Head tension

[CowHow]

Maybe i've been doing this wrong all along so I thought i'd get some advice from the pros. When replacing heads I know they can have too much tension shortening the life of the head. What's the best way to know how tight is tight enough? I usually tighten a head until I can still depress the head slightly with a little finger pressure. Is this sufficient or is there a better way?

Tony

[White_Pointer]

I tighten them to about the same tension I prefer to have on an acoustic head.

It's all about your personal preference and style.

[jpsquared482]

Head tension IMHO is extremely important, and like most things it depends on your priorities. Here are some of my observations:

Too tight:
-provides more bounce than an acoustic (better or worse depending on what you want),
-reduces "hot spots" because the head can't depress as deeply in the center.
-it can increase the life of triggers' foam. I found this to be true with my Pintech foams which are softer.

Too loose:
-feels more like an acoustic
-increases hot spots
-can reduce the life of triggers' foam

My choice is to tighten them up because I prefer to minimize hot spots (yes there are strategies to reduce them in the module, but in my opinion it all starts with a tighter head). I also have no problem with the extra bounce. It's not "cheating" on your acoustics; you're just playing a different instrument. Why not use its benefits?

[Alan VEX]

Sadly, there was a recent, and good, thread on this subject that was lost during the move. The end opinion was most tune their larger pads to about 1.5-2 turns from finger tight. Smaller pads, 2.0-2.5. Roland manual states at least 1.5 turns after finger tightening. I always go more to save my cones.

[CowHow]

I Like mine tighter also. As you suggest Alan, I tightened mine about 2 1/4 turns (snare) and it seems pretty responsive. I'm using a Pintech to replace a Hart Dynamics head. Its the Hart head that actually made me question my tension as it didn't last long enough for the water to get hot. I popped through the head right in the center. It was pretty frayed and i shouldn't have been playing on it. So far I'm impressed with the Pintech head.

[kurth83]

I found that too loose gives a trampoline effect (this is on Roland heads), it is this weird slow bounce that makes playing harder, doing doubles on that was driving me crazy. Tightening up a smidge increased playability for me by giving a faster lesser bounce, but I haven't played around with over-tightening to see what that feels like.

[CowHow]

I found that too loose gives a trampoline effect.

Agree with that. In fact, that was my initial concern moving to Roland. Ratcheting down the heads definitely helped that.

[Intruder]

I like my mesh heads just like my women tight!
Mine have been finger tight + maybe 6 or more turns. No problems for 2 years or so.

[hemiboy]

Wow that's really cranking them, but better. Tight than loose!

[allanjohn]

It's hard to overtighten a head. Here's what happened when I "overtightened" a Hart head:

[hemiboy]

Wow , those hart heads are tough, I guess! On my a to e 12 13 14 16 and 20 kick, I crank them about 2 and one half complete turns. T he poster who said he cranks 6 turns after finger tightness. Is that half turns or complete revolutions ?

[Intruder]

Wow , those hart heads are tough, I guess! On my a to e 12 13 14 16 and 20 kick, I crank them about 2 and one half complete turns. T he poster who said he cranks 6 turns after finger tightness. Is that half turns or complete revolutions ?

You Know, after thinking about it I think those would be half turns so that makes it about 3. About the same as a few others posted. Sorry if I misled anyone.

[jpsquared482]

I'd be interested in what others think about not just tightening mesh, but actually "tuning" it. I apply the same principles to mesh as I do to acoustics, simply listen to the tone at about 1" from each lug and get a close match. It doesn't have to be just right, but I find it's beneficial for optimal positional sensing to get lug tension even across the drum, at least close. Anyone else?

[hemiboy]

I don't have positional sensing with 2 box , but I just bought a drum dial and after my second tightening( it was suggested that the heads would loosen after the first tightening) I "tuned" them appropriately. I tightened them to a 65 setting which was aboutt 2 full turns of the drum key

[hemiboy]

I don't have positional sensing with 2 box , but I just bought a drum dial and after my second tightening( it was suggested that the heads would loosen after the first tightening) I "tuned" them appropriately. I tightened them to a 65 setting which was about 2 full turns of the drum key. Tjey feel better than my old heads ever did, and now I know that my old heads were never tuned evenly! Live and learn, I guess