congaplace.com

Posted: **Sat May 06, 2006 2:45 pm**

Hello everybody! Please forgive the non-conga question. I know many of you have made many kinds of instruments. I recently bought a 40 inch bamboo rainstick. I have made two. One is cardboard (too quiet unless miked) one is PVC (didn't use the right filler, yet). DO any of you have any tips on making one that really goes a long time? Even the one I just bought doesn't go as long as I'd like it to. Is there a secret spacing to the nails, or a certain kind of bead or pebbles to use? Can I add some nails to my bamboo one to increase the time it takes for the peblles to fall? Obiously too many nails will cause problems too. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

God bless!

-Ron

Posted: **Sat May 06, 2006 3:58 pm**

Interesting question! Wish I had an answer, but I don't. Only can suggest to try different nail amounts, configurations and bead materials in your cardboard rainsticks. When you get the sustain you want in the cardboard model, maybe you can make a bamboo one in the same way.
Good luck!!!

Yoni

Posted: **Sat May 06, 2006 5:27 pm**

Thanks. Good idea...it was such a tedious process already, I was hoping someone already did it

. The two I made sound nice, but the rice in the cardboard one and the beads in the pvc one get stuck sometimes and it interrupts the flow. Maybe I'll try BBs to get that perfectly round advantage.

God bless!

-Ron

Posted: **Sat May 06, 2006 9:21 pm**

I also make rainsticks out of PVC. First I pre-drill around 100 small holes for a three feet length of PVC. Next I crazy glue a PVC cap on one end and then fill it with one cup of BBs which I buy at a local hunting/gun shop. Next I glue the second cap on. Finally, I hammer some fine nails one in each of the 100 holes with a little crazy glue at each end for extra security. You can spray paint your creation with a number of different colors of your choice and enjoy then your fine "pau de chuva," or rainstick. SSSSsssshhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saludos,

Berimbau

Posted: **Sun May 07, 2006 2:09 am**

did you drill them in a spiral pattern? That's what I did. Maybe I just need to use BBs. I've been experimenting with the bamboo one. It will be fine as is. I can control the speed of the fall by the angle and with twisting motion. I don't think I need any more than eight measures worth :p . I'm going to try the BBs. Thanks.

Posted: **Sun May 07, 2006 12:02 pm**

Hi Ron Meinl make a round rainstick. up put it a stand and spin it around. so that you dont have to ever stop the rain. Let the rain fall down on me. maybe you could make some like that.

check out http://www.meinlpercussion.com

bless ya bro

pidoca

Posted: **Mon May 08, 2006 1:13 am**

Cool! Thanks richard. The wheels are turning in my head now! My head rattles a little too. :laugh: I think I could make one with corregated steel like the cabasa, and some BBs..very good idea.

God bless!

-Ron

Posted: **Mon May 08, 2006 7:52 am**

I have an original rain stick that lasts forever..

It is a cactus branch with the spikes removed and put back in point first.

It sounds great ans the sound doesn't seem to ever stop...

B

Posted: **Mon May 08, 2006 8:43 pm**

bongoron wrote:DO any of you have any tips on making one that really goes a long time?

God bless!

-Ron

Well... it's not the size of the stick that matters it's how you work it!

Most South American traditinal rainstick have pores within the stick-as you tilt the stick eventually coming to a verticle 90 degree angle I rotate the stick slowly which allows the seeds to generate a longer more rain fall sound... Hope that helps or makes sense...

Ivan

Posted: **Tue May 09, 2006 7:19 am**

I have 3 Rainsticks, 2 are traditional rainsticks with a finer, slightly quieter sound, both were brought back from South America, the third is the LP 49" Rainstick which is much louder and great for live settings as well as recordings etc.
While all 3 have a long duration if you use the right technique ie slowly turning it as you tip it around as Ivan mentioned, but the LP one is the one with the loudest, longest duration. Excellent quality also.

All 3 shown in pic below taken in my living room...

Edited By ABAKUA on 1147159633

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... CN3182.JPG

Posted: **Tue May 09, 2006 7:00 pm**

Is the one on the left the cactus type?

If I tilt the bamboo one at about a 30 or 40 degree angle, it goes for about 8 measures of a typical tempo we use. I guess thats going to be enough.

Still, I like the idea of just tipping it over and forgettting about it.

Thanks for all the great replies.

God bless!

-Ron

Edited By bongoron on 1147201391

Posted: **Wed May 10, 2006 2:39 am**

bongoron wrote:Is the one on the left the cactus type?

Hey w'sup Bongoron!

Yes, the one on the left is a cactus type one, when tilted slowly it goes for almost as long as the huge LP one.
very delicate sound it makes, I prefer this one for recordings or smaller intimate live settings.

Here's another pic of it.
(the other one lightly coloured, is also a cactus type one, but is slightly quieter, I often use it in combination with the other rainstick ie playing 2-3 at a time to create a louder sound).

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... 8-rain.JPG

Posted: **Wed May 10, 2006 12:30 pm**

Cool.

I feel the need for a cactus one now. Wife will shoot me if I don't wait awhile though. Even thought the congas were relatively cheap, she wasn't thrilled. Thanks for the info! I can see the need for a soft sound and a more gravelly one, and everything in between...I do get carried away sometimes. Softer songs, yeah, I can see the need.

I'm going to experiment some more with the homemade ones. They're not bad, but I think I need top find some perfectly round material to make them work best. BBs or round beads maybe.

Oh, and...W'sup!

God bless!

-Ron

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Rainsticks..how to?