What is the best bass drum head for your playing style and kit? Let’s help you make the right decision with an expert review of the top 3 most popular heads on the market!
Who Makes Best Bass Drum Skin?
Great kick drum heads at a glance:
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Product |
Feature Image |
Editor’s Rating |
Relative Price |
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#1 Best Overall Bass Drum Head |
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(4.7) |
$$$
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#2 Best Budget Skin |
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(4.8) |
$$
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#3 Most Durable Head |
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(4.7) |
$$$
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Of all the pieces in a drum kit, the snares and bass drum take the most abuse as they take the brunt of the drummers’ force.
The bass drum is not often heard as their low sound quickly merges into the background, but some genres require that the skins of the bass drums need to be replaced with the best bass drum head there is.
Top Three Best Bass Drum Heads Reviewed!
1. Best Bass Drum Head: Remo Powerstroke P3 Clear Bass Drumhead
Remo Powerstroke Features
- Durable Construction
The Remo Powerstroke P3 is made of a 10mm-inlay ring that provides the best response and tone control. This lets the drummer focus on the low-tones for a sharp bass attack.
- Thin Underlay
This drumhead has a thin underlay placed at the outer edge of the head that can dampen any overtone in a subtle yet definitive way.
- Focused Sound
This bass drumhead offers a name brand reputation that is known for its near-perfect balance in terms of response and tone control.
Remo Powerstroke P3 Clear Bass Drumhead Key Points
What We Like
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- Deep, warm sounds
- Made of quality materials
- Durable single-ply membrane
- Easy to tune
- Provides a clean punch
- Excellent resonance
- Reliable bass drum head
- Good low-end thuds
- Delivers a full, rich bass sound
- No need for muffling pillows
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What We Don’t Like
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- Can be tricky to find
- Chokes off the sound of the drum
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Manufacturer Info:
Website: https://www.remo.com/
2. Best Budget Bass Skin: Evans EMAD2 Clear Bass Drum Head
Evans EMAD2 Features
- Adjustable Damping System
All of the bass drum heads from the EMAD series use an externally mounted adjustable damping system which allows the drummer to control their attacks better.
- Level 360 Collar
The Evans EMAD2 Drum Head uses the Level 360 technology for its bass drum collar that makes it easier to tune, and it also gives you a wider tone.
- Damping Options
This bass drum head has different foam damping rings that allow the drummer to have different sound options by choosing the wider foam for a maximized low-end attack and the thinner foam for a more focused sound.
Evans EMAD2 Clear Bass Drum Head Key Points
What We Like
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- Dampenings for better options
- Very responsive drum head
- Punchy thud sound
- Holds volume well
- Provides a better balance
- Handles any attack well
- Deep and clear sounds
- No need for damping below
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What We Don’t Like
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- Foam rings do not fit well
- Feels flimsy for a drum head
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Manufacturer Info:
Website: https://www.daddario.com/evans-drumheads/
3. Most Durable Bass Head: Aquarian Drumhead SKII22 Super-Kick II
Aquarian SKII22 Features
- Double Ply
This drum head from Aquarian Drumheads has a double ply material that gives it more strength and increased durability, letting it take all the attack that you can deliver.
- Durable Membrane
The 7mm-Nu-Brite drum head film is made using a patented multi-ply vacuum tuned process.
- Floating Felt Muffle Ring
The Super-Kick II is equipped with the patented Floating Muffling System which is made of a felt material, and it gives the drumhead a more natural sound.
Aquarian Super-Kick II Drumhead Key Points
What We Like
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- Sounds good
- Delivers a deep tone
- Gives a nice thud
- Perfect for playing metal songs
- Muffle ring works well
- Deep, resonant sound
- Holds its tune longer
- Powerful bass sound
- Delivers plenty of low-end tones
- Well made
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What We Don’t Like
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- Tears up easily
- Bass sound is too muffled
- Felt ring is hard to adjust
- Too muted
- Muffle rings fall off quickly
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Check Today’s Price >>
Manufacturer Info:
Website: https://www.aquariandrumheads.com/
Important Bass Drum Head Facts and Maintenance Tips
Bass drums have their special place in rock music and the metal genre, as well as some forms of dance music where the beat is dictated by how often it drops.
Tuning
It has the largest skin in a drum kit, and changing it is almost the same as changing the skins of the other pieces in the kit.
Tuning a bass head is an entirely different matter as it does not have those resonant highs that snares have nor the solid lows of the floor toms. Think of it as having more a thudding sound that fades quickly as soon as the felt-covered beater hits it.
Replacement
The drum heads of bass drums need to be replaced as regularly as possible, depending on how much abuse it takes and how often you have to adjust the tone.
Another way to look at it is this: bass drum skins deserve to be replaced after every few sessions to keep the sound lively and fresh. But there are practical aspects to consider – time and expense.
The two schools of thought are 1: there’s the kit you do your finest work on – such as for recording where you want the best tone possible. And 2: the practice kit you use to hammer out your chops and develop ideas on – the workhorse.
Naturally, the luxury of multiple kits may not always be an option as most enthusiasts will usually have only one primary set. Therefor, drummers resort to DIY solutions like duct tape and muffling pillows to improve how the bass drum sounds.
If, and when, your bass drum head does lose its resilience or characteristic sound, or if you find you need to tune it multiple times a month, you may want to consider replacing it with one of the other products covered here.
Lastly, make sure you’re getting a bass skin that faces up to the challenge of your style, is easy to tune, and more importantly, one that produces the sound you want on a consistent basis.
Thumping Down the Competition: Which Bass Drum Skin Did We Find To Be The Best?
Each of these drum heads seems to be very durable and can deliver a great range of tones which are full and deep. However, the Remo Powerstroke P3 Clear Bass Drumhead comes out the winner, not only because of the brand name that it carries but also because of its durability and the quality of sound it provides.
The Remo Powerstroke P3 Bass Drumhead gives you a brand name reliability as well as a durable 10-mil membrane that can help you balance the drumhead response and tone.
The Evans EMAD2 Clear Bass Drum Head is more popular with drummers because of its damping system that lets them play without needing to use a muffling pillow. The Level 360 collar enables you to tune it easily while providing you with a wider tonal range.
Lastly, the Aquarian Drumheads SKII22 Super-Kick II Double-Ply Bass Drum Head has a double-ply membrane that’s more durable. It also has a muffle ring that gives it a unique sound.
All three of the previously listed bass drum heads have their set of unique qualities that can make them the best bass drum head to replace your old ones, but only one can be the best.
If you take each of them aside, then here are their best features, and among the reasons why they should be the best:
Our #1 Pick!
What are Remo Powerstroke P3 Users Saying? >>
Editor’s Rating:
4.7
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