Apple Bongos

These solid shell apple bongos were made for a customer with wood sourced sustainably from Athens, GA. They feature our handmade stainless steel hardware and steer skins.

Wood: apple

Shell Height: 6-3/8″

Shell Width: 6-3/4″ macho, 8″ hembra

Bridge: spalted maple with pipestone inlay

Skins: 1mm steer on macho, 1.6mm steer on hembra

Hardware: 304 stainless steel, half round moderna crown

Weight: 10 lbs 14 oz

Manito writes, “I would consider these to have a similar attack to maple wood for sure. The macho has a very responsive open tone and super crisp and loud slaps. The hembra is beautifully resonant but without noticeable overtones. I like to build bongos with that old school gut punch style tone on the hembra with little to no ring. A very sort of Cuban sound.

The geometry of the shell design also contributes heavily to overtone ring. Most drum makers don’t take into consider that they are building resonating chambers where the dimensions really need to be in harmony for the sound to be smooth. For me that fact is a passion and I work very hard to craft not only the most visually beautiful but, more importantly, the most sonically beautiful instruments. I actually came very close to keeping them for myself.”

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