So as i am sure some of you know, I have a Tama Bubinga Kit.
(i bring up that fact as often as i can i know, but i am just so proud of them.)
I have tried a handful of different head combinations but i didnt know if someone out there knew a good one. All the combos i try sound good but there are obviously some descrepincies, probably because bubinga resonates so much lower and louder than maple or birch.

So any suggestions would be great. I always change the tops AND bottoms at the same time. (like your supposed to) and i tune with drum dial first to get the tensions close, then so all the fine tuning by ear to get em perfect.

Thanks

I'm a big fan of Coated G1s or Coated Ambassadors on both sides. I also tune my toms fairly high and my snare fairly low. Basically, I don't tune snares much higher than toms. Although it does depend on the drum, of course.

I like a nice open sound. Lets also remember that 1 ply heads have much more projection. 2 ply heads and muffled heads lose projection and tend to sound slappy and often are inaudible from an audience perspective.

If you never use brushes and or want an even more open or brighter sound, I'd suggest the clear versions of those said heads.

A few other things to note. Aquarian heads tend to sound dead in comparison to Evans and Remo heads with similar specs. They have a different feel as well. If you're looking for a little more clarity between strokes, Aquarian could work. Just note that they lack some of the higher end tones.

Next, if you lack control and/or play THROUGH the heads instead of drawing the sound off of the heads, this head combination is not for you.

I find people get the wrong idea about hard hitting. You CAN hit hard and use thin head if you're playing off the heads. If you play through the heads, you'll dent just about anything.

first off ... bubingas ... you lucky prick !!! hahaha ... i restored , updated and currently use an early 80's rockstar kit ... i am liking the new Remo Ebony X suede finish heads on my toms ... they are some of the toughest heads i have used ... i am a heavy hitter and they sound and feel great ... so show us some pics of your new kit

yeah, i appreciate all the advice... although i believe it doesnt work the same way for bubinga. I know it sounds strange but when i use single plys on em the heads sound like they can't handle how low and strong the vibration is. Like i said, i know it sounds crazy but with these behemoth drums the just can't handle the tone.
And i dont play thru my heads.

And again i appreciate all your advice, but i also have a good deal of experiance with heads, and wanted to know if anyone knew what was good with bubinga drums specifically. And if you were un-aware, Bubinga is approximately 53% more dense than maple, so the same size drum in maple, same plys, same lugs, same heads, same tuning, would sound about 53% louder and about 2whole steps lower. the mid-low frequencys are much stronger with bubinga too.

-I will admit, everyday when i get home i sit behind my drums and smile like an idiot because i own the nicest drumset i have ever played. I know there are SLIGHTLY more expensive sets, but i really believe these are the best.
Yeah it took me almost 6 months to save for em, and another 6months for em to show up. You have to special order them, no one carrys them. I decided that because drummings my life i would save and get my dream kit, so that in another couple years i wouldnt have to buy another. Starclassic bubinga's seriously the best sounding kit i have ever heard in person. I am just about to order two more toms to go with my four piece so that i can appopriately play in the tool tribute band i'm in. (i can bullshit it with accents on the two toms i have, but to really sound like daney carey i NEED two more toms.) Which means another 6 months and another 1500$ haha. Its worth it though.

And the sounds they get when recorded are rediculas, i can't wait to go into a nice studio with em.

And oh yeah.... they are sparkly purle/pink. I know it sounds super gay, but they are god damn beautiful. With stage lights on em the are breathtaking. And i love the reactions i get playing death metal on em.

I got it about 8 months ago, and dont have any pics showcasing em, but i do have some band photos where you can almost see em.... let me see if i can find em.

Dude, no. Bubinga is not 53% louder. That is rubbish. The Bubinga kit also wouldn't sound 2 steps lower with the same tuning. Where are you getting this bogus misinformation from? Two drums with the same everything except shell type would have a very close pitch when tuned the same. The shell of the drum doesn't affect the head's tension, which is the main factor when determining pitch. It affects the resonance, sustain, and overtones.

I've owned an acrylic kit. 1/4" thick of hard plastic. It was not significantly louder than a maple kit but lacked the tone of one. It was too punchy.

Lets pretend acrylic is twice as dense as maple because I have no idea what the actual numbers are. It is NOT twice as loud.

the bubingas are kick ass sounding drums ... they must sound insane in a studio drum room ... unfortunately i am along way away from a dream kit because of 4 kids ( 1 in college ) ... thats the reason for the refurb ... otherwise i'd be smiling behind a bubinga myself !!! seriously though check out the suede heads they made my drums sound light years better

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQUvv9V2UpQ

This is right after i got em, its ouch right before we broke up, you cant see em that well but you can tell how great the light bounces off of em


thats the pic from tama's site...

and an action pic that rev took with me playing with ouch. This is a good one to see the finish.

What you say about the tone makes sense to me, wonder who told me that... although you dont think density has anything to do with volume? I have always been taught that volume and projection are almost the same thing... and i know density effects projection quite a bit. You don't think it effects volume, or you just dont think it effects it as much as 50ish%?
Either way, maybe i was told wrong about the tone, maybe i remembered incorrectly (dont think so) but what you said about tone makes sense.

congrats it must feel great to play on great sounding drums ... i would really have to save up because i use two base drums ... cha ching !! ... i rewrapped my kit over the winter with mirror chrome from Jammin Sams but the humidity over the summer fucked with the wraps ... ah well so goes it

The Tama Bubinga kits have rather thick shells. Density as well as thickness of the shell might affect volume a little bit because it would help bring out more high frequencies. Also, thicker shells means there's less space inside the drum for air to travel, which could raise the pitch a little. I definitely admit to not knowing all the science on this.

The thing about the shell density, while it may help the volume a little bit. In the end, you are hitting the batter side drum head, not the shell. In my mind, the batter head's openness has the largest effect on volume. Followed by the resonant head (if any) and then the actual shell. It'd be nice to hear some other opinions.

http://www.drumsolo.cc/snare_drums/snare_gallery/bubinga/bubinga.html

This link has some information on different wood drums with segmented shells. I'm sure the results would be mostly similar with ply shells.

Here's what the reviewer says about the volume:
"Volume: Slightly more volume at fff and with very hard hits it doesn't choke out as quickly as Maple."

I can understand slightly. You know? Maybe 3 - 5% louder at those dynamic levels.

i feel ya. I can admit when i am wrong and it does sound like i was givin some wrong info.. although i still think i have the nicest drums in the world. ........ SO
ZENERIK: So what is your #1 head recomendation for my drums, sounds like you take drums seriously (as do I) so i will give your recomendation a try.

And arent' they pretty? I love em so much. Best purchase i ever made.