonMilner]

I love that you did this. They sound terrible to me...haha, but you really explored and I approve.

[@GamingDrummer89]

I think these are actually quite good on the kick and snare if you have a second one of each of those for auxiliary purposes. I only liked the sound of the toms with the TUBZ, though, although auxiliary toms on a kit would be cool with those and these heads.

[@draggonhedd]

I think the snare was the winner here, and those hexagons. Could be good for that super chill coffee house drum and bass kinda sound. light and snappy sounding

[@knightlautrec4311]

The wooden snare and kick actually sounds pretty good!

[@kmcphotographytx6396]

I like the bass and snare heads. The toms are really one good with the experiment sticks. The miscellaneous instruments are cool though!

[@kenabi]

funky, kind of like it, in that synth/drum machine kind of way.

[@DirtySk8RatStaney]

Yeah I could see using those for a snare bass percussion kit, maybe some LP blocks instead of toms. It could sound pretty cool with some jazzy hip hop type stuff.