Open Box Toca Freestyle Doumbek Level 1 African Dance 9 in.

Great sound, Big sound, Crisp sound

I bought this drum in late 2007. I'll start with the good parts. I like that the drum is made out of plastic or pvc. It won't dent, so it's great for any beginner. It looks cool. When I first started going to the drum circles with this drum, alot of people were intrigued by the unique design. The rim is like alot of the other professional type drums where it rounds over and is very comfortable to play. Because of the density & size of the drum - it makes great bass tones. The bads: It doesn't have the same "pingy" tone as most would expect out of a doumbek since traditionally, they're made of metal or ceramic. You cannot tune the drum too high in search of that ping before the rim starts to crack - a mistake I made. I lowered the tuning slightly and everything is holding up great now. Although the drum is made of plastic - it is a bit heavy and I find to a bit unwieldy and difficult for younger players. I discovered when taking the drum apart, is that there is a thick plastic ring mounted on the inside near the head - which I think is where the bulk of the weight is at as the drum is very top heavy. Overall, I do think this drum is especially a great value and a great starter for most. It is very reliable and can definitely take a beating as now my 10 year old son has inherited this drum as I've stepped up and purchased a more expensive metal one.

this drum is great if you are looking for youre first doumbek. it is very easy to get good sounds out of it, especially the "dum" strokes(lower pitch sounds when you hit the middle)the "tak" strokes (slap tones) are also very good but it doesnt have the same feel of a traditional doumbek or darbuka, the sounds are less poppy on this drum but if youre looking for your first doumbek there is no question that this is your best bet for the price