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?

[@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

[@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!

[@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

[@perfectpiano1871]

Yeah me too.​@@evantate7990

[@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

[@mal2ksc]

The mallets brought out the tone in a way nothing else did, but they probably _felt_ horrible (no pun intended if they're made of felt). If they don't bounce, the feel sucks, like trying to play with rolled up newspapers for sticks.

[@DeadKoby]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@eddy-kun5590]

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

[@clayfoster8234]

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

[@cvnb77]

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

[@stevenraparelli3396]

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

[@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!

[@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

[@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?

[@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

[@ronmcguire9045]

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

[@hiptoalieu]

I LOVE the way the bass drum sounds!

[@mat4410]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@two-eyesmckay1400]

Excellent vid. More Old Man Bob!

[@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!"

[@rosmakloma]

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

[@blujay9191]

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

[@mightyV444]

That sounded best also to _my_ ears! 😀👍

[@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

[@RegebroRepairs]

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

[@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 👍👍

[@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 😁

[@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

[@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.

[@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

[@JulesO]

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

[@BrunoOfCanada]

Watching Bob drumming was so cool!! He's got chops and mad groove

[@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.

[@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.

[@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”

[@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.

[@ElClásicodelos30s]

8:21 - 8:33 That splash of the hi hat and the cymbal in beat 2 and 4 remind me to the traditional new orleans / dixieland drumming, but the toms are normal contemporay drumming.

[@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.

[@giullianomartini]

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

[@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.

[@LesterMirka]

What is the hexagonal box at 1:49? A wooden snare, a kalimba or what? I love the sound it makes with the cajon brush.

[@IndexDrums]

That’s our snare, the FlapJack model. Built the first snare basket mountable cajon for those of us with back problems. Quickly copied by the LP crew.

[@thenameless3271]

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

[@JordonBeal]

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

[@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?

[@dogwater5097]

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

[@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.

[@mathias15yt5]

Josh dun has a drumset where the his bass drums reso head is made of wood. It sounds really good too

[@JSB1729]

Bob is the coolest guy ever!

[@thompardoe8303]

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

[@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

[@Bike_Chain]

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

[@IanJamesBeats]

The cross stick sounded AMAZING. 6:52

[@drzoom3696]

The snare and BD sounded surprisingly good!

[@vanfigs]

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

[@kenabi]

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

[@voetenlikkerijnl2222]

What about medium and hard mallets, to bring out more of the tone?

[@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

[@mal2ksc]

I think the plywood tambourines that just lie on top of something else are the more generally useful products. I'd like to see more of those. In particular, your snare changed character dramatically but still sounded like a snare, and had this neat brief ring to it when you'd hit hard and the ring would jump off the head. That may be the simplest way to get the gated snare effect that I've ever seen.

[@julianw9248]

These wooden jingles actually sound amazing

[@RainMakeR_Workshop]

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

[@LilZombieFooFoo]

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

[@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!

[@BionicBurke]

I like the snare sound and the kick head with a trigger could also really help with the head rebound issue when going super fast.

[@duranjerome]

Every video I watch you get better and better at drumming

[@georgewalker3702]

That snare sounds great.

[@jefftegenkamp8939]

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

[@olivialambert4124]

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

[@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. 🤘🏻

[@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.

[@reubenk7331]

Sounds a lot better than I expected!

[@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"

[@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.

[@ForestRainMedia]

Would be interesting to see how these sound with the mics located on the bottom of the toms instead, to get a bit more of the tone!

[@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!

[@JulianFernandez]

nice playing, bob!

[@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 ...

[@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 😎

[@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

[@ot-mills]

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

[@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 😄

[@wherz1378]

Nice! I think I helped buy Bob his house... along with many people. 🤣 I was a subscriber of MD mag for like 25+ yrs, starting in the early 80’s. I loved getting the sound supplements (foldable records in the mag). Pre digital age. What kinda Vic Firth sticks is he using at 9:45 or 10:20? They look perfect! Thanks again great vid.

[@rdavidr]

That was me at 9:45, lol. but vic firth freestyle 5bs. Bob was playing Vaters Im pretty sure

[@mzmm4186]

Everyone is selling duo snare/tom these days, but I always think keeping the strainer at the bottom of the tom would make it super hard to adjust while playing. Can you do a snare/tom with the strainer near the top of the drum? Or, install one of those internal twist knob operated snare wires attachment like they have on toy drums / single headed snares and see if they are snare-y enough.

[@ImFrantic]

Since I am a guy who uses evans hydraulic cranked all the way up on an old tama imperialstar snare I like a punchy, very high snare sound. I think, it's actually a quite cool sound

[@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.

[@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.

[@alecschumann5490]

These seem like they'd be awesome in a dance accompaniment setting.

[@NautilusGuitars]

As a guitar builder, my first instinct is that you need to remove the reso heads, or introduce some way for the batter heads to resonate. When I build an acoustic guitar, I often cut the rosette and soundhole after the body is assembled. And the difference in amplitude and sustain of the top after the hole is present is extreme. The wood needs a way to pass that pressure front in and out of the "box", or it simply will not be able to resonate. I'd be interested to see what these sounded like with that in mind. Side note: My acoustic bodies resonate like a drum when they aren't attached to a neck. They have a significant thump and a wonderful sustained pitch. But the spruce or cedar tops and their light weight, plus their high stiffness to weight ratio is a big factor in this. Those woods aren't suitable for batter heads, but could be with a layer of mylar.

[@dimitrik1917]

Hi @rdavidr it occurred to me that with plywood you may in fact compress your bearing edges if you tune too high, as opposed to exploding a mylar membrane. Possibly a head to use with #2 kit?

[@magrildz]

Now we need a kit made out of wooden drumheads and shells made out of drumheads

[@beautifulinstrumentals2866]

Cool stuff! Thanks. Any chance on a vid instructing drummers on how to NOT use the snare drum like no other drums exist? Such a shame that there are usually so many other drums to use, yet the snare gets whacked 90+% of the time. Why?

[@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!

[@SethonMeth6344]

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

[@izmicati]

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

[@MrSalocio]

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

[@ScottRidesHonda]

They sound a good amount quieter maybe as yet another cajon alternative? Im thinking like a small shell pack kit being used in smaller bands where the a normal kit would be too competitive with other instruments.

[@ElClásicodelos30s]

3:56 I love how it matches with the song!

[@BrandonMilner]

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