Regardless of how well an instrument is put together, and what art work is done to add to its appearance, the materials used are the most important aspect in the sound of the instrument.
Every type of wood resonates differently, this cannot be changed.
The materials are the primary determinant in classifying an instrument in a quality category. After this the quality of the craftsmanship plays a big role.
Melina wood is the type of wood traditionally used for the construction of the doundouns. It has a distinctive pale colour and pattern in the grain of the wood. All of our doundouns are of the highest quality, only the size affects the price due to the costs of the materials and the assembly time needed.
We use exclusively cow skins, with a uniform thickness of the skin over the surface of the instrument. We select only one cow skin for both ends of each instrument. The thickness of the skin will have an effect on the overall sound of the instrument, and care has been taken to select suitable skins for the three different doundouns in order to create a harmonious set.
All of the doundouns at djembemoves have cow skins from Guinea. None of them have been treated with chemicals.
