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| Fiberglass & Brass Body Drums with Leather Heads |
 We sell a variety of drums hand made in India. Some have fiberglass bodies made to look like traditional clay drums, and some have brass bodies. They all have natural leather straps, binding and heads. (This leather is collected in a traditional Vaishnava manner once the cow has died naturally.)
Mridangas (and most instruments) are sensitive to climate. Changes in temperature and humidity affect the sounds and tuning of the drums. For this reason, please be aware that when you receive your drum from our warehouse, it most likely will need to be tuned. We test the drums when we receive them from India, and again before we ship them to you, so they are free of defects.
Generally slight tuning is fairly simple to do. Often the problem is changing temperatures or humidities, usually related to the weather or heating and cooling of your home. This is also a problem when shipping instruments from one climate to another. Sometimes your drum can also develop a 'buzzing' sound which also has a simple fix.
 Drum is too low - If your drum head sounds too low or loose, it needs to be tightened. If you live in a humid climate, you can prevent this by storing it in a dry case or box, sometimes using an anti-humidity product during very humid conditions. If you live in drier climates, you can sometimes sit your drum in the sun on a cool morning or evening for about 20 minutes.
Drum is too high - If your drum head sounds too high or tight, it is too dry and needs to be relaxed. If you live in a dry climate, you should expose it to mild humidity (it seems strange, but a popular method is sitting your drum carefully in the bathroom while showering, or in the kitchen while cooking). Please avoid direct contact with water as the leather will warp, discolor, or deteriorate over time.
Drum head 'buzzes' - Sometimes a drum starts making a buzzing sound which doesn't go away when it's tuned or used over a period of time. This is common and there is a simple fix that usually does the trick. Cut a length of narrow twine roughly the circumfrence of the drum head edge. Carefully, firmly tucking the twine between the surface of the head and the inside lip (as pictured). The other reason for a buzz sound is a crack or chip in the black surface of the head. This is a more involved repair, but can sometimes be quieted by gently removing any loose particles.
Browse our Mridangas and Drums and Accessories.
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| Balarama Mridangas |
 The Balarama Mridangas are a classic staple of kirtans in ISKCON centers around the world. It is with great sadness that we've had to stop taking orders for these drums. The drum maker cannot keep up with the current demand and our backorder list for the drums is too long.
If you would like to inquire about getting on the waiting list, please contact us for details.
If you are on the waiting list and would like an update on your information, please contact us (if you had a specific color drum but would like to switch to 'no preference', it might reduce your wait time).
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| Please contact us if you need help or more information. |
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