Being a fan of the coated Controlled Sounds for snare batters, I decided to give the clear CS heads a go on my toms- Both top and bottom.
These are single ply heads with a reinforced dot- unlike the coated snare batters, these heads have their dots mounted on top of the head. I find the dot adds a bit more control to the tone, whilst still keeping the resonant qualities and feel of a single ply head.
Using these top and bottom gives a great, controlled pitch to floor toms, which lends itself perfectly to rock music and pop. These are a great choice for heavy hitters looking for a hard wearing head that 'speaks' more than a two ply choice. I do find in some situations, for example particularly lively rooms, I may require a square of moongel- just to reign things in a bit and give me a bit more of a stereotypical 'dead' floor tom sound.
I've had the CS dots on my kit for three months now, and they're still holding out well under regular gigging and playing, although for maximum durability and tone control i'd recommend something like the Evans EC2's. Whilst the clear CS is a versatile choice, I find they do perform at their best in a rock setting, so if you're looking for a warm, open head for lighter musical applications, i'd also steer away from these heads in favour of a coated single ply choice.
