First time I’ve used natural skin heads, but I am really pleased with this. It took a day or so to settle, so don’t expect it to sound perfect straight away since the skin needs to stretch a bit and have time to form properly around the bearing edge. Coming back the next day after putting it on, I tuned it up and it sounded wonderful. Warm rich tone without the plasticky attack of artificial heads. I use Evans calf tone and Remo skyntone heads, which are nice, but now I realise, really don’t compare to the real thing, both in terms of sound and feel. The kentville head has a softness to it which is hard to describe - since it’s still taut enough to do rolls, so isn’t mushy, but just somehow has that buttery soft feeling which makes it a joy to play.
I can’t speak of the longevity yet but I hear the kangaroo skin is way stronger than calfskin and I expect this head to last a few years, making it a worthwhile investment. Of course it requires a bit more regular tuning up, due to fluctuations of temp/humidity, but I think it’s worth it. Highly recommended for toms. I’d love to have one on my snare but since I take that out much more often to gig I would be slightly worried about having to constantly tweak the tuning.
