Welcome! Go here and get 16" bass heads: www.drumfactorydirect.com

You can get Evans or Aquarian

Go here to get wood hoops: www.aitwood.com

And port the head, that will get you more low end reponse. If you need to you can buy the holz cutter. I just got one and it is very cool. Easy to use and makes those choked bass drums open right up. You can find them at your local music store sometimes.

The Yamaha hip gig 16" kick drums have 4 grommeted vent holes in the shell equally spaced. Something to consider that attributes to their sound. I tune the front resonant head very loose, just enough to evenly remove any slack, no port. The batter side is tuned a bit tighter and the beater strikes below center.

That is something to consider, but this is a vintage Rogers kit and I don't think drilling holes in the shell is really an option. A ported head, in this case, would be far more effective, and keep the shell intact.

I would NOT cut the 16 by 18 down. I have a Fullerton Rogers and,it's a cannon! Just use something on the batter head to make it solid sounding.

Besides,you already have a 14 by 20 so, a 14 by 18 isn't too much smaller. I would try a bass head on the 18 as mentioned.

Thanks, All. I'm going to try and get some heads for the 16x16. wood hoops. Well, I heard that the 16x16 rogers lugs are closer to the sell than the kick lugs. Therefore, it seems that this would cause the claws to enter the lug at an angle. Woould this damage the lug and/or hoop?

for hoops, any preference on type (ply and width and edges???).

tx

Not really because swivel nuts are exactly that, swivels. They will move to make the angle. So, if you can get the hoops and Ts and claws, you will be good to go, but must use proper bass heads if you use wood hoops. This sould change the tone of the drum enough to make it a bass instead of a floor tom.