I use SKII's all the time. I typically use an Evans pillow as well and then adjust how much (if any) of the pillow touches the reso or batter head based on the particular drum. Every drum is different and responds differently to various heads so it is difficult to say how you should proceed. Before trying a different head, experiment with tuning a bit. I usually keep both heads about as loose as I can get them, but will occasionally tune the reso up a bit. Try a small pillow as well and see what you think. The interior pillow has several schools of thought:

- some guys like additional dampening of either the reso head, the batter head or both.

- some guys feel that actually dampening the shell is important.

- some guys like the additional "stiffness" of the batter head with some padding behind it.

- some guys despise the idea of any additional dampening in a kick drum.

- in my case, I like the options available with the Evans pillow and there are many times that audio companies will add a second PZM type mic inside the drum. Unless you have installed a suspension system in your kick (which only really works if it the mic can stay in the drum) then they need a surface on which to place the mic. Therefore I have one in all my kicks.

Been playing with it a while this morning, made some adjustments, like you said, much better, the thing about the pillow, I thought the concept behind the felt strip around the head was suppose to eliminate the pillow thing? I'll check out the pillow,

is this the system from evans you are talking about?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EVANS-EQ-Pad-Bass-Drum-Damper-Muffling-Pad-PILLOW-/310405095681?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item484595e101

That is the pillow in question. Certainly a SKII can be used without a pillow. If you want to experiment though, find a small throw pillow or even a large pool towel and just putz with it in various applications. You never know. As a former professor of mine always said regarding percussion, "if it works, do it." Every drum is different and may require a different approach. If you like the sound then invest in the Evans pillow as it easy to utilize and the Velcro strips keep it in place in a very clean fashion. If you don't like it, you are out nothing.

I think the Aquarian SK2 bass heads and all the super kick series heads are just the best , they tune very easy , sound great live and in the studio these heads make life easy for me . To me these are just the best bass heads Ever! , Here is a tune that i did with my old band , a very basic tune but you will hear the Sk2 in action http://youtu.be/PIsjv2IJufw.

I've been useing the SKII for the last couple of years. Best head i've used. Nothing inside the shell but dog hair. lol

Since we are the subject of Aquarian, I have heard many people like you swear by the bass heads, but I dont hear the same rave about snare and tom heads, why is that? do you guys also use Aquarian for your other heads>?

I have not really investigated the various Aqaurian heads outside of SKII's and Vintage heads I have used when I had some mildly out of round shells. There are many on this forum that seem to like Aqaurian just fine and I am sure they make a great product.

I really liked the E MAD heads, but did not like how fragile they were with the external muffling system. Thus, I started using the SKII's.

I've tried there single ply coated tom heads. There OK, comparable to Evans G1. I will see about the double ply next time (if the drum shop has them in stock) and see how they compare to the Evans G2 which is what I usually use.

I love the G2's on my toms, which is what I gig with, combined with my Fibes fliberglass shells, they are cannons.........back to bass heads

I friend of mine who really knows drums is telling me most newer heads now come with a muffler ring on the outer head now, which is somthing that suprises me, becuase I thought only the batter head needed a muffler, what do you think/use for outer bass heads?

My friend says to get a 26" sound out fo a 22" bass he uses 2 evans hydraulic heads