drum-headtom batter (double-ply with damping ring)$

Remo Pinstripe Coated review: the warm, controlled tom batter that defined 70s and 80s rock

Q: What is the Remo Pinstripe?

A double-ply drumhead made from two 7-mil Mylar plies bonded together with a black-film 'pinstripe' damping ring near the perimeter, on the underside of the top ply. The pinstripe damping ring is the defining feature, it shortens sustain and controls overtones internally, so the head plays dry and pre-controlled out of the box. Available in coated (textured surface, the most common spec) and clear (smoother surface, brighter top end). The Coated Pinstripe is the rock-tom default.

Q: Who plays Pinstripe Coated tom heads?

Stewart Copeland of The Police is documented Pinstripe across the band's 80s catalog, the dry, focused tom voice on Synchronicity and surrounding records is partially the head. Phil Collins's solo and Genesis catalog used Pinstripes for the warm, controlled tom sound. Beyond named pros, Pinstripe is industry-default for 70s/80s-styled rock production; recording engineers reach for it when a producer asks for 'that 80s tom sound.'

An editorial review of the Remo Pinstripe Coated drumhead. Double-ply with internal damping ring, warm and controlled tom voicing, the dry rock-tom sound on countless 70s and 80s records. Spec, tone, famous records, and where it sits versus Evans G2 and Hydraulic Black.

Reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team · 2026-04-27

The Remo Pinstripe Coated is the dry, warm, controlled tom batter that defined 70s and 80s rock production. Double-ply 7+7 mil Mylar with an internal black-film damping ring bonded between the plies near the perimeter, available in 6 to 18 inch diameters. The damping ring kills excess overtones and shortens sustain, which is exactly what dense rock-band mixes want from toms. Pick it when you want pre-controlled, dry, focused tom voicing without external damping like moongels or O-rings.

Remo

Pinstripe Coated

Price tier: $

RockClassic rockHard rock

View on Amazon Full review →

Affiliate links: we earn commission on qualifying Amazon purchases. See our full disclosure.

What it is, in one paragraph

The Remo Pinstripe Coated is a double-ply 7+7 mil Mylar tom batter with an internal black-film damping ring bonded between the plies near the perimeter, available in 6 to 18 inch diameters. The damping ring is the defining feature, it shortens sustain and controls overtones internally, delivering a dry, focused, pre-controlled tom sound that defined 70s and 80s rock production. Pick it when you want the era's tom voice without the moonbag-and-tape ritual that single-ply heads require to achieve the same controlled voicing.

Why this head dominated the 80s rock-tom sound

Three things made Pinstripe the era's default:

The damping ring matches the production aesthetic. Dense 80s rock mixes wanted controlled tom sounds that didn't bloom into the next note. The pinstripe ring delivers that out of the box, no need to tape moonbags onto every tom for a producer to get a usable take.
Double-ply construction holds tuning under hard rock hitting. A single-ply Ambassador can lose tension consistency under aggressive rim-shot tom work; the double-ply Pinstripe stays in tune longer through tracking sessions and tours.
The pre-damping eliminated post-tracking ritual. Engineers in the era spent hours taping and moonbagging single-ply tom heads to achieve usable tom sound. Pinstripe gave producers the dry sound out of the box, which is part of why the head's adoption curve in the late 70s into early 80s was so steep.

Tone and feel

Voicing on a 12-inch or 13-inch rack tom

Attack: Defined, focused. Double-ply gives a clearer transient than single-ply at the same gauge; the damping ring keeps the attack from blooming into sustain.
Sustain: Short, controlled. The pinstripe ring shortens decay by roughly 30-40 percent vs an undamped double-ply head. Toms play dry without external damping.
Body: Warm midrange, controlled. Pre-damped voicing means the tom sits in a band mix without producer-side EQ surgery to control overtones.
Tuning range: Wide. The head tunes up cleanly to 80s pop-rock pitches and down to thicker 70s rock pitches without losing its damped voice.
Stick feel: Slightly stiffer than single-ply. The double-ply construction adds rebound mass; players with light touch may prefer single-ply, hard hitters generally prefer the double-ply feel.

Where it sits in the rock-tom lineup

	Remo Pinstripe Coated	Evans G2 Coated	Evans Hydraulic Black	Remo Coated Emperor
Construction	Double-ply with internal pinstripe damping ring	Double-ply, no internal damping	Double-ply with oil-filled damping layer	Double-ply, no internal damping
Sustain	Short, controlled	Medium-long, open	Very short, ultra-wet	Medium-long, open
Voicing	Dry, focused, warm	Open, warm, slightly more resonant	Wet, ultra-controlled, 70s Bonham	Open, warm, slightly more articulate
Best for	80s rock toms, controlled rock	Modern rock with more openness	70s rock recreations, very wet sounds	Hard-hitting rock, slightly more attack

Pinstripe Coated is the controlled rock-tom default. Evans G2 Coated is the closest direct competitor with slightly more openness. Hydraulic Black is the wet/dry extreme, the 70s Bonham era sound. Remo Coated Emperor is the same brand's slightly more open double-ply alternative. Pick Pinstripe for controlled-but-not-dead 80s rock; pick the others for their specific tonal advantage.

Famous records this head is on

A short list of records where Pinstripe Coated is documented or strongly attributed for the tom voice:

The Police: Synchronicity (1983) and surrounding catalog. Stewart Copeland's documented Pinstripe use.
Phil Collins: Genesis catalog of the era and solo work. Pinstripe as the era's tom voice.
80s rock production catalog broadly: the Pinstripe-on-Coated-Ambassador-on-Powerstroke 3 batter combo is the canonical 80s rock tom + snare + kick rig.

For the full catalog of artists with documented Pinstripe use, see Remo's artist roster.

Verdict and the affiliate hook

If you want the 80s rock-tom sound without a moonbag-and-tape ritual on every drum, the Remo Pinstripe Coated is the answer. The internal damping ring delivers controlled, focused, dry tom voicing out of the box, the head every studio engineer reaches for when a producer asks for "that 80s tom sound." For modern rock with more openness, step to Evans G2 Coated; for the 70s wet sound, step to Hydraulic Black; for hard-hitting modern rock with maximum durability, step to Coated Emperor. The Pinstripe is the controlled-rock-tom default.

Remo

Pinstripe Coated 12-inch Tom Batter

Price tier: $

Why this one: The controlled, dry rock-tom voice of countless 70s and 80s records. The internal pinstripe ring pre-damps the head, so the toms sit tight in a mix without external muffling.

RockClassic rock80s-rock

View on Amazon Full review →

**Snare batter that pairs with this head:**Remo Coated Ambassador **Kick batter that pairs with this head:**Remo Powerstroke 3 Coated **Drumstick that pairs with this rig:**Zildjian Tré Cool Signature stick **Drummer profile:**Tré Cool, Green Day's drummer **Gear hub:**Gear index

Drummers documented using this drum head

Each drummer profile cites this product in their stick / head / cymbal / kit frontmatter. Click through for the full editorial profile + sourcing.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Remo Pinstripe?

A double-ply Mylar tom head with an internal damping ring. Two 7-mil Mylar plies sandwich a black-film pinstripe ring bonded near the perimeter on the underside. The damping ring is the defining feature.

What the damping ring does. Kills excess overtones and shortens sustain. Toms play dry, focused, and pre-controlled without external damping (no moongels, no O-rings needed for most rock contexts).

Coated vs Clear. Coated has a textured surface and slightly warmer top-end response, the rock-tom default. Clear is the same construction without coating, brighter and more open, less common but used by some specific players.

Why did 70s and 80s rock production gravitate toward Pinstripes?

Three reasons. (1) The damping ring matches the production aesthetic of the era, dense band mixes wanted controlled tom sounds that didn't bloom into the next note. (2) Double-ply construction holds tuning longer under hard rock hitting than single-ply Coated Ambassadors. (3) The pre-damping eliminates the moonbag-and-tape ritual that single-ply heads required to achieve the same controlled voicing. The head delivered the era's tom sound out of the box.

How does Pinstripe compare to Evans G2 Coated or Hydraulic Black?

All three are double-ply rock tom batters but with different damping approaches. Pinstripe Coated has an internal pinstripe ring at the perimeter, dry and focused. Evans G2 Coated is double-ply with no internal damping, slightly more open and resonant than Pinstripe with similar warm midrange. Evans Hydraulic Black has an oil-filled damping layer between plies, ultra-wet, short-sustain, the 70s Bonham-era sound. Pick Pinstripe for controlled-but-not-dead rock voicing; pick Evans G2 if you want a touch more openness; pick Hydraulic Black for the 70s wet sound.

Who plays Pinstripe Coated tom heads?

Documented users with named Pinstripe attribution:

Stewart Copeland, The Police's 80s catalog (Synchronicity era).
Phil Collins, Genesis and solo catalog. The Modern Drummer archive notes Pinstripe across his 80s output.

Beyond named pros, Pinstripe is industry-default for 70s/80s-style rock production. Recording engineers reach for it when a producer asks for "that 80s tom sound." Specific tour-current attribution requires individual rig-rundown citation.

Should I use Pinstripe on snare?

Generally no. The internal damping ring kills the snare-wire response that defines a snare drum, the head is too pre-damped for snare batter use. Stick with Remo Coated Ambassador (single-ply) or Remo Coated Emperor (double-ply, no ring) for snare batter. Pinstripe is a tom-batter spec.

Coated vs Clear Pinstripe?

Coated is the rock-tom default. The textured coating slightly warms the top-end response and makes the head visually opaque (production-friendly look on stage). Clear Pinstripe has the same construction without coating, brighter top end and more visual transparency on stage but slightly less warmth in the recording. Pick Coated unless you specifically want the brighter Clear voicing.

How long do Pinstripe heads last?

Longer than single-ply heads. The double-ply construction holds tuning consistency through more playing hours. For session work, a Pinstripe head can deliver peak voicing for 20-50 hours; for touring, weeks per head depending on hit force; for practice/gigging, months. The damping ring stays bonded for the life of the head, the Mylar wears first.

What diameter Pinstripe should I buy?

Match the size to your drum. Standard rock kits use 12-inch and 13-inch rack toms (Pinstripe in those diameters), and 14-inch or 16-inch floor toms (Pinstripe in those diameters). Smaller (6, 8, 10 inch) for auxiliary toms; larger (18-inch) for big floor toms. The Pinstripe Coated is sold per individual head per diameter; pick the diameter to match your drum.

Where can I buy the Remo Pinstripe Coated?

Sold on Amazon, Sweetwater, Reverb, and any drum retailer. Amazon is the affiliate path CYS uses; Sweetwater offers multi-pack pricing for working drummers. The 12-inch tom batter (Remo PS-0112-00) is the canonical SKU wired above.