Roughing On The Lathe

One of the first steps in making a solid hembra shell is roughing on the lathe. He’ll core, seal and kiln dry the rough shell for months before putting it back on the lathe for finishing. To do this correctly requires a great deal of patience, skill and talent.

Timba Bongos

I really enjoy working on different drums and the opportunity to understand the build quality. Manito recently refinished these Timba bongos. I mounted new steer, reassembled and reinstalled the badges on the set. Now they are off to California. If you need help with a project, get in touch.

Heavy Duty Tuning Lug 3/8″

Made of high strength 3/8″ 304 stainless steel, our heavy duty tuning lugs are built to last a lifetime. Includes high strength Zinc/Yellow Chromate coated 9/16″ nut, washer and rubber screw cover. Threads are rolled for maximum life. High polished finish or matte finish available. Custom shaping available from 4″ to 7″ lengths. Guaranteed for the life of your drum.

Premium PreMounted™ Conga Heads

Our Premium PreMounted™ Conga Heads are natural skins that are mounted on 1/4″ round 304 stainless steel flesh hoops. They are designed to fit drums with specific shell sizes and crown types right out of the box.

A wide variety of skin types, thicknesses and three color options make your PreMounted™ heads fully customizable to suit any application.

Skin thickness is recommended relative to the shell size- the larger the shell, the thicker the skin. This produces a balanced sound across the entire set of drums.

Bright and resonant sound with very crisp slaps, longer sustain and more overtones:

Requinto: 1.6mm

Quinto: 1.6mm

Conga: 1.8mm

Tumba: 2mm

Super Tumba: 2.2mm

Warm and classic sound with crisp slaps, round open tones, rich bass and controlled overtones:

Requinto: 1.8mm (recommended)

Quinto: 1.8mm (recommended)

Conga: 2mm (recommended)

Tumba: 2.2mm (recommended)

Super Tumba: 2.4mm (recommended)

Dry and woody sound with crisp slaps, shorter sustain and highly controlled overtones:

Requinto: 2mm

Quinto: 2mm

Conga: 2.2mm

Tumba: 2.4mm

Super Tumba: 2.6mm

Traditional very dry and woody sound with the shortest sustain and next to no overtones:

Requinto: 2.2mm

Quinto: 2.2mm

Conga: 2.4mm

Tumba: 2.6mm

Super Tumba: 2.8mm

Skin Types

Black Gold™: Brazilian buffalo, warm tones, rich bass, medium action, slightly dimpled supple playing surface

Fat Cat™: Middle Eastern Nili Ravi buffalo, dry/woody tones, low action, smooth and dense playing surface, ideal for folkloric styles

Steer (Peru): Peruvian steer, crisp slaps, round open tones, rich bass, highly controlled overtones, warm and classic, medium action, ideal for studio

Steer (Middle East): Middle Eastern steer, crisp slaps, round open tones, rich bass, controlled overtones, warm and classic, medium action, very smooth and somewhat supple playing surface, ideal for live and studio, our shop favorite

White glove customer service available. info@manitopercussion.com

Peter Musser

Check out part of master drum builder Peter Musser’s story. Peter Musser plays on bongos that he handmade in his garage in Petaluma where he operates PM Percussion. Following his passion for music and crafting with his hands, he started making drums in 2002. Photographed on Tuesday, March 25, 2024. (CRISSY PASCUAL/ARGUS-COURIER STAFF)