First of all, NOTHING is like calfskin. There is no synthetic head that comes close, in my opinion. Calfskin is a thing unto itself and if you can afford it, it's an absolute pleasure of a sound. And, IF they are handled well and cared for ,they will last a LONG time. But they are expensive and only available from a couple places that I know of. But the caveat is that they do have a unique sound -"warmer'...."rounder"..."darker"......"fatter" -all that and a cup of tea! So, if your ear is trained to hear the high end attack of mylar, then calfskin will let you down. But, I think the feel is like going to heaven! It's so unlike mylar in the way it responds. I can actually understand how some of the old cats used to develop their unique sound because of the way the drums were responding to them -like Krupa, for example.

Remo Fiiberskyns, Rennaisance, and Aquarian Vintage series get you in the ballpark sound-wise, but like O-lugs said...there is nothing really like real calfskin. I suppose the "durability" issue would depend on what type of music you play. Also, calfskin generally requires a different bearing edge than mylar heads. The "vintage" style rounded edge is best for them, that way the sharp edge of say a modern design drum doesn't cut into the head. Just another factor to consider. If you have a vintage kit and don't play hard, like say in a hard rock or metal band, then maybe calf is an option for you. Try Rebeats for heads. They have a few options and the prices are reasonable. Also, there are goatskin heads out there too, I forget the brand but they advertise nationally, they are supposed to sound close to calf and are pre-mounted on their own metal hoop. Not sure about durability though, as from what I understand goatskin is not as durable as calf.

One final point. If you have never used animal skin heads before, they can be rather finicky when trying to keep in tune when the weather changes. Temp and humidity changes effect them easily. So you'll be retuning a lot if not in a controlled environment like a climate controlled studio.

Here are the goat skin heads.

http://www.earthtoneheads.com/

Yes, earthtone.....those are the ones.

Anybody ever try a Calf batter and a Goat reso? I'm thinking about that for a 13 and 16 set up. Curious if anyone has gone that route.

Commonly referred to as the "Mixed Grill" set up......

Sounds delicious...

Burger Kin

I used an Earthone batter on my 1935 Leedy (which I just sold last night). I was very impressed with the quality. Very expensive, but worth it if you want that sound. I use Fiberskyn batters on almost all of my drums, and Aquarian Vintage Moderns on a couple of my snares. The Fiberskyns, in particular, have a nice warm sound, but they definitely do not play like the Earthtone did. Jeff Hamilton gets a very nice, warm sound with his Fiberskyns, and I can often get something similar. Unfortunately, though, I have to keep clear resonant heads on my drums. I play in a lot of government buildings in DC, and security likes to be able to see inside if there's a high-profile guest.

Big Brother likes transparency.

WOW, thats alot of great info!! Use to have a 63 Slingy, I'm now playing a newer Ludwig, and restoing a 50's Radio King set. I am pretty sure now now that I am going to go calf skin on the Radio King. Is there much of a difference between the newer Ambassadors and the Renn and Fibyerskin series? I may switch to those on the newer set...