Bob Beals thinks back over the nearly 40-year history of Evans Drumheads to a time in the early 60`s. `We were asked to build a drum for the Rose Bowl parade, not just the heads, but the entire drum,` he says. `I went and measured the train car they were going to ship it in and it came to seven feet. So we built a seven-foot shell and the heads, and there was this enormous drum in the parade that took four people to play it.The McDonalds Marching Band liked it, so they bought it and asked me to get it to New York for Macy`s Thanksgiving Parade. No one could ship it in time, so I drove from Kansas to New York with the drum in a trailer. That was some trip.`The `Boot Hill Boomer,` as the drum was called, became famous. But the company that manufactured it, and also developed some of the drumhead industry`s most important technological accomplishments, has remained decidedly low-key.When Evans began manufacturing Evans Drumheads in 1958, they developed a head that was an immediate success: the All-Weather Drumhead. At a time when plastic heads were still looked upon with some suspicion, Evans` All-Weather heads proved that heads made of polyester could rival the sound quality of those made of calfskin. And since the plastic heads could be played in any weather conditions, they had an advantage over the older calfskin heads, which were impossible to play when wet.

I`ve tried other brands of nylon tip sticks, but Regal Tip Drumsticks are the best. Unlike other nylon tips which are white, regal`s tips are semi-transparent and unbreakable. You can actually take a 3lb hammer and strike a regal tip nylon tip and it will not break. It will flatten, but it won`t break. Almost every brand has a nylon tip, but they are not the same. Regal Tip Drumsticks , the original nylon tip drumstick, and still the best since 1958. I got a pair of regal tip marching sticks a long time ago, when I was a hard hitter... I used them as rock sticks, but unfortunately they broke.. unlucky. That put me off the brand for a long time. So I saw a pair of Regal Tip 7a`s... and I though.. Vic`s were too heavy for me (I`m getting into jazz playing, so I need lightness) and so are Zil`s... so I bought them. I`m really, really satisfied. Nice and light, and durable. The laquer stops them from slipping out of my hands, which is an issue sometimes as I`m a loose player. Really good definition on the tip, get a great rebound off the ride. On the minus side, I wouldn`t play them hard, because of my previous experience, but they don`t dent easily so I guess they are pretty durable and it`s all in my mind.

Saturday I changed the heads on the Pearl Export 8 x 12 tom in this order; Remo clear Ambassador, Aquarian Classic clear, Remo drum heads Remo Classic coated (they call it Satin Finish). The bottom head was a Remo clear ambassador. I tuned the drum to the same low and medium high pitches for each head combination. My opinion? They sounded the same. I couldn`t tell the difference in sound. The clear and coated single ply heads from both companies sounded identical to me on this particular drum. I might mention that this drum was played by holding it at arms length by the in-shell tom clamp for maximum resonance and on it side while on the tuning table. The Aquarian did seem to tune quicker, come into focus easier after the initial tightening, and didn`t stretch as much as the Remo Drum Heads. I also played the drum for several of the drummers that work for Fork`s and they were in agreement with me about the heads sounding identical. Today I listened to my Gretsch toms that were already outfitted with fairly new Remo Drum Heads (Ambassadors) on top and clear ambassadors on bottom in my garage where I rehead most of my drums. I then replaced them with the Aquarian equivalents. Anyone familiar with Gretsch drums know that they are very lively sounding drums and overtones on heads are very evident. Again I used two tunings with both sets of heads: low and medium high. I noticed that when I put the Aquarian heads on that they didn`t stretch and crackle as much as the Remos. This may be due to the way the mylar is glued into the rim, the way the head is heated to form the collar, etc. Whatever, I don`t care. How does it sound? That is the question. I had heard that Aquarians will not tune as low as Remos. I don`t find this to be the case. When I put the Aquarian coated head on the Gretsch 14 x 14 floor tom I tuned it to just above wrinkle stage (1/4 turn)which I consider a very low tuning, and the drum sounded ultra low and sustaining; as low as the Remo head was able to be tuned. Some notes I made while tuning these Gretsch drums in my garage; -less `boinginess` than the Remos; more focused pitch. -same amount of sustain and tonal characteristics as the Remos. -tuned more evenly at every tension rod point than the Remos; perhaps from the head already having a pitch when off the drum. All in all the Remo Drum Heads were the better choice.

Zildjian`s new Drumstick Wax provides a comfortably tacky grip on any drumstick or mallet. Its grip-enhancing wax formulation can be applied at any time and in any amount to any stick, old or new. Drumstick Wax does not need to be reapplied as it reactivates with normal playing heat. It is packaged in convenient 2 oz. tins, features a pleasant tropical scent and leaves hands feeling clean -- no uncomfortable buildup! I`ve been playing for about 16 years now, on and off. After first trying several makes, sizes and styles I got very attached to a pair of Zildjian Drumsticks and continued to use that model up until recently. I had read about the dip sticks but wasn`t expecting to see any in the UK for some time, but low and behold my local music store had some in just after Christmas. I tried all the sizes and for some reason or another decided that the 5b`s were the best stick I`ve used so far! I`ve gigged with these sticks a few times now and the extra confidence the sticky coating gives you is amazing. Long gone are the days where you had to have spare sticks all around the kit, in case you lose one. These wonders seem to want to stay in your hand no matter what you do with them. The balance and control of the stick is just as you would expect from any Zildjian Drumsticks . They have a normal life expectancy of a hickory stick, unfortunately Zildjian haven`t been able to cure that just yet. If you try anything new this year with your drums, try Zildjian dip sticks.

Pro-mark Drumsticks are among the best drumsticks in the music industry. There are many drummers who will not go for any other drumsticks aside from Pro-mark Drumsticks. Indeed, there have been well known names in the industry that have endorsed Pro-mark Drumsticks too. This is no wonder, as many professionals feel very comfortable using Pro-mark Drumsticks. Though you may get a whole range of drumstick brands, some drummers just feel comfortable with using a particular kind. Drumsticks usually vary in their feel due to the type of wood that is used to make them. Some makers season their wood, and this creates different kinds of effects. Some sticks may develop a different feel or become lighter. There are many characteristics that drummers think of when they choose any set of drumsticks.

Vater Drumsticks cover an amazing range of drumsticks that enthral drummers. The Vater Drumsticks range covers sticks that are made from different kinds of wood. In the range of Vater Drumsticks, you will have hickory drumsticks and maple drumsticks, and you will have a whole lot of sticks in categories that are well known, such as Timbale sticks, brushes, bass drum beaters, colour wrap sticks, and a whole lot more. Vater Drumsticks are among the best drumsticks available in the market. This brand is a competing brand that some of the best drummers in the music industry go for. You can search online to get a good idea of the range available to you.

Vic Firth Drumsticks are known as one of the top drumstick brands available in the market. Many drummers will be quite picky when it comes to choosing a set of drumsticks. Some of them will choose no other drum sticks besides Vic Firth Drumsticks. Leroy Clouden, Peter Enskine and Jason Mcgerr are few drummers who cling to Vic Firth Drumsticks. You will get to see demo lessons from these experienced men on the Vicfirth website. There is a variety of these sticks that you can choose. Each has its own attributes that professional drummers tend to like. With the varying feel introduced in Vic Firth Drumsticks, it is no wonder why professionals are picky about them. Depending on his or her style, a certain set of these sticks best suits a drummer.