EVANS EC2 SST and POWER CENTER HEADS

90 RHYTHM JULY 2010
EXCLUSIVE
EVANS EC2 SST &
POWER CENTER HEADS
£15.99 Ever-innovative Evans has introduced two new batter
tom heads. Adam Jones stands by with his drum key…
T
hese two new Evans tom heads were
launched hot on each other’s heels.
The Power Center range appeared in
September 2009, while an updated
version of the existing EC2 head, the EC2 SST,
was unveiled at this year’s NAMM show.
Build
Power Center heads are designed to emulate
’70s tom sounds and are single-ply. This ply is
in one of two thicknesses: 6" to 12" heads are
10-mil thick; 13" to 18" diameters are built
around a 12-mil fi lm. Underneath the head is
a ventilated silver dot that looks like an
overhead picture of a maze, is made from a
metallised resin and has the look of brushed
aluminium. Like the graduated thickness of
the heads, the dots get progressively larger
with each step up in diameter. The purpose of
the dots is to dampen overtones without
choking too much natural resonance.
If the Power Center head is inspired by
vintage sounds, the EC2 SST is very much a
modern head. In common with the existing
EC2, it is a twin-ply design, constructed from
two 7-mil fi lms. Underneath the head is a new
edge control ring. On EC2 heads, this is made
from the same metal-like compound used for
the Power Center reverse dots. For the EC2
SST, Evans has developed a black material
called Sound Shaping Technology (or SST for
short). The SST is arranged as two rings close
to the edge of each head. The space between
the rings is fi lled with a honeycomb-like
pattern made from the same SST. Evans
reckons that the SST helps deliver a “more
balanced and pre-EQ’d sound across the kit”.
Hands On
First to be fi tted were the Power Center
heads. Compared to the single-ply coated
heads that I’d removed, they were slightly
drier but still gave generous sustain. An
increase in attack was evident, as was a
strengthening of the tone. Overall the toms
sounded balanced with added power being
MAZE-LIKE CENTRE DOT
aims to dampen overtones without
choking too much natural resonance
‘SST’ HELPS DELIVER
a “more balanced and pre-
EQ’d sound across the kit”
EXTRA POWER
of the head was met with
equal warmth and resonance
PRICES
Evans EC2 SST and
Power Center clear
batter heads:
6", £15.99
8", £16.49
10", £16.99
12", £18.49
13", £19.49
14", £20.99
15", £21.99
16", £23.49
18", £29.49
MODELS
AVAILABLE
EC2 SST range also
available in coated
form
CONTACT
D’Addario
A3 Eleventh Avenue
Gateshead
NE11 0JY
Tel: [phone]
Website: www.evan-
sdrumheads.com
ESSENTIAL SPEC
met with equal warmth and resonance.
Things became more focused with the EC2
SST heads. As with most twin-ply heads, initial
attack was sharp while sustain was reduced.
Tonally they were defi nitely fatter and darker.
The effect of the aggressive edge and deeper
sound made the toms sound both bigger and
louder. While it’s unlikely that they were
actually physically louder, the way the heads
can accentuate frequencies makes such an
effect seem entirely plausible.
Verdict
The choice of heads is crucial, as they
contribute hugely to the overall sound of a
drum. The fact that these two new heads offer
such different responses illustrates this quite
clearly. Both heads performed well and
brought their own qualities to the drums that
they were fi tted to. Of the two, I liked the
Power Center heads more, but this was simply
down to personal preference. While a large
choice of heads already exists, both of these
heads have something new to offer. Being
Evans, they are also superbly made.
Rating ✪✪✪✪✪
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RHY178.gear_evans 90 19/5/10 11:07:7 am