RHD Pro Series Djembe Drum

I’ve been talking this djembe up for a few months now on this blog and other places.? I’ve had lots of interest and a fair amount of skepticism.? So, can it be done?? A US made djembe built using segments and staves that not only holds it’s own with African djembes, but has a sound that any djembefola longs for?

Oh, it can be done and it has!? This is the first step in our RHD Pro Series Djembe line.? This build was extremely intense and involved and I loved every minute of it.? Its unique to anything else I’ve seen and has been designed for function over form.? Function over form?? But it’s such beautiful shell.? Yup.? That’s what I said!? But this djembe, as beautiful as it is, sounds like cannon with low bass, nice dark tones and bright quick slaps.? You don’t have to take my word for it, check out the video below.

From the Black Walnut segmented with Yellow Heart wood to give a zig-zag effect on the bottom, to the hand routed spiral pattern inside the bowl for that nice traditional feel.? I put 32 sets of verticals on this guy along with a thick Mali goatskin and the rings are nice and tight to the djembe shell.? Not only is this djembe a beautiful work of hand-crafted art, but the sound is no less than inspirational!

Since I began Rhythm House Drums quite a few years ago, my goal was to produce an eco-friendly djembe that would hold it’s own against African djembes and be as beautiful and customizable as can be imagined.? Using local hardwoods, a modern staved design (which saves so much wood compared to hollowing out a solid log), and my attention to the bearing edge, I’ve come up with a djembe that I am ecstatic to call Pro! ? I hear that term thrown around everywhere ‘Pro’, and it usually just means ‘we painted it nice to cover the blemishes and raised the price so you think you’re getting something of greater value’.? When I call a drum ‘Pro’ that means it better hold it’s own whether in a drum circle of 50 drums, a fast paced African Dance class, or a close up intimate recording.? This means a Pro Djembe has got to have a nice dynamic range, be responsive and tuned properly. ? I have developed many different shapes and styles of djembes and slowly began to learn what a great djembe HAS to have.? I pulled out all the tricks for this build and the result confirms my years of trial and errors and ‘close but no cigars’? 🙂

So what makes the RHD Pro Series Djembe stand out from the competition?

• Truly eco-friendly, hand crafted djembe
• Locally harvested and milled hardwoods
• Built in USA (no oversees transportation)
• Utilize a modern and efficient stave / segmented design which cuts down on waste that occurs with hollowing out a solid log.
• More stable shell – because of the wood grain orientation and smaller individual
  pieces, the shell will hold up better over time.? Shells hollowed out from
  a solid log are much more prone to cracks and warping.
• Hand crafted, never mass produced
• High strength & low stretch rope makes for a drum that will stay in tune
  longer
• Vegan / Vegetarian friendly options available
• I can build these totally custom to meet anyone’s
  expectations.? Wood/rope/shape/size/skin etc.

I’m happy to offer the absolute best line of djembes I have ever built, and in my opinion, the best U.S. made djembe available!? Check out the video below and let me know if you agree!? If you are interested in getting a RHD Pro Series Djembe, or in having me build you a similar drum, please don’t hesitate to contact me!