Kind of cool to know that one of the writers from a magazine I used to read is in your video. Most people that wrote for drum magazines were not paid very much and did it more for the love of drumming. Many of them have disappeared and sort of faded any along with the magazines. There is a vast knowledge out there that is at risk of being lost forever and having Bob in your corner is a wonderful chance to preserve some of that.
I agree. Could also see how a concert bass drum with a plywood head could be a very interesting effect in a more classical setting, especially with big rubber mallets
i'm still hoping someone will make drumheads that are actually gongs, made of cymbal bronze with enough flex that tightening the lugs actually adds tension to the surface.
Great video. You can use the wooden plates as template to DIY your own weird drum heads from other materials. Metal maybe? Or Lego floor plates? Trimmed down cymbals?
'be gone boring drumhead!' I thought they sounded best with the brushes followed by the 'tubes' and then the 'rods'. I do agree that they do sound best on the kick and snare.
I've been following Index for awhile, but I don't think i've heard many demos of these heads. Very cool snare sound, and a really nice bass drum sound too. Definitely not for the average drummer or gig, but there are definitely some applications where this sound is perfect. I definitely wanna hear the wood heads as resos on the toms, I think you'd like the sound more with a mylar batter head.
The snare and bass sounded really interesting, I would love to hear a full lo-fi song with those heads on it. Great job finding the weird, and great to see Bob "out and about!"
I'd also think they might work pretty good in like a small club or coffee shop that had live music, I think most all of us have been there. Great job 👍👍
Same here! 😊 I've been binge-watching videos on the Drum History Podcast channel since discovering it a few days ago, too! 😀 I also play bass, guitar and keys, but I find that drummers are the most enthusiastic group of musicians when it comes to chatting with each other 😁
Hey David! You should try broomsticks on these. I find they’re the best option when it comes to hitting wood. I use them on a cajon snare in one of my projects, and don’t have that attack of regular sticks or hot rods. Cheers
I don't particularly care for how the toms sound but the snare and the kick are very interesting. I could imagine having one of these wooden heads on an aux snare.
It seemed odd that the toms sounded so digital until I remembered that the playing surfaces on my old Simmons drums from the 80s were all just plywood. It makes sense now.
I love those heads. They sound best with “broom head” type sticks. Basically, use the same thick brushes you would use with a cajon. Perfect for singer song writer back up.
Sounds like hitting wooden hatboxes of varying sizes for the toms, taking paper towels to the nth degree for the snare, and the bass could be achieved by just kicking household cabinetry with your foot.
Not familiar with the Tubez and they look like they would be weird to hold and play... but they managed to get a pretty cool sound out of the toms. What a fun video. Kudos to the company making the wooden heads... Let the tonewood wars begin. :P
Great video presentation, rdavid. I think that the snare was the only drum that actually sounded good, but then again, I thought that the plastic tubes produced the best overall sound. Oh, I like thence trim job on your hair that showed up about midway through the video. I can’t wait to see what’s next. Thank you so very much for all you do for the drumming community.
I am a self taught drummer, who through the years (started in 1978) have never really interfaced with other drummers much. So I am ignorant to many terms and pronunciations. What I would like to see is a video on terms such as "attack" and "decay"
Just like how you switch the beater on the kick drum to a rubber or softer beater, probably would’ve done good to do the same with the drumsticks. Maybe having drumsticks with rubber tips on the ends, would have brought the tone out in the drums a lot better. Using the pro Mark tubes, the drums had the most “tone “. Overall, these heads are very interesting. 🤘🏻
Thanks Dave for this review. I'd been thinking about trying these plywood heads. Now I don't have to, wasn't terribly impressed. Maybe as a special efx, but a lot of work changing all the heads for a little efx. Though I did like the tubes, have you reviewed them for us?
Man ... This is a game-changer for drummers that hate Cajon's for Cajon gigs... .. I can see me bring a cocktail kit with these heads to the hotel lobby soulkiller "Tennesse Whiskey into Brown Eyed Girl" gig ...
Those Regal Tip Rods have such a lovely Afro-Cuban or Brazilian resonance. No buzzing. Very clean. The silent stick is so sweet. The heads are great for when you want a more "ethnic" sound when used the with the correct beating instrument. Thanks for testing this for us!
The snare and kick are actually surprisingly useful sounds. A few thoughts I had: - What do these sound like if you play them with your hands? - How would the tom heads sound on shallower drums? On concert toms? - Does the jingle have adhesive? Could it be affixed to the bass drum?
these are totally heads that turn your set into a cajon drum set and i think thats super cool. Cajon drumsets are on the rise and this is a cost effective way to achieve the same sound.
Really interesting that's for sure. I actually surprisingly thought that the red tubes gave off a better sound, but that's probably because everything else in the audio sounded drowned out by the clacking on the wooden heads. Especially the Dreadlocks since they were metal. I imagine that rubber headed sticks like the old practice ones would sound really good though.
As a guitar builder, my first instinct is that you need to remove the reso heads, or introduce some way for the batter heads to resonate. When I build an acoustic guitar, I often cut the rosette and soundhole after the body is assembled. And the difference in amplitude and sustain of the top after the hole is present is extreme. The wood needs a way to pass that pressure front in and out of the "box", or it simply will not be able to resonate. I'd be interested to see what these sounded like with that in mind. Side note: My acoustic bodies resonate like a drum when they aren't attached to a neck. They have a significant thump and a wonderful sustained pitch. But the spruce or cedar tops and their light weight, plus their high stiffness to weight ratio is a big factor in this. Those woods aren't suitable for batter heads, but could be with a layer of mylar.
that's interesting! i'd be slightly concerned about them shredding bearing edges potentially, if you're cranking them down too hard.... has that been an issue?
If you cranked them, you could have some high point pressure at the very tip of the round over, so maybe don’t put them on the new Collectors Series. They’ll sound about the same on any shell, might as well put them on the beater kit.
I think the snare was the winner here, and those hexagons. Could be good for that super chill coffee house drum and bass kinda sound. light and snappy sounding
That 'base' drum head reminds me of an interview I read around '83 with the drummer of the German Punkrock band _Die Toten Hosen_ , in which he said that he sticks a board of plywood onto his, for a harder attack 😄
8:21 - 8:33 That splash of the hi hat and the cymbal in beat 2 and 4 remind me to the traditional new orleans / dixieland drumming, but the toms are normal contemporay drumming.
I thought the slap sticks sounded by far the best! Though that cross stick sounds unreal, and the bass drum with the cajon beater kicks ass; plus it looks like Jupiter. 👍🏻 I wonder how it they would sound as resos... maybe like a concert tom but way more dead and choked... if nothing else it would look wicked as a bass drum reso. I love the idea of being able to cut heads from easily attainable material in my shed even if they end up sounding like garbage... thats why I love this channel. Always inspiring in one way or another.
Since I am a guy who uses evans hydraulic cranked all the way up on an old tama imperialstar snare I like a punchy, very high snare sound. I think, it's actually a quite cool sound
I finally got a hair cut 😎
When? After the video was fimed? 🤪
@@drumsmichael in the middle of it lol
@@rdavidr timestamp please
@@drumsmichael @Ambi-pure DANCES 5:58 about the time when he plays with Old Man Bob ...
Which one?
Kind of cool to know that one of the writers from a magazine I used to read is in your video. Most people that wrote for drum magazines were not paid very much and did it more for the love of drumming. Many of them have disappeared and sort of faded any along with the magazines. There is a vast knowledge out there that is at risk of being lost forever and having Bob in your corner is a wonderful chance to preserve some of that.
Seriously.
dude also got a voice for radio!
@@joshuajopp2896 I've been told I have a face for radio... Lol
The toms would probably sound really cool using those Vic firth rubber tip practice sticks
I agree. Could also see how a concert bass drum with a plywood head could be a very interesting effect in a more classical setting, especially with big rubber mallets
Also marimba mallets with the yarn removed
I was just coming to comment this! that or some marimba mallets could sound pretty cool
Thats exactly what i was thinking
@@ckextreme If you wanna play on wood with marimba mallets, then play the marimba!
At 3:56 when you play randomly the upbeats on the backing track is just gold editing
I had to come to the comments to see if anyone mentioned this. So clever!
Literally came down here to comment that
Yeah me too.@@evantate7990
As a timpanist, I liked the way the drums sounded with the mallets. Interesting concept, that's for sure
yeah i was surprised that they both didnt like it, i thought that was the most tone they had gotten out of the toms the whole vid lol
I thought the same!
@@lxxwj yea. it was the only time those toms had a sound lol
I must not be a timpanist because idk what good sound y'all are hearing
Depending on the sticks used, sometimes its sounded like tribal rhythm, and sometimes Casio grade electronic drums.
Man, now I'm wondering what they would sound like as resos, especially on the bass drum
Yes! Hope David tries that. 👍👍👍👍👍
Same thought here. I think pretty good
Same curiosity here!
They definitely have a funky distinct sound... very cool textures for a variety of music styles.
Yeah, reminds me a bit of that Motown Drum Sound.
Came for wood heads, stayed for old man Bob 😎🔥
This would be really cool as a secondary percussion element in a world music type of sound.
Pretty cool experiment. The world of sound is endless and you never know where those sounds may come into play in overdub.
The snare, floor tom and bass drum actually sound really good 👍🏽
i'm still hoping someone will make drumheads that are actually gongs, made of cymbal bronze with enough flex that tightening the lugs actually adds tension to the surface.
Really interesting idea. I wonder if tension on it would ruin the sound though, almost like hitting a cymbal that you’re holding with the other hand
I’ve been planning on checking out some of those Index heads, especially cause they’re from Louisiana. A pleasant surprise to see them here!
That K ride sound goes so well with the wooden heads. The snare is definitely my favorite.
Great video. You can use the wooden plates as template to DIY your own weird drum heads from other materials. Metal maybe? Or Lego floor plates? Trimmed down cymbals?
'be gone boring drumhead!' I thought they sounded best with the brushes followed by the 'tubes' and then the 'rods'. I do agree that they do sound best on the kick and snare.
Love the idea, Dave! Out of curiosity, what would happen if you used them as resonant heads? It might be cool!
I was also thinking try them as batter heads, but removing the reso heads. I’d like to hear both ideas
I've been following Index for awhile, but I don't think i've heard many demos of these heads. Very cool snare sound, and a really nice bass drum sound too. Definitely not for the average drummer or gig, but there are definitely some applications where this sound is perfect. I definitely wanna hear the wood heads as resos on the toms, I think you'd like the sound more with a mylar batter head.
I LOVE the way the bass drum sounds!
Once again, it just goes to prove, anything is fair game in percussion. Thanks Dave
The snare and bass sounded really interesting, I would love to hear a full lo-fi song with those heads on it. Great job finding the weird, and great to see Bob "out and about!"
Fun video. I really liked the sound with the rods. 8:21
That sounded best also to _my_ ears! 😀👍
I'd also think they might work pretty good in like a small club or coffee shop that had live music, I think most all of us have been there. Great job 👍👍
I feel like I can get the same bass drum sound from knocking on any door in my house
I was actually thinking about chopping some circles on some scrap doors I have laying around and try it by myself
Damn, I LOVE that hex thing on snare. Instant gated reverb!
seems like they would be really well suited for one or two drums in a percussion setup vs a full drum set
I find comfort in watching drum content, I remember it used to just be drum covers now we got drum hacks
Same here! 😊 I've been binge-watching videos on the Drum History Podcast channel since discovering it a few days ago, too! 😀 I also play bass, guitar and keys, but I find that drummers are the most enthusiastic group of musicians when it comes to chatting with each other 😁
Hey David! You should try broomsticks on these. I find they’re the best option when it comes to hitting wood. I use them on a cajon snare in one of my projects, and don’t have that attack of regular sticks or hot rods. Cheers
I don't particularly care for how the toms sound but the snare and the kick are very interesting. I could imagine having one of these wooden heads on an aux snare.
Kinda love how the pure essence of a drummer’s musical journey is “I should hit that thing with a stick and see how it sounds”
It seemed odd that the toms sounded so digital until I remembered that the playing surfaces on my old Simmons drums from the 80s were all just plywood. It makes sense now.
Might be a good idea to use the Vic Firth practice sticks with the rubber tips since they’re similar to the rubber cajon beater
That snare would also be really good in some fast rock stuff imo, I find myself to be quite fond of very wooden sounding snares in that kinda music
"Wooden sounding snares" reminds me of Alex Van Halen! Especially on VH's earlier albums 😀
my thoughts exactly, I'm in love with that snare
I love those heads. They sound best with “broom head” type sticks.
Basically, use the same thick brushes you would use with a cajon.
Perfect for singer song writer back up.
Excellent vid. More Old Man Bob!
6:15 Old Bob plays one of the sexiest and groovy beats that I've ever heard on drums.
I was smiling the whole way though, great job, rdavidr.
Wood heads, wood hoops, wood lugs, wood tension rods, wood drums. That would be cool
Sounds like hitting wooden hatboxes of varying sizes for the toms, taking paper towels to the nth degree for the snare, and the bass could be achieved by just kicking household cabinetry with your foot.
Wow, I love that tune that plays during the drumhead changes. Reminds me of something Chick Corea would do.
I’d kill for a one shot sample of that bass drum. Such a cool sound for production elements/lo-fi beats.
I think I'd go for one on an aux snare. But that's about it.
Not familiar with the Tubez and they look like they would be weird to hold and play... but they managed to get a pretty cool sound out of the toms.
What a fun video. Kudos to the company making the wooden heads... Let the tonewood wars begin. :P
Watching Bob drumming was so cool!! He's got chops and mad groove
Great video presentation, rdavid. I think that the snare was the only drum that actually sounded good, but then again, I thought that the plastic tubes produced the best overall sound.
Oh, I like thence trim job on your hair that showed up about midway through the video.
I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Thank you so very much for all you do for the drumming community.
The cross stick sounded AMAZING. 6:52
I got out of my chair and bust down each time I hear David play a flam groove
That kick and snare sound incredible. The toms not so much, but that kick and snare is so worth it.
I am a self taught drummer, who through the years (started in 1978) have never really interfaced with other drummers much. So I am ignorant to many terms and pronunciations. What I would like to see is a video on terms such as "attack" and "decay"
These wooden jingles actually sound amazing
Yeah...I love these a lot. Can't afford a drumkit, but if I could, I'd totally use these.
Josh dun has a drumset where the his bass drums reso head is made of wood. It sounds really good too
funky, kind of like it, in that synth/drum machine kind of way.
Just like how you switch the beater on the kick drum to a rubber or softer beater, probably would’ve done good to do the same with the drumsticks. Maybe having drumsticks with rubber tips on the ends, would have brought the tone out in the drums a lot better. Using the pro Mark tubes, the drums had the most “tone “. Overall, these heads are very interesting. 🤘🏻
Thanks Dave for this review. I'd been thinking about trying these plywood heads. Now I don't have to, wasn't terribly impressed. Maybe as a special efx, but a lot of work changing all the heads for a little efx. Though I did like the tubes, have you reviewed them for us?
I could see myself using the plywood head on like a 12 or 10in auxiliary snare but not on my main snare.
Man ... This is a game-changer for drummers that hate Cajon's for Cajon gigs... .. I can see me bring a cocktail kit with these heads to the hotel lobby soulkiller "Tennesse Whiskey into Brown Eyed Girl" gig ...
You should do a part two where you put a timpani head on a bass drum
That snare sounds great.
The tubes are like driving concrete tires on a rubber road
Those Regal Tip Rods have such a lovely Afro-Cuban or Brazilian resonance. No buzzing. Very clean. The silent stick is so sweet. The heads are great for when you want a more "ethnic" sound when used the with the correct beating instrument. Thanks for testing this for us!
The snare and kick are actually surprisingly useful sounds. A few thoughts I had:
- What do these sound like if you play them with your hands?
- How would the tom heads sound on shallower drums? On concert toms?
- Does the jingle have adhesive? Could it be affixed to the bass drum?
Bob is the coolest guy ever!
The snare and BD sounded surprisingly good!
these are totally heads that turn your set into a cajon drum set and i think thats super cool. Cajon drumsets are on the rise and this is a cost effective way to achieve the same sound.
I'd like to see a video about how a drummer can afford all this stuff.
One of main reasons why I stopped playing :'(
i love the snare actually i wanna hear a couple different snare sizes with one on them like a nice piccolo snare of a big tall snare
Imagine a kit with drumheads made of metal not unlike steel drums, and cymbals made of plastic
a plastic cymbal is the most cursed idea I've ever heard ... I'm in
Great video and review! Fun to hear these less conventional pieces of gear
I like the snare sound and the kick head with a trigger could also really help with the head rebound issue when going super fast.
Why does that actually sound kind of good
Really interesting that's for sure. I actually surprisingly thought that the red tubes gave off a better sound, but that's probably because everything else in the audio sounded drowned out by the clacking on the wooden heads. Especially the Dreadlocks since they were metal. I imagine that rubber headed sticks like the old practice ones would sound really good though.
As a guitar builder, my first instinct is that you need to remove the reso heads, or introduce some way for the batter heads to resonate. When I build an acoustic guitar, I often cut the rosette and soundhole after the body is assembled. And the difference in amplitude and sustain of the top after the hole is present is extreme. The wood needs a way to pass that pressure front in and out of the "box", or it simply will not be able to resonate. I'd be interested to see what these sounded like with that in mind.
Side note: My acoustic bodies resonate like a drum when they aren't attached to a neck. They have a significant thump and a wonderful sustained pitch. But the spruce or cedar tops and their light weight, plus their high stiffness to weight ratio is a big factor in this. Those woods aren't suitable for batter heads, but could be with a layer of mylar.
Every video I watch you get better and better at drumming
that's interesting! i'd be slightly concerned about them shredding bearing edges potentially, if you're cranking them down too hard.... has that been an issue?
If you cranked them, you could have some high point pressure at the very tip of the round over, so maybe don’t put them on the new Collectors Series. They’ll sound about the same on any shell, might as well put them on the beater kit.
The wood drum heads look good with the back wall ha Also that crispy jazzy thing you played at 6:50 got me in the mood to listen to jazz all day 😎
Like to hear them on as the reso heads. May be interesting.
These seem like they'd be awesome in a dance accompaniment setting.
I love this. I hope to see you playing these in the next Peter Jackson Middle Earth movie, ever they ever get around to making one.
we need more videos of you and bob trying out weird stuff
David I would like to hear what it sounds like if you replace the reso head with the wooden heads, especially the toms.
We definitely need auld man Bob in future vids.
I think the snare was the winner here, and those hexagons.
Could be good for that super chill coffee house drum and bass kinda sound. light and snappy sounding
Would be interesting to see how these sound with the mics located on the bottom of the toms instead, to get a bit more of the tone!
Well I don't hate it but wow I also wish I never knew this was a thing. Such a strange concept
I’d use these to make percussion sample packs…in fact think I will do just that!😁. Thanks!
That 'base' drum head reminds me of an interview I read around '83 with the drummer of the German Punkrock band _Die Toten Hosen_ , in which he said that he sticks a board of plywood onto his, for a harder attack 😄
Sounds a lot better than I expected!
3:56 I love how it matches with the song!
8:21 - 8:33
That splash of the hi hat and the cymbal in beat 2 and 4 remind me to the traditional new orleans / dixieland drumming, but the toms are normal contemporay drumming.
i guess they'll never stop trying to reinvent the log-with-skins, haha
I like the bass and snare heads. The toms are really one good with the experiment sticks. The miscellaneous instruments are cool though!
No matter what you use, your drum sound is always on point!
Great video and review! The chop-out sticks by Vic Firth could also be interesting on these heads 🪵
never expected a wood drum sound so full and rich.
The promark tubes is like you've gone full circle of weird back to a pretty normal sounding snare.
I thought the slap sticks sounded by far the best! Though that cross stick sounds unreal, and the bass drum with the cajon beater kicks ass; plus it looks like Jupiter. 👍🏻 I wonder how it they would sound as resos... maybe like a concert tom but way more dead and choked... if nothing else it would look wicked as a bass drum reso.
I love the idea of being able to cut heads from easily attainable material in my shed even if they end up sounding like garbage... thats why I love this channel. Always inspiring in one way or another.
Oh weird so the plywood doesn't just lay on top of your existing head?
Really good drum hacks
Since I am a guy who uses evans hydraulic cranked all the way up on an old tama imperialstar snare I like a punchy, very high snare sound. I think, it's actually a quite cool sound