Out of round djembes

[sakuntuquaye]

So how does everyone feel about out of round djembes? I've been re heading a few drums lately that have been out of round. The insides are carved well, (spiral pattern etc...) however whoever shaped them didn't shape then perfectly round. They sound just as good to me after I get them tuned up.... Is it just an esthetics issue? I see a lot of online djembe stores selling out of round djembes at discount prices, yet when I watch some djembe videos on YouTube, some of the village players have drums that are crazy out of round but they still make them sing. What do you think?

[michi]

I've come across lots of drums that were out of round and sounded great. I don't think it really matter, other than aesthetically.

Cheers,

Michi.

[shortypalmer]

i actually think an out of round drums sounds better, i have not met one that even can close to not sounding good. when i re-head one i always put the spine on the long way of the oval. i have seen them get more round that way. i will admit i have discounted them in the past only because of their looks, most people want a perfect drum and i am of the belief that it should sound good, dont care what it looks like, kind of not true but it sure sounds good to say that

[Waraba]

It's real hard to fit rings to them but all my djembes are ovals. The wide sides are higher pitched than the narrow sides. My best sounding one which sounds really phenomenal doesn't even qualify as an oval. It even has a straight side for a couple of inches (!). The problem is, it tends to break 3 out of every 4 new skins once it needs reheading, and sometimes the rings, which always need to be custom-warped. I can only think to attribute that to the shape. If it didn't sound so very good I would have hurled it through a window long ago.

[Djembe-nerd]

The only problem with oval djembes is that because of the shape the rings do not fit equally on all the circumference and the rings go down differently if you are not careful. I did this a few times before I learnt to pull evenly on the rings on a oval djembe. It makes the lose-fit side go down faster than the tight fit sides. Also sometimes this makes the tight side higher pitch than the lose side, I pull 2-3 knots on the lose side to equal the pitch problem, but that will sometimes make the rings go even more down than the other side, just an asthetic probelm.

When I pull I change the force on tight side to lose side so that the rings come down equally.

[Djembe-nerd]

The problem is, it tends to break 3 out of every 4 new skins once it needs reheading,

i think its because the tigher part of the ring pulls the skin at specific and less area which makes the skin weaker.

The only thing i can suggest is equal pulling in wet or dry, and the least pull possible in the wet condition.

Q: how do you customise the rings, by wrapping more cloth at the lose sides ?

[michi]

I normally shape the rings to the shell, so the gap is equidistant around the circumference. I doubt that extra cloth wrap would do much (but haven't tried this).

Cheers,

Michi.

[shortypalmer]

when i measure a ring i use the circumference, makes no difference whether it is oval or round

[Rhythm House Drums]

BTW, the drums aren't usually carved oval, they warp as they dry out if they are not dried evenly. This can because of environment, grain pattern, or sap wood and wall thickness. If the drum is carved out too green it will for sure warp and shrink as it dries. Also if the wall thickness is not consistent it can dry at different rates which will warp the shell. I've never heard of a drum being carved oval (intentionally), so I'm pretty sure it happens in the drying process. The bearing edge profile makes more of a difference in sound than the roundness.. might have something to do with your skins breaking soon as well. Make sure it is as level as possible, and that the round-over is consistent all the way around.

A few things... as others have said, shape the rings to the shell. If they are fitted nice and snug they should shape themselves to your shell. If they're a little big you should bend them so they are equal all around. Also, don't pull too tight while wet. I've seen many skins break early because of this. Make sure to wait a good 3-4 days before doing a dry pull... they head may seem dry, but the skin under the ring will be wet longer. If you're skins are breaking on the sides (between the bearing edge and the rings, than you are pulling too tight while still wet, or you have a sharp / high point on the edge.

Also, with an oval drum (or any drum) it's all about consistent tension on the head. Don't worry so much about the levelness of the rings, worry about the sound. If your ring is high on one end but the pitch sounds the same in that spot.. pulling more to bring the ring down is a bad idea...

[Djembe-nerd]

How do you guys shape the ring to the head, by bending it with hands or some tool, or hammering.

[michi]

Pressing, hammering, and cursing

It's not that hard to change the shape. Either put the ring upright on the floor and press down, or tap it with hammer. It will bend fairly easily. Try with an old ring first to get a feel for
it.

Cheers,

Michi.

[shortypalmer]

anybody that orders a ring from me i always ask to give me two diameter measurements. north, south and east, west. that is my test to see if the drum is round or not. they give me two different measurements i split the difference and make it round to start with. example, 13X13.5 i will make the ring 13.25 as a round ring (i also add room for rope and skin but on this example i did not) and when i finish i just make it into an oval, when i push on one side it will make one side 13 ant the other side 13.5, i use a ring roller to make my metal into rounds, i started with a electrical conduit bending. there are other ways to make a straight piece of metal round which are probably on this site someplace.

[Waraba]

The problem is, it tends to break 3 out of every 4 new skins once it needs reheading,

Q: how do you customise the rings, by wrapping more cloth at the lose sides ?

I have given up. I always give my djembes to a professional nowadays.

[shortypalmer]

i think the best way to customize the rings is to measure it correctly so the ring has equal distance from the drum to the ring all the way around. i would not wrap extra cloth around loose sides. the other issue is to keep equal spacing on the ring to the drum shell while re-heading, that is a matter of paying attention and adjusting that distance before it is to late and the head comes down to far where the ring will not move