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The Evans EQ3 Bass Drum Resonant Head is a single-ply black head that is carefully designed to support the batter head sound without adding colour or unwanted resonance.  It features an internal resonant ring to reduce overtones and a five inch hole for an internal microphone and damping adjustment. For advice on getting the best from a resonant head see below...

Bass Drum Resonant Heads

Resonant Head Advice

The resonant head (that's the non-hitting head) on a bass drum has far less influence on the sound than it does on Tom-Toms or snare drums: at least, provided it is well tuned.  A badly tuned resonant head can destroy the sound of the whole kit.  The trick is to tune it as slack as possible so that it gets out of the way of the sound, letting the batter head do all the work.  Any simple head will do, though specialist heads make a difference in more demanding circumstances.  Much as we enjoy selling you things, we would not recommend replacing the Res head until you have tried everything else to get the sound you want, including retuning the head you have.  However, if you need to mic your bass drum, especially in the studio, then a specialist head is a really good idea.

Tuning

Start by tightening the head all round using tuners opposite each other as usual, pull it down quite tight, about the same as the batter head, to get the creases out.  Then slacken off as much as possible; you need it just tight enough to keep wrinkles from forming but no tighter.  Lean on the middle of the skin to pull it down as you go, this keeps the skin even and stops it sticking at the rim.

Graphics

Don't forget that the front skin is your "shop window" as it faces the audience.  The original skins probably have a logo on them, so they are worth keeping even when you replace all the others.  Many drummers like to have their name or a design on the resonant head.  Window transfers and stickers are especially good for this, available from New Age or Surf shops (depending on taste).  To produce your own logo: paint or print on to thick card and mount it using blue-tack or thick glue so that the card does not actually touch the skin.  Drawing directly on the skin can be tricky, and there is no room for error, though glass paints on a clear head can look superb when done by a good artist.  What ever you do, avoid the "I did it with Tippex after a gig one night" syndrome!

Holes

Many drummers have holes cut into their resonant heads, although fashion has as much to do with this as anything; in the 70s many drummers left the skin off all together, though this made the drum rather weak.  The principle is that their are some parts of the sound, sometimes called the "slap", that come directly from the point of contact between the beater and the batter head.  These can be lost in the enclosed drum or bounce around adding to unwanted resonances: the hole lets them out.  This is a little simplistic but matches what you hear, although a properly tuned head will largely solve the problems. 

Holes are also used to allow a microphone to be placed right inside the drum, allowing it to pick up the maximum amount of slap and the true deep tone that can only be caught in the heart of the drum

Cutting holes in a head is tricky, and there is little value in it for most circumstances, though it does enable you to adjust the internal damping (pillows, old blankets etc).  A small hole does allow a microphone to be placed right inside the drum to get the best possible sound.  Take the head off and place it on a large flat surface.  Mark out the hole with a pencil (plates make good templates) and then cut with a sharp "Stanley" knife.  The hole does not need to be round, though this generally looks better.  It is hard to get it dead centre, so make it deliberately to one side and no one will complain!

If you have a large hole in the head, please make sure that the cat has not climbed in for a snooze on the blankets, before you start playing - I have never forgotten this moment, and I doubt the cat has either!

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