[Marshall]

Hey all,

Just finished a new goat skin on my djembe, been slowly bringing it up to tune.

I've read that people like to undo the initial diamonds after a few weeks (or so?) and re-pull the verticals. But if the drum sounds good, does it make any difference?

I have two full rows of Mali weave completed. What's been your experience with starting a third row?

By the way, near the end of the second row of weave is when the drum finally crossed over from sounding ringy to sounding more dry and tight. I'm super stoked, as this is the first time I've achieved this sound while heading a djembe. I guess the secret is more tension (who knew?)

So what are your thoughts on repulling the verts vs continuing with diamonds?

Thanks,
Marshall

[the kid]

I've read that people like to undo the initial diamonds after a few weeks (or so?) and re-pull the verticals. But if the drum sounds good, does it make any difference?

I have two full rows of Mali weave completed. What's been your experience with starting a third row?

By the way, near the end of the second row of weave is when the drum finally crossed over from sounding ringy to sounding more dry and tight... I guess the secret is more tension (who knew?)

So what are your thoughts on repulling the verts vs continuing with diamonds?

I wouldn't undo all those diamonds if the drum sounds good already. You might not get it sounding quite as nice. It' may be a waist of time. You can also get artifacts like bubbling in the skin if you release the 2 rows of diamonds. Rings usually go up bit anyways. Would that open you up to skin slippage i don't know.

Third row is fine for diamonds. You can put in one then skip a few if you want to put in a few and balance it out more if you need to tune at any stage.

Instead of knots, Tapping down the head with a dowel/piece of wood, and mallet works a treat to simply brighten up the sound some day you need it.

Leave it til next time to work the verts more.

[Marshall]

Cool. Thanks for the input, the kid.

[drtom]

Hey all,I've read that people like to undo the initial diamonds after a few weeks (or so?) and re-pull the verticals. But if the drum sounds good, does it make any difference?

Why fix it if it ain't broke?

I have two full rows of Mali weave completed. What's been your experience with starting a third row?

My two cents:

Keep in mind that with with each successive row of diamonds the skin has been pulled tighter so has less give. The verticals also become tighter and have less give. This all means that each "stitch" pulls with more force than the stitches of the preceding row on a skin that has lees give. You must be much more careful with each stitch.

The discrepancy between the first and second row is compounded by distance. On the first row the verticals have relatively plenty of give and are relatively close together. Each stitch adds minimal pull but also pulls the next pairs of verticals that will be flipped further apart. Beginning on the second row, each stitch is significant. Unless, of course, the verticals should have been pulled instead.

[Dugafola]

having a nicely tuned jenbe with no diamonds at all is an aesthetic thing that a lot of the high end shops and repair ppl started being able to achieve with their means/methods. customers/students/pros/african masters have become enamored with that aesthetic and that's why it's en vogue now, even in africa.

i like knots but i can also get a nice tune w/o them on my own drums if i build it right with proper rings, a nice edge and a solid skin. i'll typically put up to 2 rows of diamonds. if the skin needs more than that then i'll pull all knots out and repull the verts. i'm generally lazy and if i need a skin to come up it's usually:
1. gratuitous mallet action on the ring
2. grab another drum that's more responsive
3. if no other drum sounds good or if i really want to play a particular drum, knots go in

[Marshall]

So Duga, I take it you don't experience any problems when taking out the knots and repulling verticals? Like, letting all that slack back into the skin doesn't cause any trouble? I'm thinking of going this route if the drum needs much more tuning. I added the first diamond of row #3 yesterday and it sounded A+ sweet, now today it's a touch lower already and I'm learning that just doing the weave on row 3 is a major pain because there's so much less room to work in the ropes. Might be easier to go back to verticals.

Thanks for chiming in.

Marshall

[Marshall]

This all means that each "stitch" pulls with more force than the stitches of the preceding row on a skin that has lees give. You must be much more careful with each stitch.

Copy that. Slow and steady is my feeling on this one Thanks.

I know it's been asked before but I don't know the answer: how do the pro shops do it in just a matter of days?

[Dugafola]

So Duga, I take it you don't experience any problems when taking out the knots and repulling verticals? Like, letting all that slack back into the skin doesn't cause any trouble?

i do not. but it may depend on the quality of the build and material you are starting with. also the total number of verticals overall could play a roll in introducing slack when un-doing knots.

[boromir76]

I don't see any good reason for not continuing the third row. Just be carefull when applying extra diamonds as the forces get much bigger with each row. I undo diamonds and re- pull verticalls only if the third row is completed.

Usually, if the skin does not slipp in the first vertical diamond tigtening or make any other problems, than it will also make no problems after second vertical re-pull.