Remo Vintage A Heads

MAY 2008 RHYTHM 103
EXCLUSIVE
V
intage A heads were launched last
year to coincide with the 50th
anniversary of the manufacture of
the company’s fi rst synthetic heads.
For ‘launched’ read ‘re-launched’, as Vintage
A’s are replicas of Remo heads that were last
available nearly half a century ago.
Build
Up until the late 1950s, drummers relied
solely on calf heads which, although they
brought a warm, thick sound to drums, were
all too susceptible to changes in temperature
and humidity. The technology that enabled
the fi rst synthetic heads to be made was
thanks to advances made during the Second
World War and the ensuing Space Race. The
polyester fi lm Mylar was created by DuPont
and used in wartime reconnaissance fl ights
and then by NASA (one of its legacies is the
rolls of cling-fi lm found in every kitchen).
Mylar is durable, inexpensive and, most
importantly, weather resistant. The fi rst
synthetic Remo heads were thus created.
Mylar was then only available in two
thicknesses – 7.5 mil and 3 mil (1 mil equating
Ambassadors fi tted to my kit, and the results
delighted me. They are not as crisp as
Ambassadors but are wonderfully warm and
resonant; in fact, very reminiscent of the calf
heads that they were originally designed to
emulate. Think of a typical ‘60s drum sound
with the drums open and ringing, and you’re
about there. My only complaint is that Remo
has no plans to introduce bass drum sizes.
Verdict
Gary Mann of Remo’s UK operation is largely
to thank for the reintroduction of Vintage A
heads. He is owed a debt of gratitude, as these
heads are not simply an exercise in nostalgia –
Remo is so pleased with the results that it has
decided to make Vintage A heads a
permanent line. While there is no shortage of
heads on the market, the Vintage A heads do
offer something different. Somewhere
between regular Ambassadors and Emperors
but with an added twist, they are a graphic
illustration of just how much infl uence a head
has over the sound of a drum.
Rating ✪✪✪✪✪
THE WARM SOUND
produced by the Vintage As is
reminiscent of the calf-skin heads they
were initially designed to emulate
PRICES
10" £13.90
12" £14.80
13" £15.50
14" £16.50
16" £18.10
HEAD
CONSTRUCTION
Two layers of Mylar
fi lm, one 7.5mil and
one 3mil thick, bound
to an aluminium fl esh
hoop. Top layer coated.
IN-BUILT
DAMPENING
No
CONTACT
Arbiter Group Ltd
Unit 3
Atlantic Business
Centre
Stirling Way
Borehamwood
Hertfordshire
WD6 2FQ
Telephone
0208 207 7860
Website
www.remo.com
ESSENTIAL SPEC
to 1/1000th inch) – so the thicker variety was
used for batter heads while the thinner sheets
were ideal for the resonant side. The heads
were christened Weather King – the name that
still features on Remo heads – due to the fact
that they were unaffected by climatic
conditions. By 1959, with rock’n’roll in full
swing, drummers were demanding louder and
longer-lasting heads, so Remo combined the
two thicknesses of Mylar together on the
same head. This new head was named the
Ambassador (while the original 7.5 mil single-
fi lm head became the Diplomat). It is this two-
fi lm Ambassador that Remo has resurrected
in the form of the Vintage A.
Hands On
Ironically, the fi rst Ambassadors didn’t have a
very long product life, as less than 18 months
later Dupont introduced a 10 mil-thick version
of Mylar which was used to make the
Ambassador heads that are essentially
unchanged today. Vintage A heads are
suitable for snare and tom use and are
available in 10", 12", 13", 14" and 16" sizes only.
I tested them alongside the regular
RE
COMMENDS
REMO VINTAGE A HEADS
From £13.90 As Remo Vintage A heads revisit one of the company’s fi rst designs, nostalgia
has never sounded so good, writes Adam Jones
RHY150.gear_remo 103 19/3/08 2:58:34 pm