Remo Crystal Doumbek, 8", Internal Tuning, Amethyst Citrine

I have been hesitant to delve into the realm of the solo sized doumbek drum. Still being of the beginning-intermediate skill level, the size of the head seemed too small to me, and I don't even have large hands. But I recently tested out the Remo Crystal Doumbek, the 8" internal tuning model. This smaller doumbek drum really surprised me, not only with its bold and responsive sound, but just how darn easy and comfortable it is to actually play. Pops and slaps come easy on the 8" Skyndeep head of this great little doumbek. The teks and kas are not metallic and ringy like most aluminum doumbeks, but rather have a bright yet warm tone, reminiscent of a small clay darbuka. You will hear just a small amount of slightly ringy overtones. It actually did take a little extra coaxing for the more powerful teks, but as you become acustomed to the feel of the drum, the teks and kas start to come easier, resulting in a nice woody/ ceramic sound. I am just learning some Turkish split finger technique, and was able to get good results on this Remo Crystal 8". Click on the following link to see me demonstrating on this Remo doumbek.

The Crystal series of doumbeks by Remo are slightly lighter in weight than the Soloist series, but don't be under the impression that these are light and flimsy drums. This is the smallest and lightest of the Crystal Internal Tuning models, and it still weighs in at just over 7lb/ 3.18kg. It feels secure on my lap, yet it is light enough to be playable by smaller adults and older children. The Remo Skyndeep head is a revolutionary synthetic drum head created by the pioneer of synthetic head technology. Doumbek players around the world rave about the sound and response of these unique drum heads. They were designed to look, feel and sound much like an actual fish skin head, with a very slight texture, and amazing response to the touch. And being a synthetic head, they are not prone to changes in humidity levels and weather, and maintain their pitch in all situations. This makes the Remo doumbek very convenient for travel, camping, beach outings, or the back yard!

The "Designer's Touch fabric finishes" on the Crystal doumbeks are… colorful. Festive and wild are two more descriptions that come to mind. At first I was actually a bit put off by the bright colors, not necessarily the design. The designs are actually pretty creative and pleasing. The patterns on this drum look somewhat like snake scales, with darker areas of purples and blues balanced with lighter areas of orange and yellow. There is also a subltle amount of glitter adorning the outside and continuing into the dark purple colored interior. It is definitely an attention grabbing drum, not only visually, but more importantly for how good it sounds. The smooth rounded bearing edge and recessed bolts allow for extended sessions of comfortable playing. In a word, it plays "buttery".

So if you are looking for a versatile and durable drum that travels well, is easy to play, is light on the wallet and sounds great, look no further than the 8" Internal Tuning Remo Crystal Doumbek. Quality constructed in the USA, the Remo line of percussion instruments continue to deliver the consistent affordable quality you have come to expect from them. This great doumbek is no exception to that.