How to Size Drum Heads
New heads give your drums the proper timbre and tone they are designed for. When going to the music store to buy new heads, you will need some simple information. You need to know if you want coated or uncoated heads and the head sizes you need. Determining the head size is simple and can be done very quickly.
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Instructions
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1
Take your drum key and remove the securing lug nuts around the edge by turning them in a counterclockwise fashion.
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2
Pull the securing rim off of the drum to reveal the edge of the drum head. Simply lift the old drum head off of the drum.
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3
Use your tape measure to measure the diameter of the drum from the outside edges of the drum. This measurement will be the drum size you will ask for when ordering new heads.
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Tips & Warnings
Standard head sizes come in whole-inch sizes (16, 20, 22, etc.). Some vintage and foreign kits have odd-sized drums that will require custom heads. Many of the major drum-head manufacturers (such as Remo or Evans) will make custom heads for a customer if you can provide either the original head you want duplicated or the exact diameter you need.
You can expect to pay an average of $1.25 per inch of diameter when buying new heads (example: a 10-nch head costs on average $12.50).
