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Tonight, I was practicing on my Matador bongo and the macho head felt like it had a slight rough spot on it. After looking at it I noticed it had a 1/2" tear in it. I always liked the sound of these original heads which are now probably close to 20 years old. They have not been played very much, but I guess they got old and brittle. Now, what head/heads would you more experienced players suggest. I would like a new Matador head, but not sure if I wouldn't be better off with something else. I'm also not sure if I'm up to tucking my own heads. I have thought about a set of Skindeep heads, but not sure. What do you players think? Thanks for your opinions in advance.

Hello.

I tuck my heads by myself, it's part of the fun. And, of course, natural heads/skins, because I don't like the feel of synthetic skins. I'm not a professional player though and live in a (relatively) temperate climate, hence my opinion. Some professional players, having to tune/detune more than me, and/or living in extremely humid or dry regions may obviously tell you something else.
Tucking one's skins is for me part of the fun, and you've develop a closer relationship to the instrument. Like repairing your car or refurbishing a piece of furniture. IMHO.

You can find skins in many countries, no matter where you live.

Hi Mongorockfish! I’m with Chtimulato. I tuck my own skins as well. It’s part of the fun, but I also have a say on how high I want the skin to look once is set. I like my skins a little higher and closer to the bearing edge. I have Skindeep heads on one of my sets, but I’m not crazy about them. They sound good, I just like the real skins. Tucking your own gives you more choices like Horse, Steer, Mule, Cow, Buffalo, Calf, Goat etc. Also, sometimes for the price of an actual mounted head you can find flat skins for around the same price or cheaper. All you need to do is use the flesh hoop from your current damaged head.