Tycoon Percussion Master Diamond Series Tumbadora is a Latin American percussion instrument. It is a long, thin drum whose pitch depends on the part of the head of the drum being hit. It is usually used in Latin music and operas. It has made famous appearances in a few plays and musicals too:
- Jazz Pizzicato (1949) by Leroy Anderson
- Fiddle Faddle (1952) by Leroy Anderson
- The English Cat (1983) by Hans Werner Henze
It is usually beautifully crafted by hand in a pin stripe design and finishing. The material used is hand selected Siam oak wood. It has a 30 inch wide belly, deluxe hoops and silver plates on the sides to add to the sheen. There are reinforced side plates with a 3/8 inch diameter with backing plates and tuning lugs adorning it. Accompanying the basic features are a few advanced and protective features like a well crafted single stand, a tuning wrench and lug lube.
Table of Contents
Basic Construction
Material Used: Siam Oak Wood
Length: 18 inches
Breadth: 18 inches
Height: 31 inches
Weight: 40 pounds
Total Shipping Weight: 42.4 pounds
Attractive Features
- It has a wide tuning range.
- The high quality water buffalo skin heads are perfect for studio use or in live shows.
- It has rubber conga protectors.
- The die cast handles make it easier for holding and transportation.
- It has multiple layers of gloss lacquer which give it a glittery, diamond mirror look that shines brightly on stage.
- The Siam oak wood is instrumental in giving out deep, soulful bass tones and crisp high notes.
- The wide belly promises full bass tones and at the same time makes the curt and crisp slap sounds.
- The beautiful natural wood varnish gives it an outlook vintage style and makes the drum look smooth and sleek.
- There is an additional tuning rim which has been designed by giving it a traditional look intentionally.
- An extra fiber glass layer is added on the upper part of the shell for additional strength.
- Matching bongos are easily available on Amazon.
How Does It Fare?
The Tumba drum is a big aspect of traditional Latin Music. It beautifully tunes between fast and slow tempo and hence is much in demand for both Latin Jazz and Merengue. Latin Jazz is far livelier than fast tempo and sharp notes. On the other hand Merengue has a slow and deep tempo with more soulful notes. Professional percussionists are now slowly discovering this hidden gem and bringing it out into the open. The sounds it makes are absolutely unique and provide a relief from the monotone of percussion instruments we are generally exposed to. It is of special use to musicians who perform on stage because the gloss lacquer and silver plates give it a glittering appearance and showing off your beautiful musical instruments to the audience never hurts right? The high quality water buffalo skin creates another win win situation as it creates a booming noise in both a recording studio and on stage. This cuts the studio cost majorly as no special effects to enhance the lovely sound is required- the Tumba does it itself!
Value For Money
Tycoon Percussion Master Diamond Series Tumbadora is available on Amazon and on other e-commerce websites. The real reason you should rush for it are the raving customer reviews. It has an enviable record of 100% customers giving it a 5 on 5 rating. The users cannot stop gushing about the great find they made and some have thanked Amazon for bringing this out on the world map! This instrument has floored customers with its unique wood inspired deep and resonant tone and the range of music genres it can be used for. The tuning rim and the various accompanying features are present to make sure it adjusts to genres and tempos of all kinds. The weight is not much and can be moved from place to place using the light, designer handle. No wonder percussionists are sweating it out over learning this!
Are you still in doubt about purchasing this? Let me clear it further- It is perfect and easy to use for both beginners and professional drummers, so even if you are not a regular, go for it!
