CalfSkin Heads?

r0ck1r0ck2 · Post by **r0ck1r0ck2** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:40 am

any information on these things will be of great interest...

thanks away!!

Girl Toes · Post by **Girl Toes** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 5:39 am

http://www.earthtoneheads.com/

r0ck1r0ck2 · Post by **r0ck1r0ck2** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 11:50 am

RAD!!

man theyre cheap compared to the other place i found...

i guess i was wondering what kind of maintenance or any other tips people had...

Coco · Post by **Coco** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:24 pm

I am looking into this as well. I will probably just get them for the resonant sides of my toms and kick. I don't feel like ordering drum heads from Florida every couple of months to replace the worn out ones batter sides. they do state they are not as durable as a 2 ply mylar head and I need new heads every 3rd month or so for rehearsing. I always reskin for a gig. I wonder about care and upkeep as well.

Professor · Post by **Professor** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:34 pm

They are more sensitive to temperature and especially humidity. If they are in a fairly consistent studio environment you'll probably be alright. But if they are travelling, then every time you move them out to the car and then back in to the rehearsal space or venue you'll find the heads change their tune and tone. And you don't want to just reach for the drum key. Instead you want to reach for a dampened paper towel if the air is dry and the head tightens up, or reach for a hair dryer if you show up for a coffee-house gig and the humidty makes the drum head sag.
If you've ever had a calf or other skin tambourine or maybe a djembe then you'll be familiar with all of that.
The tone on calf heads is nice, and best similuated by two-ply mylar heads and a few specialty heads like fiberskyns and others that aim for a thicker but still supply texture. I don't know that I'd blos the money on calf heads for the bottoms of my drums but it's a matter of taste I suppose.

-Jeremy

r0ck1r0ck2 · Post by **r0ck1r0ck2** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:37 pm

what about seating the buggers..?

Professor · Post by **Professor** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:42 pm

Yeah, that takes some getting used to as well. Since the heads usually don't have the same curvature at the edge that a plastic head has built into it you have to do a little more when putting on the heads. Start by dampening the heads a fair amount to make the heads softer and more flexible. A little coat of wax around the bearinng edge of the drum is helpful too (rub a candle around the edge of the drum). Then work to center the head on the drum, and keep watching and adjusting the seating while tightening down the head.

-Jeremy

r0ck1r0ck2 · Post by **r0ck1r0ck2** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:48 pm

soo people keep saying that they don't last long...
but i'm a freak for vintage drums...and half the time they have calfskin heads..50 years old and fine...(?)
still work...still sound good...so where's the trouble...am i more of an idiot than i even imagined?

Professor · Post by **Professor** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 2:02 pm

Well if you've got a thrash metal guy who tries to drive his sticks through the drums and can go through a mylar head every couple months then yeah, I expect they wouldn't last too long. If you leave them in a hot & humid garage in Florida, or a hot & dry garage in Arizona, then expect them to rot or split.
But take a sensitive player who never breaks drumheads, and be a little more observant about how you handle the drums and they do fine.
I believe that many older drums especially parade drums you see with the 50+ year old calf heads are also quite a bit thicker than modern calf heads for drumset or classical snare drums.

-Jeremy

Coco · Post by **Coco** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 2:05 pm

Professor wrote:They are more sensitive to temperature and especially humidity. If they are in a fairly consistent studio environment you'll probably be alright. But if they are travelling, then every time you move them out to the car and then back in to the rehearsal space or venue you'll find the heads change their tune and tone. And you don't want to just reach for the drum key. Instead you want to reach for a dampened paper towel if the air is dry and the head tightens up, or reach for a hair dryer if you show up for a coffee-house gig and the humidty makes the drum head sag.
If you've ever had a calf or other skin tambourine or maybe a djembe then you'll be familiar with all of that.
The tone on calf heads is nice, and best similuated by two-ply mylar heads and a few specialty heads like fiberskyns and others that aim for a thicker but still supply texture. I don't know that I'd blos the money on calf heads for the bottoms of my drums but it's a matter of taste I suppose.

-Jeremy

Good point jeremy. I thought it might be nice to mellow out the drum with them on the reonant side. Seems like money not so well spent. It is dry as a bone where I live, save for a few weeks of ridiculous humidity in the summer. I have fibreskins on the front of my kicks right now, not much for tone but for the vintage-esque look.

Message Board

CalfSkin Heads?

CalfSkin Heads?

Who is online