Head selection is really a matter of preference. There are a bunch of good ones out there, each with their own characteristic sound. I really like the Evans Hybrid batter heads, but the Remo Black & White Maxes are good, too. For slightly higher tunings, I like the Evans MX Whites. If you really like to crank your batter head, Remo Cybermax pipe band head is another alternative.
If you prefer a dry sound, you may want to opt for a fiber snare side head like a Remo Falam or Evans MX5. The Hybrid snare side head was designed to give Mylar-like (read: wet) snare response, but at higher tunings than we can maintain with Mylar.
Speaking of the Evans Hybrid snare side... It makes me a little nervous. Some guys on here have had problems with the strands in the heads digging notches into their bearing edges. Evans has made some changes to the head to lessen the risk of this, but I'll let someone else take chances on
their drum.
On my personal drum, I tend to like a "wet" sound with lots of snare response, so I stick with a Mylar head like the Remo Marching Ambassador, Evans MS3, or an old favorite, the Ludwig Xtra Thin C1114.
As for snare adjustment... There are other threads on these forums you can read for more detail, but in a nutshell:
- Adjust each strand with a screwdriver so they're at even tension.
- Dial in the vertical adjustments on the throwoff and butt so that the guts are as straight as possible while maintaining contact all the way across the snare head. You don't want a big bend at the point the guts cross the bearing edge.
- Adjust the tension knob to fine-tune the amount of snare response.
- If you can't get the sound dry enough without cranking on the tension knob, you can resort to other means: tape across the guts, removing strands, etc.
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