i have a set of ludwig 1125s. i have evan o-rings on the heads with the snare having 2 plus 2 baseball cards in the snares.  the sound is ok but i'm ready for new heads. are the remo pinstripes and evans G2 s about equal or are they completley different?the rack toms sound  low, loud. the floor is also loud but has a slight ring to it.  also what is a natural sounding tom supposed to sound like?

Here are the specs of G2s and Emporers:

They consist of 2 plies of 7mm, free floating, mylar film. This allows less resonance for less overtones. This is because the two plies help each other to cancel out each other's overtones, thus leaving a warm, clean sound.

Here are the specs of Hydraulics and Pinstripes:

Pinstripes are like emporer heads, but with a couple of differences. There is a stripe on the outer diameter of the head, and outside of that stripe is a certain material between the two plies. This helps cancel out the high frequencies and some of the ring that occurs on the outside of the head. For an example of this, hit a tympani in the center and then on the outer diameter. Notice that the head rings more on the outer part than in the center. Same concept here.

Hydraulics do not just dampen the outer part of the head, but the whole part. This may account for even more deadness than pinstripes. It is basically like a G2 with a few drops of oil between the plies. This is a great concept for studio drums, as they make the drums sound dead, punchy, and focused. But in a live situation, they won't cut through very well on those loud songs.

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What I suggest is that you try out this setup:

8" toms and smaller: Double Thin or Studio X

10" toms to 12" toms: Response 2

13" toms and larger: Performace 2


Trust me. I have experimented with this. It works best on my kit with this setup. On my 6" and 8" timbalitos, I have studio x clears with a power dot in the center. This gives me the durability, dampening, and that still-natural sound that I need on them. On my 12" tom, I have a response 2 clear. This is like an average between a G2 and a Pinstripe. It sounds like a G2, but is slightly more tame. On my 13" and 16" toms, I have clear performance 2s. These are similar to the pinstripe, except there is a larger stripe around the edge, and the head is sealed on the outside instead of stuffed. BTW, all the heads I use (with the exception of my 12" and 13" bottom heads) are Aquarian. You should seriously check out the Superkick Series for the bass drum, and the Hi-Energy Snare head for your snare drum (if you hit hard. If not, I'd say go for a Texture Coated Power Dot, also by Aquarian).

I like evans more I think they give a wider selection and they are really versatille.  I say you just play one them and see which one you feel is better, it's all about personal playing style.