This is great info. So I'm assuming the original Weatherking is 7.5 mil for the batter and 3 mil for the reso side of things?

When do you think REMO started to sell 10 mil mylar...for the ambassador? This to me is very interesting...

Finally, when one walks into a music shop in 1975, what's the standard head to buy for your supraphonic? So there was the emperor and the CS batter. How about for the reso? What thickness/color was there for the reso snare? 3 mil? 2 mil? Anything else?

A non-REMO observation - I have an two early '70s Ludwig weathermaster tom heads. They seem to be coated white over smooth white (as opposed to smooth clear like with remo). I thought they were too old for use, although they sound nice. The package reads,

"They are made from polyester, This material, discovered in 1941, was later developed and has been applied exclusiveley by ludwig to drum head construction.....there is virtually no stratching or deterioration due to aging. Resistant to acids, greases, oils and fats. Ludwig Weather Master "Thermolene" head."

So, even tho my heads are from '71, theyre still fine?! As per usual, the plot thickens.

The source that I read whenever said that the original Ambassador was produced in 59 or so, I think it was another year or so before DuPont introduced 10mil film. So by some point in 60 or 61 I think the Ambassador we know - coated 10mil - was introduced, and the original went away for about 50 years.

Strangley I haven't tried the vintage A, yet. I think I am going to get one for the 8x12 on my early 60s Ludwigs (The 16x16 currently has an aquarian vintage deep II, while the 12 has an Evans G12)

SongJohn!

No need for the category change ... it's fine in the "Vintage Drums" section!

Tommyp

Thanks! Also, thought of another head to add to the list - the Pinstripe, out in '77.

I have a 12" vintage Remo coated "Sound Master" drum head that came with a vintage 1970 Pearl President drum kit i bought and then later sold. I would've kept the others but i had to include them with the kit, plus the batter heads were worn.. I kept one of the reso heads.. On closer inspection, the coating on the drum head is thinner compared with today's coated heads..Also, the collar is plastic, whereas today's are aluminum..I'm very curious to try it out on my Sonor 12" Maple snare drum, but the head itself is in such great condition (after i gave it good scrub down;)) that i don't want to ruin it.. Maybe one day i'll put it on just to hear how it sounds.. With that being said, i can safely say that today's heads are made differently. Here are a few pics of that drum head.

cheers,

Rob

Mylar is a polyester film. There are many variations of polyester films.

Perhaps the composition of the coating on coated heads has changed, but what makes you think the longtime standards Ambassador, Emperor, and Diplomat (at least in clear), have changed since the 1970's or even 1960's?

The Ambassador has been a single 10 mil ply, the Diplomat a single 7.5 mil ply, and the Emperor a sandwich of two 7.5 mil plies for a very long time.

They all go back to well before the CS.

Imported drums of that era came with cheaper heads that were different from the typical new heads you'd buy at a music store. Note the plastic hoop in place of the more typical aluminum. Those are different but they were designed that way as a cost savings (which still holds today on low cost drum sets).

As I recall in the 70's Ludwig heads were much more prevalent than they have been in recent decades (soon to be gone for good I hear). Most music stores had Remo and Ludwig. Evans seemed a bit harder to find and, of course, dealers would also tend to have the various brands for whatever drums they sold (Slingerland, Gretsch, etc.).

I think out of all the companies Remo have been far the laziest and have pretty much settled on what they know works, short of any manufacturing legislation brought in for any environmental issues and any cost cuts, a long time ago.

IMHO for all their innovations, Evans have never matched the Ambassador. Which leads me to believe the Ambassador hasn't moved much over the ages.

Anyway fun question, does anyone on here know how many heads per day Remo alone produce?

It blew my mind when I found out!

I know what you mean, I asked them once myself as you I was astounded, If you want me to answer it I will? On a footnote supposedly they have a new line of heads coming very soon thats suppose to be the stuff. Full open tone with no extra muffling required.