jorge wrote:Even so, it sounds like you tuned up the bongo very soon after mounting the skin. Two days is usually not enough to let the skin fully dry in the area where the skin is doubled over between the rim and the shell. Very little airflow there makes it take longer to dry, especially with thicker skins that make that space very tight. The tension on the skin is at its highest in the area between the shell and the rim, so you want to make sure it is totally dry there before you tune the drum up.
jorge wrote:I would check that area to see if the skin is overstretched or damaged anywhere around that area. It would be more opaque, thinner or softer if it had been overstretched while wet. In particular, look carefully at the areas that correspond to the lower pitch diameter, like at lugs 1 and 3 (or 2 and 4).
I hope I am wrong.
... you can rub a small amount of shea butter, or wax (of a candle) on the bearing edge, to make the tuning smoother.
... I always apply some beeswax, oil, sheabutter or the like as a lubricant on bearing edges when mounting a skin. Makes tuning easier and the skin's life longer I believe
Old German timpani teachers suggest deer tallow (
If you should try that, use it sparsely [...]
Thomas Altmann wrote: The diameter of the drum in relation to the rim is another deciding factor. One millimeter can make a lot of a difference. If I look at your hembra closely, the angle of the head over the edge of the drum is like 90 degrees, and that's pretty sharp. The sound properties are not necessarily worse than with a smoother angle, because the Armando Peraza model of LP's beechwood Valje line has such a sharp angle, too, and the bongo sounds fantastic. (It just kills the hides too soon.) But the physical result is that, if you are tuning up, you are actually stretching the collar of the skin more immediately than the membrane surface.
Chtimulato wrote: Since Siete Leguas is "ein Landsmann" of yours, he should be able to find some too.
So, in general, the thicker the skin, the sharper the angle, therefore more stress for the skin itself (as well as for other parts of the drum), right?
One question about the lubricant on the bearing edge: do you apply it right before mounting a wet skin, or only when the skin is dry, i.e. take the skin off, apply it on the bearing edge and then tune it up? For the moment I have some candle wax at home that I could use.
That's why I typed "a small amount".
Thomas Altmann wrote: A thicker skin can endure more stress. Also, some drums are built so that there is still enough room between the shell and a wider hoop and rim to maintain easy tuning (the floating head effect). Also, you can minimize the tuning problem by keeping the collar narrow and heighten the position of the crown (rim) - of course not so high that it protrudes above the head surface; you don't want to hurt your fingers.
Thomas Altmann wrote: - Before placing the wet skin on the drum! And once you take a dried mounted head off the drum, you better moisten it again before placing it back on the drum to ensure a tight and comfortable fit. Taking a natural skin off and putting it on again really stresses the skin's texture over the edges. For the same reason you should not detune the drum to a degree where the head becomes slack. Always keep some amount of tension on it. It should still sound like a drum, only mas bajo.
Thomas Altmann wrote:Even if my hands come in contact with that stuff, my skin becomes as soft as a baby's butt!
By "moisten it again" here, do you mean apply some water to the head (with a wet towel, for example) or apply some lubricant (deer tallow, etc.) on the bearing edge, or both?
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