Hi everyone. I just bought a used Remo 14" Paul Mattioli Signature in-line-tuned djembe. This is the one with the NuSkyn head. Although I already have a Remo 12" djembe that I enjoy, I bought the Paulo Mattioli after seeing/hearing the below video on Youtube.
The sound of the drum in the video really appeals to me. It seems more "authentic" than my older Remo 14" and 16" djembes.
When I got my djembe, the head was too loose, so I cranked it up. Now, the tones are starting to sound about right ... but the bass now seems choked off. I'm wondering: Does higher tension kill off the bass on a djembe? The drum still sounds a little low on the open tones and slaps, and I was thinking of cranking up the tension some more, but not if it's going to wipe out the bass.
Last question: This drum is a bear to tune! I guess that's why they discontinued it. It has 5/16-inch hex nuts facing downward and inside a rubber shroud. The shroud is so close around the nut that I can't slip a 5/16 socket in there. Instead, I've been using a screwdriver, since the nuts have a slotted head. But not only is it more difficult to turn a screwdriver than a socket wrench, but I have to turn the drum over to do so. I called Remo to see about buying their tuning tool, but they said it was not readily available for sale. Has anyone had any luck finding an after-market socket that fits this drum? Any other solutions? Thanks.
Flat
Threaded
No. 1 Posted on Nov 3, 2011 11:24 AM
