Description
The Evans GMAD bass drum head is slightly thicker and more durable than the regular EMAD, but still punchy and extremely versatile. The GMAD gives you great control over the amount sustain and overtones, and provides a nice deep thud.
The Evans GMAD is a single-ply bass drum head, made with a clear 12mil ply of film. The GMAD is a little more durable and gives slightly more low-end than the regular 10mil Evans EMAD, while keeping the responsiveness and sustain of a 1-ply bass drum head.
The Evans GMAD comes with two different acoustic foam dampening rings (one narrow and one wide), giving you a range of sustain options. The dampening rings can be quickly mounted to the front of the drumhead, which allows great control without needing to remove the head itself. Along with the rest of the EMAD range, the Evans GMAD gives you excellent versatility with your bass drum sound, and is almost like having three bass drum heads in one. The clear ply gives extra attack, creating a brighter punch that cuts through even in louder environments.
Without the dampening rings, the Evans GMAD Clear gives a nice sustain. The single 12mil ply is fairly responsive, and doesn’t choke the bass drum. There are a moderate amount of overtones present, although the foam mounting system adds a little bit of focus (even with no dampening rings installed). Compared to the slightly thinner Clear EMAD, the Clear GMAD is a little more balanced sounding, and has a bigger attack. The features of the Evans GMAD lend themselves well to moderate and higher volume drumming, where the strong attack will allow you to be heard: The slightly thicker design means this head can handle some harder hitting. The single clear ply is also sensitive enough for softer drumming.
With the felt rings installed, the sound of the Evans GMAD Clear changes quite dramatically. Adding the dampening rings will remove overtones, and will focus the sustain more towards the mid and deep low-end. The clear ply still provides a brighter initial attack, before the tone quickly focuses on the deeper notes. The thin GMAD dampening ring gives a moderate amount of dampening, while still allowing for some sustain. With the thicker ring, the sound becomes very short, deep, and punchy. Overtones are almost entirely removed, and the GMAD’s sustain becomes very short.
The Evans GMAD dampening rings are installed on the front of this bass drum head, meaning you can change your bass drum sound without needing to get up from your throne. This is a great feature, and also means that you don’t need to stuff your bass drum with pillows, towels, or blankets to get a focused and punchy sound.
The Clear Evans GMAD is a great choice if you like the feel and sound of single ply drumheads, but need a little more durability. This bass drum head gives a strong attack, and a deep thud that will cut through (even in louder environments). If you’re a heavy hitter, you still might want to add a bass drum patch. Overall, the Evans GMAD Clear is an extremely versatile bass drum head, giving you a huge amount of sound options to use across a range of musical styles and volumes.
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