Djembe Drums Buying Guide

Djembe Buying Guide...Buy from a reputable dealer who has a return policy. Remember, unless you are purchasing a synthetic, mass-produced drum, all drums made of wood and goat skin have a distinct voice. It's ok to purchase a drum on the internet as long as they provide clear contact information and have a good return policy. Ensure the dealer provides support not just cheap drums, you often get what you pay for.Which wood is best?.... Different woods produce different sounds. It's hard to know what type of wood you are going to prefer. This really just requires you to play a lot of drums. Some woods from Africa are very hard and subsequently very heavy. This does not mean they will sound better. In fact, I prefer a drum that does not weigh a ton. Lighter drums are easier to handle and thus you are less likely to damage them. Mahogany makes a very fine wood for drums. Mahogany is a relatively stable wood, does not weigh a ton and is dense enough to produce a nice open sound. This is why many drum set manufacturers build drum shells with Mahogany. Mahogany is also often plantation grown which is an important environmental aspect. Be careful of some of the thin and/or two piece shells on the market. If they don't say their drums are made from a single piece of wood, don't buy it. It won't sound good and it's sure to crack sooner or later. Thin shells will not produce a good bass tone either. Look for drums laced with Alpine rope and not just heavy string. What should you listen for...Listen for open, deep bass tones and a nice sharp crack when slapped. Look for a drum that's easy to play. You should not have to use a full force blow to extract a nice tone. The drum should sound good or respond at all volume levels. The tone should have a nice sustain without strange overtones or pitch shifts/bends. If you do encounter these symptoms, they can sometimes be corrected with tuning. They can also be the result of a poor quality head or an uneven bearing edge. If it's just a tuning issue, you can sometimes test this by placing the drum on the floor, holding it down with one hand, striking the drum and pulling up on the lacing. If the pitch evens out or improves, it's likely just out of tune.Size does matter... A general rule of thumb is the bigger the drum the deeper the base tone. Other factors which alter the tone are the skin (head) thickness, thicker heads produce deeper tones. Wood density and neck size (the hole between bowl and the base). Seller who pride themselves in selling good soundingdrums will take the time to sellect a good quality skins.When buying a Djembe consider where and when you will be playing it. A large woodendrum of 65cm in height or more is quite heavy and not easy to carry any distance. It isok for drum circles for people whom want to sit and playthen drive home. The more popular size drums are the 50 cm to 60 cm. The 60cm is the drum of choice for those whom want a good all round sound without excess weight. The 50cm Djembe will not produce as deep abase but is great as a lead drum.FAQThe 2 questions I am most asked are: 1."I want to buy a Djembe for my ** year oldson/daughter, what size would you recommend?"I believe if your Child is genuinely interested in learning to play the Djembe or you wish to encorage them to develop their natural rhymn you should buy a drum they can "grow into". I wouldn't recommend spending a lot of money on a large drum but a drum which will fit comfortably between their knees when seated and something they can get a solid beat from when they are in their teens like a 50cm Drum. 2. "I am new to Djembe drumming and confused about which drum to buy. I have seen drums for $600 in the music shops, why are yours soo cheap?. What size and price range do you recommend for the beginner?"Usually the expensive drums you see in shops have gone through manufactures, inporters,buying agents,wholesalers etc all taking a slice adding on their costs and all takingprofits. Buying direct from the manufacturer significantly reduces the costs therefore the price is reduced. You should expect to pay from a starting price of $150-$250 for a plain entry level 60 cmDjembe. The 60 cm Djembe is the most popular size andI believe the best all round size for the beginner to the intermediate player.More experienced professional players don't mind paying more to individually pick and finish the shell, skin, rings and ropes for their drums and usually like to assemble and tune the drum themselves to suit their own playing style.The best thing you can do is just make sure you are dealing with a reputable dealer with a clear return policy. As with many other products, there are plenty of people out there buying large quantities of cheap drums (poorly made drums made for the tourists)and dumping them into the market. Price Range.. You don't need to spend $400.00 or $600.00 on a drum to get something that sounds great. While there are some great pro quality drums on the market from both Ghana and Bali, there are some great sounding ones for just $150.00 (entry level) to $350.00 as well.If you found this guide useful please click YES. Ebay Store: Tribal Direct