Drum Head Configuration

Plies and ply thickness- how thick is the head, and how is it configured?

The thickness of the ply affects the fundamental note, sustain, amount of attack, and durability. A thick (one ply) head has a higher fundamental tuning range, less sustain, and more attack than a thinner head. However, it will be more resistant to denting than a thin head.

The number of plies affects sensitivity, sustain, and durability. A single ply head has more sensitivity, more sustain, but less durability than a two ply head. Many Kevlar heads actually have a Mylar ply on top, and some have on underneath, so they can be considered three ply. Another advantage of two plies is that things can be inserted between the plies for muffling/tone control. These are the commonly found heads with insertions.

Remo Pinstripes- have an epoxy ring bonded between the two plies at the edge to kill some overtones, and give a "wet" sound.

Evans Hydraulics- have oil between the two plies for extreme muffling. They produce a severely dry sound.