After several recent mentions of the suede heads, I finally decided to try one. I like it after about an hour and a half of playing today. I got it from Smakula. It took about an hour to change, on my open back Deering’s Sierra. Aesthetically it looks great. Very clean without any gross logo. Looks just like a frosted head from 5 or more feet away. I can’t tell if it’s as loud as a frosted head, but it’s very loud. Even at my initial setting of 90 on the drum dial, the tone is very simplified and clean. The cutting bluegrass metallic tone of the frosted head is nicely tamed, especially up the neck. But the clarity and volume doesn’t sound compromised like the fiberskin heads. My initial impression is that it’s a really good match for an open back with a full blow tone ring. I’ll play the s*** out of this week, and we have band rehearsal on Thursday, so I’ll see if I still like it after that. It just might be the first head, other than a frosty, that I leave on my banjo for more than a few weeks.
Edited by - Dean T on 08/16/2026 17:04:26
I tried one on a 12" openback w/ dobson tone ring -- uck, didn't care for it at all. Very harsh and shrill sounding, yet flat w/o dynamic expression.
Yes, it did look good -- for the brief time it was on the banjo. Quickly swapped in a menzies goat hide and happy with that ever since.
quote:
Originally posted by Silver_FallsI tried one on a 12" openback w/ dobson tone ring -- uck, didn't care for it at all. Very harsh and shrill sounding, yet flat w/o dynamic expression.
Yes, it did look good -- for the brief time it was on the banjo. Quickly swapped in a menzies goat hide and happy with that ever since.
That's interesting! I've had the same experience with the renaissance heads, were they sounded kind of ok on an 11" flathead tone ring banjo, but I hated them on my 12" Americana. Never could find a sweet spot, and got very shrill right about the time the volume was acceptable.
The jury is still out on the suede, until I play with my bandmates. I've learned that what sounds good at home, doesn't always sound good in the mix, and vice-versa.
Edited by - Dean T on 08/17/2026 10:31:55
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