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Beginner drummer with question

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Chris 'Coz' Costello

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Dec 16, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/16/96
to MTMTaxiRho

MTMTaxiRho wrote:

> On my floor tom, there is this kind of watery stuff inside the head. I
> haven't been able to figure out what it is. It's kind of rainbow colored.
> Does anyone know?

That would be oil. Remo pinstripes and Evans hydraulics have a thin
layer of oil between the two layers of the drumhead. I'm not sure
exactly why it's there. I have a hunch it acts to dampen the resonance
of the head, although I can't comment on the physics involved. I'm
sure someone else can, so I'll leave that to others.

Hope that helped.

Later,
COZ

--
+--
| Chris 'Coz' Costello / "Hipness is transient. You have
| http://www.tezcat.com/~coz / to change in order to be continually |
c...@tezcat.com / hip." - Vinnie Colaiuta |
---+

ben

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Dec 16, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/16/96
to

Cedmon wrote:
> Both Remo Pinstripe and the Ambassador heads has that.These head has two
> layers of plastic with very little amount of oil in between the layers.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
oh no, not this again:)

> The reason for that is, so you can get a deeper, boomier sound out of
> your toms compairing to the single skin heads.
> Cedman,

Okay, just to clear things up

Diplomat -> thin one ply head
Ambassador -> Medium one ply head
Emperor-> Medium two ply head (2 diplomats)
Pinstripe -> Thick two ply head (ambassador and emporor with a bonding
rind around the edge, hench the pinstripe)

On Remos, there is no oil. The rainbowy look is from the refraction of
light between the two plys, much like a prism.

The two plys kill head resonance, therefor the tone has less sustain and
less high end harmonics.

Evans does have oil filled heads, which most people think is too much
muting.

Play whatever you like.

Ben

http://cord.iupui.edu/~bpadrian

MTMTaxiRho

unread,
Dec 16, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/16/96
to

Hi, I just began playing drums this summer, and I have a question...

On my floor tom, there is this kind of watery stuff inside the head. I
haven't been able to figure out what it is. It's kind of rainbow colored.
Does anyone know?

Thanks, Kelly
Kelly Brinton

Visit KeLlY's InDeX
http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/hills/1988/index.html

MuffinHead

unread,
Dec 16, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/16/96
to

In article <32B60A...@ictv.com>, Cedmon <ced...@ictv.com> wrote:

>Both Remo Pinstripe and the Ambassador heads has that.These head has two
>layers of plastic with very little amount of oil in between the layers.


In article <594rp1$i...@news3.texas.net>, skyw...@sedona.net wrote:

>Remo's pinstrip heads do that. I think Coz was right about the oil,
>but it could also be condensation in between the two plys of the head.

>That would be oil. Remo pinstripes and Evans hydraulics have a thin
>layer of oil between the two layers of the drumhead. I'm not sure


Did you guys all get together and say "let's screw with Muff's head" or
what? :D The correct answer would be: PinStripes do *NOT* - I repeat -
*NOT*, N-O-T have oil between the layers. Evans Hydraulic heads are the
only heads around that have oil in them. PinStipes, Emperor's, and every
other clear 2-ply head will give off a rainbow effect caused by the light
bending in different directions as it passes between the two layers of
plastic, whose particles aren't not lined up perfectly, just like when you
put two pieces of wire screen or nylon stockings together and move them
around.
So, Kelly, if you can see a few air bubbles in the head, and the head
is blue and says Evans Hydraulic, it's a pretty safe bet that it's a
Hydraulic head and there *is* oil in there. But if there aren't any air
bubbles, and the head says Remo or Evans (but not Hydraulic) or any other
name, there is no fluid of any kind in between the layers of Mylar.
Jeez, I'm gonna tatoo this information on my forehead. It'll be a
wonderful conversation piece.

MuffinHead
Drummer, Mac geek Armpit Studios VIII
http://www.visi.com/~muff/ Plymouth, MN
______________________________________________________________________
The night is young and we have umbrellas in our drinks.
--The Tick

Cedmon

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Dec 16, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/16/96
to
^^^^^^^^^

Both Remo Pinstripe and the Ambassador heads has that.These head has two
layers of plastic with very little amount of oil in between the layers.

Hyam Ray Sosnow

unread,
Dec 17, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/17/96
to

The Remo heads don't have any oil between the plies.The rainblw
patterns that you're seeing result from the water that had condensed on
the insides of the mylar before the 2 plys were bonded into the hoop.

-hsos...@ix.netcom.com


In <594rp1$i...@news3.texas.net> skyw...@sedona.net (Ender) writes:
>
>Remo's pinstrip heads do that. I think Coz was right about the oil,
>but it could also be condensation in between the two plys of the head.

>I use Remo Pinstripes on all of my toms and it does the same thing to
>me.


>
>mtmta...@aol.com (MTMTaxiRho) wrote:
>
>>Hi, I just began playing drums this summer, and I have a question...
>
>>On my floor tom, there is this kind of watery stuff inside the head.
I
>>haven't been able to figure out what it is. It's kind of rainbow
colored.
>> Does anyone know?
>
>>Thanks, Kelly
>>Kelly Brinton
>
>>Visit KeLlY's InDeX
>>http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/hills/1988/index.html
>

>----------------------------------
>http://users.sedona.net/~skywalkr/
>----------------------------------
>


Hyam Ray Sosnow

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Dec 17, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/17/96
to

In <19961216235...@ladder01.news.aol.com> mtmta...@aol.com

(MTMTaxiRho) writes:
>
>Hi, I just began playing drums this summer, and I have a question...
>
>On my floor tom, there is this kind of watery stuff inside the head.
I
>haven't been able to figure out what it is. It's kind of rainbow
colored.
> Does anyone know?
>
>Thanks, Kelly
>Kelly Brinton
>
>Visit KeLlY's InDeX
>http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/hills/1988/index.html

It sounds like the drum is fitted with an Evans "Hydraulic" head. This
head has 2 plys of mylar, and inbetween them is a thin coating of oil.
The oil serves to eliminate most of the overtones that cause ringing.

-hsos...@ix.netcom.com


Ender

unread,
Dec 17, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/17/96
to

Remo's pinstrip heads do that. I think Coz was right about the oil,
but it could also be condensation in between the two plys of the head.
I use Remo Pinstripes on all of my toms and it does the same thing to
me.

mtmta...@aol.com (MTMTaxiRho) wrote:

>Hi, I just began playing drums this summer, and I have a question...

>On my floor tom, there is this kind of watery stuff inside the head. I
>haven't been able to figure out what it is. It's kind of rainbow colored.
> Does anyone know?

>Thanks, Kelly
>Kelly Brinton

----------------------------------
http://users.sedona.net/~skywalkr/
----------------------------------


Augusto Iori

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Dec 17, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/17/96
to
The rainbow colored ring is an optical effect known as "Newton Rings".
There is no oil or water between the two plies of pinstripe.
Hydraulic Evans drumheads have oil, or grease i don't know, inside the
plies.
--
Ciao & happy drumming from +-----Augusto-----+
! u !
! g !
! A !
! u !
! g !
+-----------------+
....In blues we trust....(Zucchero "Sugar" Fornaciari)

austen's loudmouth dad

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Dec 17, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/17/96
to

In <32B60A...@ictv.com> Cedmon <ced...@ictv.com> writes:
>
>MTMTaxiRho wrote:
>>
>> Hi, I just began playing drums this summer, and I have a question...
>>
>> On my floor tom, there is this kind of watery stuff inside the head.
>> I haven't been able to figure out what it is. It's kind of rainbow
>> colored.
>> Does anyone know?
>>
>> Thanks, Kelly
>> Kelly Brinton
>>
>> Visit KeLlY's InDeX
>> http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/hills/1988/index.html
>^^^^^^^^^
>Both Remo Pinstripe and the Ambassador heads has that.These head has
>two layers of plastic with very little amount of oil in between the
>layers.

1. the remo ambassador is a 1-ply head.
2. no remo 2-ply head out today has oil in it.

as for 2: easy enough to find out for yourself. cut a pinstripe. or
call remo, like i did.

peace,
NiCk
soulbelly.
*******************************************************************
"...herds of wild felt hogs roaming the countryside" - muffinhead
NiCk - drummer - computerer - austen's dad - all-around wuzzy guy
sit back. relax. you are in soulbelly country.
the world of soulbelly can be reached at 818.562.1491. thank you.
visit http://www.wavenet.com/~wtmilkmn/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
i'm a little teapot, short and stout | _i know why i like you
here is my handle | it's 'cause of your sandals
here is my other handle | and your supper
oh crap, i'm a sugar bowl | and 'cause you're Jesus_-bl
*******************************************************************

Blair F. Pemberton

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Dec 17, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/17/96
to

> MTMTaxiRho wrote:
>
> > On my floor tom, there is this kind of watery stuff inside the head. I
> > haven't been able to figure out what it is. It's kind of rainbow colored.
> > Does anyone know?
>

> That would be oil. Remo pinstripes and Evans hydraulics have a thin
> layer of oil between the two layers of the drumhead. I'm not sure

> exactly why it's there. I have a hunch it acts to dampen the resonance
> of the head, although I can't comment on the physics involved. I'm
> sure someone else can, so I'll leave that to others.

This is totally incorrect. On the pinstripes and emperors there is NO OIL.
The rainbow effect is caused by the two plys (plies?) of clear plastic.

Evans do make a hydraulic head with oil filling between. This head is
markedly deader than any pinstripe or emperor.

DRMcNamee

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Dec 17, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/17/96
to

Kelly,
I think that you may have a "hydraulic" (i.e. Remo pinstripe or
Evans hydraulic) head on your floor tom.The "rainbow" effect is caused
by the oil sandwiched
between the 2 plastic plies that comprise the drumhead.

Tom Sheridan

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Dec 17, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/17/96
to

Kelly Brinton writes:
|> Hi, I just began playing drums this summer, and I have a question...
|>
|> On my floor tom, there is this kind of watery stuff inside the head. I
|> haven't been able to figure out what it is. It's kind of rainbow colored.
|> Does anyone know?

Ben wrote:
<snip>


>On Remos, there is no oil. The rainbowy look is from the refraction of
>light between the two plys, much like a prism.

>The two plys kill head resonance, therefore the tone has less sustain and
>less high end harmonics.

>Evans does have oil filled heads, which most people think is too much
>muting.

Here's how you see colors in clear two-ply heads. So sit up and
listen up, you lot at the back :-)

The colors are caused by a combination of reflection and interference.

There's always about 10 percent reflection at any transparent surface.
If you put two surfaces together, the light bounces back and forth
between the two surfaces.

\ white light
\ colored light
\ / / / / / / / / /
\ / / / / / / / / / transparent stuff
-----------------------------------------------------------------
\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ air, oil,
\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ water or vacuum
-----------------------------------------------------------------
\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \
\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ transparent stuff
colored light


But why the colors? Well, light is a wave. Like all waves, it has
a wavelength. About half a micrometer, to be imprecise. Each color
has its own wavelength, between 0.4 and 0.7 micrometer.

When the separation is one wavelength of green light, the green light
waves cancel each other out. So the green light goes missing from
the spectrum of white light. That's called interference.

(OK wise guy, half a wavelength, I knew that - just seein' if you're
awake :)

The colors you see are *not* pure spectrum colors like red, green and
blue. They are secondary colors like magenta, cyan and yellow. For
example, magenta = red + blue, which is white light with the green
missing.

These colors happen whether the gap is filled with oil, water, air or
vacuum. The colors of a thin oil film on water are caused in the
same way.

As the gap between the plies varies, the color will vary.

OK, y'all wake up now, I'm done, now go tell your mom you just learned
some physics :)

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Sheridan My views are my own.
GPS Correlation with views of GPS is random.
Oldham, UK.

Mark Polis

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Dec 17, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/17/96
to

to...@chico.oldham.gpsemi.com (Tom Sheridan ) wrote:

**********And those other guys call us drummers dumb?***********

--
o-----«Š Mark Polis mjp...@csrlink.net Š»-----o


Chris 'Coz' Costello

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Dec 17, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/17/96
to

Blair F. Pemberton wrote:
> This is totally incorrect. On the pinstripes and emperors there is NO OIL.
> The rainbow effect is caused by the two plys (plies?) of clear plastic.

I didn't say anything about emperors, but pinstripes have no oil?
If such is the case, I sit corrected, and regret the disinformation.
I really thought that pinstripes had oil between the plies. Anyone?

> Evans do make a hydraulic head with oil filling between. This head is
> markedly deader than any pinstripe or emperor.

Well, at least I was right about that.

austen's loudmouth dad

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Dec 18, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/18/96
to

In <19961217130...@ladder01.news.aol.com> drmc...@aol.com

(DRMcNamee) writes:
>
> Kelly,
>I think that you may have a "hydraulic" (i.e. Remo pinstripe or
>Evans hydraulic) head on your floor tom.The "rainbow" effect is
>caused by the oil sandwiched between the 2 plastic plies that comprise
>the drumhead.

it has become totally amazing to me how many people think there is oil
in a pinstripe or emperor. especially considering all the comments that
have been made on this subject in this ng. ignorance is bliss, i
suppose...

peace,
NiCk
soulbelly.
*******************************************************************
"...herds of wild felt hogs roaming the countryside" - muffinhead
NiCk - drummer - computerer - austen's dad - all-around wuzzy guy
sit back. relax. you are in soulbelly country.
the world of soulbelly can be reached at 818.562.1491. thank you.
visit http://www.wavenet.com/~wtmilkmn/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

i'm a little teapot, short and stout | _if i had a million dollars
here is my handle | i'd buy you a fur coat
here is my other handle | but not a real fur coat
oh crap, i'm a sugar bowl | that's cruel_ - b.l.
*******************************************************************

mid...@aol.com

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Dec 20, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/20/96
to

s.b...@ix.netcom.com(austen's loudmouth dad) writes:

> no remo 2-ply head out today has oil in it.

Ah Hah! "Today" as in maybe Remo once tried the oil thing. Back in the
'70s I'd swear I read that there was oil in the first Remo Pin-Stripes.
Possible?


Ron Low
RJ...@mcimail.com
[checked more often than AOL]
------------------------------------------------
Homer: I suppose you'll want to probe me. Well, here, we
may as well get it over with.
Kang: STOP! We have reached the limits of what rectal
probing can teach us.

MuffinHead

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Dec 21, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/21/96
to

In article <19961220150...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
mid...@aol.com wrote:

>Ah Hah! "Today" as in maybe Remo once tried the oil thing. Back in the
>'70s I'd swear I read that there was oil in the first Remo Pin-Stripes.
>Possible?

I really doubt it. I had one PinStripe in the late '70s or early '80s
and I don't recall any oil when it broke.

MuffinHead
Drummer, Mac geek Armpit Studios VIII
http://www.visi.com/~muff/ Plymouth, MN
_____________________________________________________________________

Hey! You splattered my sidekick all over your windshield!
--The Tick

Michael Gordon, CPA

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Dec 22, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/22/96
to

I've heard of water on the brain, but not on the head.

> >MTMTaxiRho wrote:
> >>
> >> Hi, I just began playing drums this summer, and I have a question...
> >>
> >> On my floor tom, there is this kind of watery stuff inside the head.
> >> I haven't been able to figure out what it is. It's kind of rainbow
> >> colored.
> >> Does anyone know?
> >>

> >> Thanks, Kelly
> >> Kelly Brinton
>

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