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All snare drums come with stock resonant heads that bring out musicality and sensitivity from the wires. However, replacing those stock heads with higher-quality resonant heads will always make a huge difference to your snare tone.
So, I’ve put together a list of some of the best snare side heads on the market. All of them are guaranteed to improve how your snare drum sounds.
What are the Best Best Resonant Snare Heads?
How I Tested and Selected the Best Resonant Snare Heads
Whenever I test a new snare side head, there are a few things I look out for. Firstly, I play the strike the snare at varying levels of intensity to see how dynamic the tones are. Some reso heads lessen the sensitivity, while others boost it.
I’ll then play rimshots to see how long the snare rings for. That gives me an idea of what kind of drumming the resonant head will be good for.
Lastly, I check the overall design and durability. I’ll look at the hoops around the head to feel how stable they are, and then I’ll feel how thick the head is.
Best Resonant Snare Head Reviews
Evans Snare Side 300 Drumhead
Evans Snare Side 300 Drumhead Review
The Evans Snare Side 300 Drumhead has always been one of my main go-to options. The main thing I love about this head is that it increases the articulation of your strokes. This means that you get more clarity and volume from your softer notes.
In turn, this makes your ghost notes sound a lot cleaner, which is awesome for grooves where ghost notes establish a strong feel.
I’ve also found this head to be quite durable, with the last one I owned lasting a few years before I had to change it out.
It’s one of the industry-standard options, meaning a lot of pro drummers use this as their resonant drumhead because they know it works well.
If you’re not looking to take any risks, I highly recommend getting this one. The only drummers who may not enjoy it are ones that prefer a bit more resonance and openness from their snare tones.
Key Features:
- 3-mil film
- Controlled response
- Extends articulation
Pros
- Really popular option, so you know it’ll be good before trying it out yourself
- Brings out more clarity from ghost notes and tight strokes
- Excellent for musical styles like funk, hip-hop, and pop
Cons
- Not a great option for drummers who prefer a muddier snare drum sound
Remo Ambassador Hazy Snare-Side Head
Remo Ambassador Hazy Snare-Side Head Review
The Remo Ambassador Hazy Snare-Side Head is another option that I have frequently used over my drumming career. I’ve always been a big fan of Remo Ambassador heads, and this one performs very similarly to the ones meant for batter head placement.
Essentially, it allows your snare drum to ring more, giving you open and resonating tones. This makes your snare drum sound slightly louder, but the biggest effect is that you get more musicality.
This makes it one of the best side snare heads for drummers who don’t like to muffle their snare drums. If you want a wide and open tone, this head will give you the best results.
The drawback is that it can potentially expose low-quality overtones from cheaper snare drums. So, it may not be your best option if you use a $200 or lower snare drum.
With that said, I haven’t noticed a massive quality drop. When I’ve played this on a cheap snare drum, I’ve just had to counteract the effect with more muffling on the batter head.
Key Features:
- 3-mil Mylar
- Vintage look
- Clear design
Pros
- Excellent snare side head for drummers who like open and resonating tones
- Brings out some of the best qualities from high-end snare drums
- Highly musical
Cons
- Doesn’t work too well with cheaper snare drums, in my experience
Remo Emperor Hazy Snare-Side Head
Remo Emperor Hazy Snare-Side Head Review
My next recommendation is quite the opposite from the last Remo head. When it comes to Emperors, you get more muffling from the heads being slightly thicker. So with this Remo Emperor Hazy Snare-Side Head, your snare drum tones are slightly more controlled.
This is due to the head having a 5-mil design instead of a 3-mil one, which is what most resonant heads have.
I’m a huge fan of this particular snare side head. My favorite thing about it is how it boosts the volume of your snare drum slightly. It was the first thing I noticed when trying it out. It made my snare drum sound a bit punchier and livelier.
You also get great articulation, meaning your ghost notes will always be very clear.
I’d recommend getting this head if you want a controlled snare drum but you don’t want to put any muffling on the batter head. The built-in tonal control counters that really well.
Key Features:
- 5-mil Mylar
- Semi-coated
- Focused sound
Pros
- One of the best snare side heads for tight and controlled tones
- Stops you from needing to put muffling on the batter head to counteract bad overtones
- Highly durable compared to thinner heads, so it typically lasts longer
- Slightly boosts volume
Cons
- Some drummers find that it cuts overtones down too much, which you may not enjoy
Remo Diplomat Hazy Snare-Side Head
Remo Diplomat Hazy Snare-Side Head Review
The Remo Diplomat Hazy Snare-Side Head is another fantastic option that many drummers will love. Out of all the snare heads on this list, this is the one that I’ve heard make the most difference when placed on a snare drum.
It’s the thinnest option I’m going to recommend, and the 2-mil design allows your snare drum to resonate as freely as possible through the bottom. This leads to wide-open tones and plenty of resonance.
It also makes the snare drum sound and feel very sensitive. These qualities are fantastic for vintage snare drums. If you want to get the same sort of sound that was popular in the 50s and 60s, this snare head will do the trick.
I’ve used it a few times, and I mainly found it to be a good option for jazz drummers. It brings out a fantastic level of detail from your snare, and it’s the kind of detail you want when playing busy comping patterns or rudimental ideas.
This just means that it’s not a highly versatile option. You may find your snare to sound too open when using it. Since it’s such a thin drumhead, it’s also the least durable out of the bunch.
That’s not to say it will break sooner than thicker heads by you simply playing. It will just break easier if you accidentally puncture it with a stick or something. So, try to avoid that!
Key Features:
- 2-mil Mylar
- Vintage appearance
- Open sounds
Pros
- One of the best snare side heads for getting vintage tones
- Excellent for styles like jazz where you need a lot of depth from your snare sound
- Sounds very noticeably different from other snare side heads, making it a great choice
Cons
- Least durable snare side head available due to how thin it is, so you need to be careful when using it
Aquarian Texture Coated Drumhead
Aquarian Texture Coated Drumhead Review
My final recommendation is actually a batter head. This means it’s meant to be used on the top side of your snare drum. However, I’ve used the Aquarian Texture Coated Drumhead as a resonant head before and it worked incredibly well.
Just note that it’s going to give you a very specific sound that only works for a few different scenarios. Since the head is a lot thicker than most reso heads, you get quite a choked sound. Your ghost notes will be almost non-existent.
The big benefit is that you get a powerful snare drum sound that is seriously beefy. Rimshots sound massive, and your snare punches through mixes with ease.
So, this head would be a fantastic option for rock or metal drummers who don’t need sensitivity from the snare drum. If you just want loud snare notes, something like this will make it easier to get them consistently.
I’ve been in studios before where engineers have used thicker reso heads like this, and the resulting snare tone is always big and thick.
Again, just don’t get this snare drum head if you’re looking for a traditional snare drum sound or more versatility.
Key Features:
- 10-mil Mylar
- NuBRITE film design
- Safe-T-Loc Hoop
Pros
- Great option for heavy-hitting drummers who don’t play a lot of ghost notes
- Most durable snare side head option on this list
- Can be used as a batter head too, as that’s the original purpose
Cons
- Dramatically cuts down the amount of sensitivity you get from the snare drum, so it only works well for very specific uses
Features to Look Out for in a Resonant Snare Head
Thickness
Thickness is the biggest thing you need to look for when choosing a snare side head. In general, a resonant snare drum head needs to be very thin. They’re always thinner than batter heads and resonant heads to be placed on other drums.
However, there are varying levels of thickness to look at when only focusing on snare heads. You get 5-mil, 3-mil, and 2-mil heads.
5-mil heads are usually your thickest options. They round out your snare drum sound and cut down the overtones. A snare with a thicker reso head has a more controlled set of tones.
3-mil heads sit somewhere in the middle. You get great sensitivity, but you also get a relatively tame set of tones.
2-mil heads cause your snare drum to resonate a lot. They also make the wires very sensitive. When playing with these heads, your ghost notes will become extremely prominent.
Each thickness level has pros and cons, so you just need to get whichever fits your preferences. Some drummers like to get even thicker heads, but it means that ghost notes won’t sound very strong or clear.
Size
You also need to look at size when picking a resonant drumhead. This is a fairly easy part of the process, but it’s an easy feature to miss if you’re new to replacing heads.
If you have a 14” snare drum, you need to get a 14” snare side head. Again, it’s a really simple concept, but I’ve been caught ordering 13” side heads before and it was quite a mission to return them.
So, just make sure you’re getting the right size for what you have. Most snare drums are 14”, so you’ll just need to pay careful attention if you have something a bit smaller.