Re-using drum heads

[agent of change]

Has anyone put new tom heads on, tuned them up and used them a bit (not beaten them to shit), then taken them off, then put them back on? How do they sound after being removed and then re-used? I'm not concerned with sounding like Neal Peart recording a new album, but I care that my drums don't sound dead and twangy. The range of opinions on the whole internetz is a bit broad, so I'm curious to hear about any experience with this here.

[justJon]

Conventional wisdom will tell you that IF you do that, you must be careful to put them back on the same drum with exactly the same alignment, because shells may be out of round, bearing edges may not be perfectly flat, etc, and the head will stretch to fit and will be useless in any other alignment on any other drum.

In practice, I have swapped heads from drum to drum, and as long as they're not dead, they're perfectly serviceable. As you say, they may not sound like a studio recording of your favorite drum God, but...

After years of experimenting, I know how to get the sound I want out of any particular drum,  so I prefer to put brand new heads of my choosing on my drums, tune them, and play them 'til they die. I still carry old, not really worn out heads in my cymbal bag for unforeseen emergencies, like putting a stick, mic stand or whatever through a head on load in, and will happily use those heads as backup 'til I can find/afford a replacement.

[Metal and Beer]

If they don't sound noticably subpar ("dead") relative to the other drums I roll w/ 'em until they give up the ghost, at least in regard to practice and shows to a lesser extent. I'm more picky for recording but not much more; after all we're playing rock/metal...

/guy who drives on tires until they pop

[RAGER]

Do you buy used tires? 

/guythatbuysusedtires

[Metal and Beer]

I haven't bought a new tire yet

[justJon]

Yup! Can't remember ever buying new tires.

[eyeprod]

I just bought 2 new tires and 17" ain't cheap but I couldn't find the size I needed used.

[Pissy]

Last time I bought used tires, my wife drove over a screw or something and I had to plug it.  When I pulled it off I noticed two plugs in it already.

My thought was... Those sons a bitches sold me plugged tires!  How dare they?!!!