I noticed the tone was way too flat when I tried it, so I had my first attempt at tuning. I haven't replaced anything yet, so I unwrapped the ropes to the point where the rope was threaded through the diamonds and PULLED. It reminded me of those Victorian movies where the maid was tying a corset. I didn't have a broom handle and I was afraid to crack the wood, so I think I held back a bit.
The tone seems much better and the center has a deep bass. I don't know if I want to replace the head, but I do want to untie the ropes and clean the wood.
If I do decide to reskin it, should I get a 14" or 16" goat skin? The head measures a little over 10.5 inches. Should I get a medium or thick skin? I would assume a thick skin would give me a deeper note.
So far the three suppliers for goat skins I found are
Mid-East Manufacturing,
Columbia Music , and
SunReed Instruments . The spirit in the woods shop Wolf recommended mentions new skins but doesn't list them on their page.
I'm going to Home Depot this weekend for rope and something to refinish and clean the wood. I'm looking forward to this project.
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