Problems with your drum

Here's how we can help:

First of all, I would like to start by giving my deepest apologies for the problem with your drum. We are more than happy to replace the drum or give you a full refund if you are experiencing any problems. I can assure you that we inspect each drum before it is shipped to you, but due to the handmade quality of our drums there are still some errors that may have been missed.

Each drum that we offer is completely hand-made in remote parts of Africa, and due to the harsh conditions and hand-made quality, there are almost always slight differentiations between each drum. Machine-made drums will be perfect, spotless, and smooth; but you are getting the real hand-made African drum. Each hand-made drum will be different from the next, and each will stand out in its own unique way. Here are some common questions customers have about issues with the drums:

Customers want something unique:

A drum may have a perfect size, but a slightly uneven drum head. The opening between the bowl and the base may be perfect, but the ropes may not be tight enough. We know that each drummer has different qualities in a drum that they look for; a country of origin, a certain shape, a tight rope, a loose rope, etc,. Some drummers will fall in love with a drum that has an uneven, hand-made look. Others will want a more perfect, clean-looking drum. Let us know what you are looking for so we can be sure to meet those needs! Again, if you are not happy with a drum, just call us up and schedule an exchange or a refund.

Drum Rims:

We purchase the best African drums we can find; and still we reject about half of the drums that we inspect. We have high standards when we send our drums to a customer. We allow no holes in the drum head or body of the drum for example. We cannot have extremely rigid inspection standards however, or every hand-made drum would be rejected because nothing hand-made can be completely "perfect."

We do not purchase any drums with exceptionally uneven rims, but if the drum is of very good quality and has slight uneven rims, then we can appreciate that. No hand-made drum is perfect; some customers love this quality, others do not. We can assure you that these are the highest quality hand-made drums you will find.

Tonal qualities:

Authentic D'jembe Drums from Africa give you unequaled sound quality. Like any musical instrument however, D'jembe drums need to be tuned regularly. When we ship the drums from our warehouse to you, they sometimes lose some of their tuning, and may need to be re-tuned upon arrival. This can normally be done by tightening the strings till you get the appropriate sound.

Level of precision:

There are machine-made drums that are made to fit more precise standards. These drums tend to be very expensive: normally selling for more than $1,000. Authentic African drums are normally produced in remote regions of Africa using hand-tools and traditional methods which do not allow for the same level of precision.

We have high-standards when it comes to any drum we sell. You will have a very hard time finding any drum for the same price and quality that you will find here; but if you are unhappy, please let us know so we can make the situation right by offering you a refund or exchange. If you have anything specific you are looking for in a drum, let us know! Each drum is hand-picked before shipment, so we can look for any specific desires you have.

Thank you for letting us help you with your drum needs. If you have any other questions at all, please contact us anytime at all. We'd love to hear from you!