Sangban bags and sticks

[Marc_M]

Hi Gang -

I hope to buy a new sangban this weekend, but not sure what to tote it around in. There are djembe bags and duffle bags for djembes, but what do people carry around sangbans in?

What about sticks for dunun? The shop I intend to purchase from doesn't sell any. The owner suggested going to a hardware/lumber store and cutting/sanding my own - this is a guy from West Africa and the best retailer of djembes in town in my opion. So,what do others do for sticks?

Any advice on either topics would be great.

Cheers.

[bubudi]

hi marc, most commercial drumsticks have tips on them and are not very thick. i would agree with your shop owner that if you buy some decent lightweight hardwood (e.g hickory) you could carve some that are just right for you. if that seems too hard, you could try getting some off the internet. drumskulldrums.com sell them in three sizes (kenkeni, sangban and dununba). try a couple of pairs of the sangban size for starters. as for a bag, i started out with a duffle bag (the drawstring lets it fit tightly around the drum. then i was carrying it in a shoulder bag. only problem with these are they're not that thick/padded and don't necessarily keep out moisture well, but they'll do for a good while. my current bags are well padded. they were custom made for a good price, but you could also get these from the drumskulls.

[Marc_M]

Hi Bubudi -

I have access to some electric saws and sanders, so I will pick up some light weight hardwood as you suggested. Can't wait to see the look on the face of the salesperson at the lumber store when I tell them what I want it for.

Sometimes I see videos with musicians playing using these bent and gnarly looking sticks - I like the look of that too. My parents have a Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in their backyard. Apparently the Tulip Tree was revered by the pioneers for construction and building. I may try to carve a stick out of that just for fun to see if it has the strength.

Thanks for all your info.

Marc

[rachelnguyen]

Hey Marc,

The sticks my teacher brought back from Mali are very soft wood and are made of two pieces, shaped like a hammer.

But otherwise, he uses a regular drumstick, but holds it backwards so the large end is hitting the skin. I have seen him wrap electrical tape around the end, too, to mute the sound a bit.

Have fun!

Rachel

[e2c]

Rachel, not to go off-topic or anything, but does he have any of those sticks for sale? I've used one and LOVE it, but it's not mine... and I can't seem to find one anywhere in the US.

[rachelnguyen]

Hey e2c,

Drumskull carries the bent version of the dunun sticks. Here's the link:
http://www.drumskulldrums.com/en2/22/Sh ... ProdID=198

These look like the N'tama sticks (talking drum) but are bigger.

Sidy only brought one pair back from Mali last winter... so he doesn't have any to sell.