[Jayhippy]

I only have Ace hardware rope,

Today the first day Iv had off in SIX MONTHS.

I have the rings strung and the skin has bee sitting for TWO YEARS.
It looks ok??? Cost $80!

The only rope I can get in town is from the hardware store.

I am not a professional drummer, I moved to a logging town and there NO DRUMMERS.
It might be even MONTHS before I have time to play so I am a noob novis
Even though I own a $500+ 16 inch wide monster drum with a $80 Drum skulls skin,

So can I get by with cheap rope? Its $20 for 100 foot.

It does have a core at least!



3/8" dia. x 100' length
Braided poly-pro
To be used for tie downs, camping, and general household uses
Rope is braided construction
Resists rot, mildew, oil and many other chemicals
Made of 100% Polypropylene
Assorted colors

[michi]

This rope is way too thick. You need something in the 4.5 - 5 mm range (about 1/5th of an inch). You can order suitable rope online from Drumskull (among other suppliers). I'd recommend to do that. This way, you'll get something that'll work, instead of having too much stretch or being too weak.

Cheers,

Michi.

[Jayhippy]

woops, that is not the rope. Its the same but 4mm. Not the larger one.

But 4mm is now to thin?

Do you know any low cost rope on ebay?
Drum skills, great store but very expensive.

[michi]

4 mm is on the thin side, but usable. 4.5 mm to 5 mm is ideal. Note that these are nominal measurements only. One manufacturer's 4.5 mm rope may be as thick as another's 5 mm rope.

Typical price per meter is around $0.35 - $0.50. I think Drumskull are near the upper end of that range.

Cheers,

Michi.

[shortypalmer]

i sell 3/16 inch rope which is the same as 4.5mm. , works real good, i agree with Michi, the same size rope from one supplier is not the same size from a different one but usually works out ok.

[bighammer]

I think the problem with cheap rope is that they can be weak and/or stretch too much. Where are you located? Can you do mail order? I'm very pleased with skins and rope that I found online.

(no affiliation, just a happy customer)

http://www.rhythmtraders.com/African-Dr ... -p451.html

http://www.rhythmtraders.com/African-Dr ... -p449.html

[boromir76]

I would recomend ropes that have polyester core and also polyester coat. Most if not all good djembe/ dundun dedicated ropes are made from polyester. Polypropylene and even softer polyamid (or nylon) ropes are somewhat weaker but above all, they do tear and ware faster. With good 100% polyester rope, there is no need for more than 5 mm thicknes. Even 4 mm can be ok, depending on the quality of braiding, hardness, etc. I use navtical polyester 4mm and 5 mm ropes for djembe verticals, and static mountaineering ropes which are more compressible for ring loops. Not all navtical an mountaneering ropes are suitable, so some time and research is also needed for finding suitable type of rope.

[michi]

Nylon is unsuitable. It breaks down under UV light quite rapidly. Pre-stretched polyester is a good choice. Ropes with Spectra or Vectran cores are around too, and they stretch even less. But the added cost is usually not worth it. (Spectra also has a habit of retaining kinks more, which can be annoying.)

If you don't have a drum shop handy and don't want to order online, find a marine shop in your area. Ask for static polyester rope, 4.5–5.0 mm, and you'll end up with something suitable.

For something seriously up-market, Liros Hercules, Liros Regatta 2000, and Liros Vectran Olympic are excellent ropes, but quite expensive. (You will get six or seven skins out of those though, instead of the usual three or four.)

Michi.

[boromir76]

Cousin trestec- challenge line rope. Best navtical anti abrasion ropes i have come by, practically undestroyable. Depending on local resselers retail margin it is usualy sold for reasonable price, suitable for djembe verticals: http://www.cousin-trestec.com/en/produit/en-challenge/

[michi]

Thanks for that, that looks interesting!

Michi.

[boromir76]

This is very sturdy, thick, uncompressable rope, and does not wrap around itself so much, when mounted for the first time... in short: nice handling. One thing that I also like is that it is not harsh for the hands, as some ropes tend to be.

[bighammer]

It's too much work to skimp on the rope. Cheap stuff won't last, will be too stretchy, and a PITA to work with. I got my rope from hawkdancing.com and it seems to work very well. Maybe a touch fatter than I'd like, but very strong, nice stuff.