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Choosing a good snare drumhead is one of the most vital aspects of establishing your sound behind the kit. With the snare drum being played the most apart from your kick drum, you need to get the best head possible to bring the most tone out of your snare.
Evans is one of the top drumhead brands out there, and there’s a long list of Evans snare drumheads to choose from. The type of head you need will be determined by the style of drumming that you play, but the quality of Evans heads can be determined by similar factors.
I’ve put together a list of five of the best Evans snare drumheads, and I’ve compared them according to durability, tone, versatility, and value.
What Are The Best Evans Snare Drumheads?
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Best for versatility
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Best for rock
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Best durable head
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Best for jazz
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Best deep tones
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Evans Snare Drumheads Reviews
Evans Genera HD Dry
Evans Genera HD Dry Review
The Evans Genera HD Dry is one of Evans’ most loved snare drumheads. I’d say it’s the best modern snare drum head to get for great sound quality and plenty of versatility.
This head gives you a powerful rimshot, which makes it an excellent choice for live playing. It’s called a dry snare head because it has minimal overtones, thanks to the perimeter air vents and the 2-mil control ring.
This means that you don’t really need to use muffling to get a pleasant sound. If you still get a few overtones that you don’t want to hear, you can use just a bit of muffling to calm those down.
The focused sound means that all your subtle ghost notes can be very distinctly heard. This makes drum grooves sound incredibly tight and focused, which drummers that play busy patterns love.
It’s 12.5-mil thick, meaning it’s extremely durable as well. The outer ply is 7.5-mil while the inner is 5-mil.
If you need a snare drumhead that can work in all kinds of musical settings, the Genera HD Dry is a great option to choose. The downside of it is that it may be too controlled for certain drummers. If you’re looking for an extended snare ring, you won’t get it with this drumhead.
Features:
- Two plies (5-mil internal & 7.5-mil external)
- 2-mil muffling ring
- Air vents
Pros
- Gives you a short and dry snare drum sound
- Ghost notes can be heard very clearly
- Versatile for a wide range of musical styles
Cons
- Eliminates a lot of snare ring, which some drummers may not like
Evans EC Reverse Dot
Evans EC Reverse Dot Review
The Evans EC Reverse Dot is a great drumhead for punk, rock, and metal drummers. Its key characteristic is volume, and it offers plenty of it. The Reverse Dot in the center is what accents the attack of your strokes, making them louder and punchier.
The rings that you see around the head are Evans’ Edge Control technology. They act as muffling tools that suppress unwanted frequencies in the midrange.
These rings stop you from needing to add muffling to your snare. With this head, I don’t think you should add muffling anyway, as it gives your snare a really nice and powerful ring.
This two-ply head is 17-mil thick, with the inner ply being 10-mil and the outer ply being 7-mil. It’s a drumhead designed for hard hitters, as the thickness is what keeps it so durable.
You’ll get the most response from this head when hitting the center, and your strokes will sound a bit weaker when hitting the outer parts. This means that it isn’t the best head to use brushes with.
It’s also a bit too loud for quiet environments. If you play drums in venues like pubs or restaurants, you’ll need a quieter snare head to use.
Features:
- Two plies (10-mil internal & 7-mil external)
- Edge Control technology
- Reverse Dot in the center
Pros
- Very loud
- Excellent for metal, punk, and rock music
- Highly durable
Cons
- Not good for brush work
- Not very versatile
Evans Hybrid Coated
Evans Hybrid Coated Review
The Evans Hybrid snare drumhead is a premium option that shines in the area of durability. It’s specially made with fiber-weave material that takes influence from marching snare drumheads. The coating is wear-resistant, meaning this snare drumhead lasts a lot longer than most.
It’s surprisingly easy to tune, and the head sounds excellent in all tuning ranges. However, it performs exceptionally well in low tunings. On top of that, the dark grey coating looks incredible when paired with a snare drum.
The tones it produces are very focused, with minimal overtones being heard thanks to the thickness of the head.
It’s very expensive compared to most other snare drumheads, but the longer lifespan makes up for the higher price tag. You won’t need to replace your snare drumhead near as often as with most other types of heads.
That’s the beauty of the material being so thick. However, you also won’t be able to get natural snare tones that ring musically. So, this isn’t what I’d call a versatile drumhead.
Features:
- Fiber-weave material
- Extremely durable design
- Best suited for heavy hitters
Pros
- Incredibly durable, stopping you from needing to replace your snare head as often
- Versatile tuning range, but sounds best when tuned low
- Looks epic on a snare drum due to the dark color
Cons
- A lot more expensive than most other snare drumheads
Evans G1 Coated
Evans G1 Coated Review
The Evans G1 Coated gives you the most natural sound from your snare drum out of all the options listed here. It’s a one-ply head, with the single-ply being 10-mil.
This option is Evans’ answer to the famous Ambassador drumhead from Remo. It performs very similarly.
The great thing about the G1 Coated drumhead is that you don’t get too many overtones when striking the center of the snare drum. They come out more when hitting near the edges.
Brushes work amazingly with this head, which is why it’s one of the best Evans drumheads for jazz drummers. The thinner ply just means it is not as durable as the other heads on the list, but that won’t be an issue if you’re not a heavy hitter.
If you own a really high-end snare drum, this is the kind of head that I’d highly suggest using. It gives you the purest tones from your snare shell, meaning you’ll hear all the high-quality tones from that shell.
If you own a lower-end snare, you’re going to hear plenty of nasty overtones that sound quite harsh, so it would be better to use a thicker head with more control for that.
Features:
- Single 10-mil ply
- Bright and natural sounding
- Coated
Pros
- Brings out a great natural snare tone
- Excellent for brushes, as they sound highly responsive on your snare drum
- Great option for jazz drummers
Cons
- Not as durable as thicker drumheads
Evans Hydraulic
Evans Hydraulic Review
The Evans Hydraulic snare drumhead is a unique option to pick. Not only sonically but also aesthetically as you can choose from a variety of colors, including black, red, blue, and glass.
The Hydraulic head utilizes two plies of the synthetic film with a thin layer of oil in between. This oil layer adds durability and controls the overtones of your snare drum a significant amount. Compared to standard two-ply heads, the hydraulic head sounds more controlled.
This head sounds the best when tuned low, as you get a deep thuddy sound that resembles vintage snare drums from years ago.
This is a great head to use on a deep snare drum. It’s also ideal for snare drums that double up as floor toms, which have become increasingly more popular in recent years.
It can be challenging to tune nicely, so keep that in mind when using a Hydraulic drumhead. However, it sounds really sweet once you get the tuning right, so it’s worth pushing through to get the best sounds possible.
Features:
- Two plies with a layer of oil in between
- Deep and dampened sound
- Choice of four colors
Pros
- Great choice of colors to fit the aesthetic of your drum kit
- Great drumhead option for getting a deep, thuddy vintage snare sound
- Very controlled sound
Cons
- Tuning this head can be challenging
- Does not offer the natural, bright tones that many drummers like
Evans Snare Drumhead Buying Guide
Most drumhead companies follow the same lines of design features, so features to look out for from Evans drumheads will be the same as features from Remo drumheads.
However, Evans heads have a few innovations that you won’t find on heads from other brands, which is what makes them unique. For example, snare heads with air vents like Evans Genera HD Dry are most common in Evans’ product lineup.
This is a great reason to choose Evans snare heads over other brands. Here are more things to look out for when choosing the best snare drum heads.
What Features to Look for in an Evans Snare Drumhead
Number of Plies
The number of plies determines how thick a snare drumhead will be. The thicker it is, the more durable it is. You should get a two-ply drumhead such as the Evans EC Reverse Dot if you’re a hard-hitter and want your head to last as long as possible.
One-ply heads like Evans G1 Coated are less durable, but they bring out more of a true tone from your snare drum. They’re regarded as more musical options as you get more ringing from your snare.
One-ply snare heads are more affordable, but you should only get them if you don’t play very hard.
Sound Control
Overtones from your snare drum often go unwanted. You’ll get more nasty overtones from one-ply snare heads than you will from two-ply ones. Some snare heads have built-in sound control designs, which is something to look out for.
When a snare head has a built-in muffling piece, you won’t need to add your own external muffling. You’ll get a purer sound from your snare drum this way. However, heads with built-in sound control are more expensive than ones with standard designs.
Clear vs Coated
You should opt for a coated drumhead for your snare drum. Coated heads such as Evans G1 Coated and Evans Hybrid Coated give you more attack, and that’s vital for the snare drum sound. They’re also essential for playing with brushes.
However, Evans has a few clear snare drumheads that will work well on a snare. If you get a clear drumhead, the snare sound will be warmer, and that’s ideal for achieving a fat, deep sound. So, you should get a clear head for an auxiliary snare drum that is tuned to sound a lot lower than your main snare.
Apart from that, it’s a lot better to get a coated snare drumhead. There isn’t much of a price difference between coated and clear heads, so you should choose one according to the number of plies it has and whether it has built-in muffling.
Resonant Heads
If you’re planning to replace the resonant head of your snare drum, make sure to get a dedicated snare side head from Evans. Any standard batter head will be too thick for the snare wires to be responsive.
The Evans Snare Side Clear Drumhead is a great option to go with. It’s reliable, and it brings out plenty of responsiveness from your snare drum.
Like batter heads, there isn’t too much of a price difference between different resonant snare head options.
Evans Snare Drumhead FAQs
Is Evans a Good Drumhead Brand?
Evans is a highly reliable drumhead brand. They’re part of D’Addario, which is a larger instrument company that facilitates the brand’s designs and sales.
Evans has a large list of drumhead options that cover all the sounds you can think of. Whether you’re a rock or jazz drummer, you’ll be able to find Evans drumheads that will suit your needs perfectly.
Does Evans Make Other Products Besides Drumheads?
Yes, the brand makes drum practice pads and low-volume cymbals. They also make drum mutes that allow you to play your kit without making a lot of noise.
Their practice pads are very popular, as many of the designs from their heads go into making those to make them feel more authentic.
