Remo 14″ Fiberskyn
Sweetwater, USA
See this drum →What to look for
- A size that fits your bodySit tall, drum on your lap, weaker hand resting on the head. That hand must not raise your shoulder. A drum that is too large will quietly injure it over months. As a rough guide: up to 20 inches if you are tall, up to 17 if you are medium, up to 15 if you are short. Watch me show this on video.
- A deep frame10 to 13 cm. It balances far better than a shallow frame.
- SkinNatural skin or fiber. Fiber holds its tuning through humidity. Natural skin reacts to it.
Where to buy
To start on
A simple, honest drum that gets you playing. Remo is also sold in most music stores, so you can search for your nearest one.
Medium level
Meinl is solid on a modest budget, and is also sold in most music stores, so you can search for your nearest one.
Sala Muzik FTB-410N
Turkey · goat skin · tunable · 40 cm, 10 cm deep
See this drum →Sala Muzik FTB-413
Turkey · fiber · tunable · 16″, extra deep
See this drum →Meinl 14″ Bendir (FD14BE)
Thomann · goat skin · tunable
See this drum →Meinl 14″ Artisan Deep Shell (AE-FD14T-D)
Amazon · goat skin · tunable
Check that it ships to your country.
See this drum →Professional
Built to order, and they take time to arrive, so order early.
Zelazek
Poland · natural skin
One of the two I trust for natural skin.
Say you are my student and ask for my preferred measurements.See their lapstyle drums →David Roman
Berlin · natural skin
The other one I trust.
Visit the maker →Cooperman
USA · fiber
Their page for my group recommends the Classic model, 15 to 19 inches, with the deep shell.
Say you are my student.See the drums for my group →DoubleYou
Poland · fiber
Say you are my student and ask for my preferred models.See their lapstyle drums →Pagonis
Greece
Makes them too. I have never played his drums, so this is not a recommendation.
Visit the maker →I have refused to accept commissions on my students’ drum purchases. Every maker listed here is one I believe is worth considering, with any limits stated plainly.