I own a Pearl championship ffx 13x11 and i have a white max for a top head, I need a new bottom head for at most 20 bucks. I like a wet (not too wet though) sound that isn't possible with my current bottom head. I have no preference of where I buy it from. Please help me out .


On another note, do you think this would be a good choice for a muffle for me to use at later hours without being too disturbing?

Your price range limits you to Mylar, not that it's a bad thing. Pick one:

Ludwig Xtra Thin - $9.95
Evans MS3 - $12.75
Remo Clear Marching Ambassador - $10.75

You might be able to save a buck or two if you can find 'em locally or from a vendor that charges less than $9.95 for shipping. (Steve Weiss' flat shipping fee is great when you're ordering a bunch of stuff, but not so great when you just need a head or pair of sticks.)

which one would you say get the most snare response and which one is easiest to tune, those are my main concerns.

I've used both the Ludwig and the Remo. They're really similar -- both 3 mil Mylar if I remember correctly -- but I prefer the Ludwig by a small margin. Either should give you plenty of snare response.

The Evans head is also 3 mil Mylar, but it's a little different because it has a muffling ring. The ring might reduce snare response a little compared to the other 3 mil heads, but I can't say for certain since I haven't tried the head personally.

Any mylar bottom will require almost constant tuning- they're not like fiber heads that hold themselves for days.

Snare response is the best with the thinner heads, but again, will require strict tuning maintenance.

Commenting on the Pearl Muffle heads, it's an ok choice if it's your only option.

Pros: deadly quiet

Cons: you'll have to change heads any time you want to use it, they feel nothing like a Kevlar style head, they stretch out quickly, and they have a very "bouncy" feel.

You'll have to stuff the drum with a pillow to get rid of the bounce.

You'd be better off with a quality practice pad. Time spent dealing with that head is better spent on a practice pad.

has anybody tried the ms3 personally, I want to know if that ring does anything.

Yes we use them, its a great head. compared to other mylar we have tried on the bottom its my favorite by far. the ring does mute a little but the drum has plenty of wetness. We like it because for some reason Evan's heads just don't pull nearly as fast as Remo bottoms.

the only curious thing we had go wrong with this head is the muffle ring cracked. but it made no difference at all.


For a personal snare I would definitely buy this head. Like I said they last a long time on our Pearls. Three seasons and still have plenty of tone. You will have to tune it up a bit it stretches a lot.

Another mylar head that I like a lot is Ebony bottoms by Remo. it has a sound between a Falam and and an Ambassador bottom. Very dark if you dig that sound. With a 13" drum, dark can be a good thing. I can't get a price on Steve Weiss but I know they sell them.

and just by looking through the tuning posts, i still dont have a good idea of what ballpark the pitch for a mylar bottom head should be in, should it sound like a timbale or what?

You won't find a specific pitch. It depends on the drum, shell material, bearing edge cut, size of drum. too many variables to get a definite answer. you keep tunning till the drum sounds good. (from a far) the biggest thing is to make sure the head is in tune with itself. and I prefer the bottom head to be higher then the top(not like you can even tell the difference with fiber heads) the bottom head controls the pitch of the drum. just like all other heads. start slow. bring it up over days. don't just crank the snot out of it the first day you slap it on. this is where you get an ear for tunning drums, by experimenting. Don't get stuck on any "rules", just tune until you like what you hear. Just remember what you hear in front of you will sound different 50 yards away. It makes a difference if you plan on performing with the drum.

Oh that's good, I don't plan on performing with the drum so whatever I hear up close is what I'll stick with.

just a recomendation...
the only head that you can get for under $20 is those thin 1 ply mylars
those are good...i mean my school uses them but they break quickly
for about $34 you can get a remo falam that will last you a long time...and ive heard you can get a pretty wet sound from them...i wouldn't know because thats not how or tech likes our drums (he likes them dry and with the snareas gutted) but if you use the drum for home practice it'll save you snugglebunny of money to just buy one falam than it would for all they mylars you couyld potentially break

Mylar heads aren't as durable as Kevlar, but unless you're cranking them every day (as you would in drum corps), they should generally last for a number of months even under moderately high tension. And so long as you don't abuse them, they should almost never break.

When you seat the head, don't crank it all the way to the desired tension immediately. Put moderate tension on it, make sure it's in tune with itself from lug to lug, and let it stretch and settle for a day or more. Afterward, whenever you increase tension, do it gradually. Reefing the head too much too fast is the most common cause for breakage other than being careless and puncturing the head (like by spearing it on your snare stand).

At ten bucks per head, you shouldn't go broke buying Mylar bottoms. And personally, I prefer their sound to Kevlar, especially for a single drum.

I have seen mylar heads that just randomly split though, Our old ones on the snares we have are all going through this. Most of them are cracking along the snares, they just split from edge to edge. Although we did have a kid that cracked from 11 o clock to 2 o clock (If you imagine a clock face) But I'm suspecting he probably set it down, or smacked it with his stick on accident, something.

But as Skydog suggested, put tension on the heads little by little and you will get a much longer life out of the drum.