I have always used Remo but I have an Evans EQ3 resonant head on my 22" RC bass drum with a Remo Powerstroke Pro batter (with the thin, clear Evans beater patch) and I like that- for that kit.

D-20 toms are Remo coated ambassador top and bottom, bass is a Emperor batter with antique original Remo Ambassador resonant.

Snares are Ambassador bater and ambassador or Diplomat resonant.

Remo was making heads for these 'vintage' drums when they were 'new' drums. The drums themselves haven't changed much...

Direct from D'Addarios in NY. Through a connection with an associate of mine.

Evans make great heads - I used the coated batters on the toms and loved them. I think the Remo Vintage A series is better for vintage kits personally. I love the EMAD system though.

-Ian

I use Evans heads on my snares, I like their dry heads a lot.

I use evans j1 etched with evans clear 1 ply on bottom on my 12/14/18 1964 slingerlands..I also use evans g1 coated tops with evans clear bottoms on my 13/16/20 pearl BDP president kit...I love the results of both products but i always use remo powerstroke 3 coated on my bass drums for batter and reso side with no muffling..

I am using Evan G2 white coated heads on my toms right now, mostly I use Remo Emperors. but I can wear the white coating off of them in minutes, the Evans coating does hold up better for me.

Remo renaissance emperor/ ambassador with hazy side snare side plus Patterson gut snares on a old vintage snare is always a good route as well. That's what I use on my slingerland student model snare from the 60s.

From Evans website:

Most people don't realized that Evans invented the synthetic (or plastic, or polyester) drumhead in 1956. Chick Evans was the first person to use polyester film to form a drumhead, succeeding in creating a weatherproof head, and ultimately changing the drum world forever. Chick's accomplishment is clearly substantial in letters and documents on record, dating back to the 1950s. The plain truth is, Evans was the "The First".

Evans was used on vintage drums as well!

Yes Evans on both my Slingerland kits. G2's coated on the RK's I'm very happy with both sound and fit. Glass reso's on the bottoms. The clear EC2's I used on the 60's LBP's. I should have went with the plain clear G1-G2's but next time. Once they broke in a bit I liked them a little more. I don't like the damper rings on the EC2 heads. Really holds back the toms. EQ3 clear batter on both basses (22's) I really like. Stock reso heads no blankets or felts and big boom from both. I get them for dealer cost so they are pretty cheap to buy. I know a guy. :)

I don't doubt this and suspect they made a lot of 'house brand' heads back in the day. It just seems to me that a lot of what I saw, and what I saw in older photographs, was the Remo crown more than anything else...

Cool info!