Very few people and places have the knowledge and experience to build and repair west African percussion as Drumskull. They are just the best. read more

Master drum builder and technician well versed in and the traditions of percussion and nuances of sound

Phenomenal workmanship. I cannot even verbalize how amazing my djembe sounds. I took my 25 year old djembe in for re-heading, Matt did an amazing job. My new custom build is beautiful and sounds fantastic! read more

I've had multiple drums repaired here and they always come out better than before! If you want top of the line quality and sound then drumskull is the place to go! read more

Great service! Beautiful drums. Master craftsman. Matt is a professional and knows his craft very well. He is dedicated, reliable, and talented. read more

Sahar was most helpful to me to make the decisions I needed to make to a select the appropriate accessories for my DrumSkull. She clearly explained the options , sent images and followed up. I made my selections and paid for over the telephone. Easy. And the price was right. Very fair and reasonable for the high quality drums and accessories irises the offer. I chose to get the heavy duty Djembe travel/carry case/ bag, heels cover , handle strap and waist strap. To stay on top... she offers regular classes in Santa Cruz and occasionally in San Jose. Want or need a drum ... go to DrrumSkull and tack a test tap on the drums and select the one that speaks to you and need something st support you drumming check out the full line of accessories. And when . The worst happens ... the offer a full like of drum repair and skin replacements and running. Happy drumming. Metta john h read more

Bought my first real Djembe after being shamed out of a Remo by a fellow drum student in a class, told me about these two guys in Aptos that made REAL Djembes, Matt & Ryan. At the time they were just starting out in a little shack off of highway 1. At the time they could only have 2-3 drums build at a time, when I bought mine(1996) it was the only one they had for sale, I still have it, and Matt just reheaded/roped/conditioned it a few months ago. Such an awesome drum, even before they had connections to the fancy carvers in Africa. If there was ever a thumbnail pic in a dictionary for the word "integrity", Matt's picture should be it. Btw, just found out of the passing of Mamady Keita....RIP my brother, you will be sincerely missed. Say hi to Abdoulaye for me when you get there. read more

Drumskull Drums - 1996 Drumskulls drum. - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Pretty simple... If you live in North America or anywhere, the best djembe and dunu and other drums, repairs phenomenal. THE place to get serious with African spirit, sound and woods and skins from the continent. Take a trip to Santa Cruz, on the ocean and go try 100's of the best! Nice Folks! read more

Drumskull Drums - Drumskull Djembe - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I bought my first drum at DRUMSKULLS back in about '97. It was a beautiful djembe. This was a beautiful drum. Later, I purchased a dununba and had my sangban & kenkeni reskinned & roped to match. This was a beautiful set. Matt also converted a traditional ngoma to rings and a new skin. More recently Matt finished a dunun set from Guinea. All initial and repair work is THE BEST. I know this not only because I love my drums, but when my drums are around camps & conferences, the master artists want to play my drums too. What better feedback is there?! Though there are other folks who reskin / rehead drums, I simply go back to Drumskulls. I know the work will be done beautifully and the process is simple. Matt & everyone else who works there are awesome, and this is a super great business. YAY DRUMSKULLS!! read more

Matt is a genius and is well supported by Dave & Sahar. My bf Jan has had 2 djembes reheaded: drum skins and rings replaced. When they do that, they resurface the top of the drum at the same time. The result is exceptional and the sound when the drums are finished is superb! I even had my small djembe redone recently. It is small enough that I can lift it, but has a full size 12" head. It was made in Senegal for the US market and people like me - non professionals. From the size, it is considered a child's drum or a "toy." My drum had a dull lifeless sound, but nice bass. I chose to invest the money in a new head to make my little drum the "best it could be," while keeping my expectations realistic. Well, the sound is just great! Bright and sharp with good bass as well. True definition which in the 25 years this drum has existed, it never had. I am just delighted!!! Thank you so much Drumskulls! You do a superior job! And it is always fun to visit, see all the wonderful instruments, learn about the art, and play with your Labrador! read more

I've been playing djembe for 15 years and was able to purchase one of Drumskulls premier line djembes a few years ago and have loved it ever since. Just recently, it needed to be reheaded, so after contacting them and talking with Dave, I shipped my drum back to Drumskull. Two and a half weeks later I had my beautifully redone djembe back and sounding better then ever! There is a reason Drumskull Drums is considered the best. They not only source the best shells from countries like Guinea, Mali, and Ivory Coast, but they have the expertise, experience and artistry to build them into world class professional instruments! Don't be fooled, there are a lot of import companies selling low grade drums that list them as "professional", but Drumskull is NOT one of them! These are truly professional high end masterpieces, that sound as good as they look! You can't beat Drumskull Drums, they a worth every penny and more! read more

My job issued a bonus one year, and what did I decide to do with it? Buy a drum! I was playing Congolese music with an all-women percussion group called HeartRhythms. I had been performing with a trusty djembe for a while, but this bonus money was what I needed to upgrade to an ngoma. I had heard that Drumskull does as close to the "real thing" as available in the U.S. (compared to ones made in Congo). With the help of friends with cars, we traveled from San Francisco to Santa Cruz 3 times to get this drum made. First visit was for measurement and choosing any customization (rope color, etc)., 2nd was to try the size (it was a little high) and 3rd was to try the new size and finally take it home. I've performed with it at music festivals and concerts and even brought it to Congolese Dance and Drum Camp. I LOVE THIS DRUM. Well made. Worth the money. Customer service = excellent. They really care about making a quality instrument. Next possible purchase: dunnuns. There's a high possibility that I'll come back here. read more

As a musician you should always buy the best instrument you can afford. And before you buy an instrument or more gear, ask yourself "how is this going to improve my playing?" When I buy a drum its an investment in my playing and myself. I take lessons, practice and try to play the very best I can every time I play. Drumskull drums help me reach to my highest aspirations and are of the absolute highest quality. Yes you are going to have to pay more than you would like, but there are no better Djembes and Dunun's. Cost is relative, and a good quality guitar will run you thousands of dollars. A $500 dollar drum will last you a lifetime and if you kept it 20 years that would only be about $2 dollars a month for playing a sick djembe. I have seen a few instances where people have come close to their level of work, but I have yet to see them surpassed by anyone in terms of quality. Top level shells, fresh African skins with American rope and materials. Hell yeah. The sound of the Dunun after the heads have been broken in is exceptional. Listen to the tone of cheaper duns: they can sound muffled and/ or always have one side that does not have good projection/tone. With Drumskulls the Dunun notes are going to rumble, cleanly. The Kenkeni is going to cut through brightly, if you have it tuned properly. This allows you to play with more finesse/dynamics than people think possible from duns. This is also a small business and the service is as top-notch as the drums. read more

I have had the pleasure of conducting business with this company for many years now. The instruments are of superb quality. The craftsmanship that their shop performs is par-none. I have built djembe and dunun drums since 1995, and the quality that Drumskull produces is absolutely professional level. They are cutting-edge in transforming the standard of re-heading and re-working drums. Their knowledge base and passion have produced the best shop in the USA for djembe and dunun. Ryan and Matt have built a business and created a new standard that is hard to find anywhere else. read more

These guys are the very best in the business. Honestly, as far as I can tell, you won't find a better djembe, the world over. And for those that think the prices are a bit steep, let me introduce you to my $5,000 modest professional quality mandolin. It's nearly impossible to get a world class instrument at this price in the bluegrass world. I love that I can get this quality at this price. And what is the difference? I believe it's in the skin mounting. They do the best work I've seen, and I've seen a lot. The last djembe I bought from them sounded so good, I felt guilty for owning it. I almost feel unworthy of such a drum. I gave a lot of thought to sending it to my master, Famoudou. Thank you guys so much for really inspiring my playing by giving me the best tools. read more

Ryan and Matt make the best djembes on the planet and exceptional service

great shop for traditional west african percussion: djembes, dunun, ngomas etc. workmanship: A+ Price: no comment Service: A+ i've worked with these guys since i started playing 6 years ago and they've always provided a top shelf product and service. read more

I conduct hand drumming workshops worldwide for corporate team building, community events and private groups, and the folks at Drumskulls make instruments as good as, or better than, any I've seen in all of my travels! And I'm very demanding when it comes to instruments that have authentic sound and feel! read more

I started playing the djembe early last summer and fell in love with the drum and the whole culture behind it. I started off with a kangaba from guitar center and thought that I had the best drum. Then I heard a DRUM SKULL DRUM and knew that I had to get one. I ordered a drum from the premier Guinea line and the first time I heard it I thought that I was hearing what the sunshine sounds like. The more i play it the better it sounds. I became an addict of the rhythm and had to have more. My next drum came from the DSD premier Senegal line and all I can say about it is WOW! I am now waiting on a new drum from their Ivory Coast line and can't wait to get my hands on it! Matt, Scott, and Ben are the best, and you can trust them to steer you in the right direction. I live in Houston Texas and never even heard my drums before I bought them. I just told them what I was looking for in sound and they were able to nail it every time! BIG THANKS to DRUM SKULL DRUMS!!!!M Shane k. read more

Drumskulls repaired my Ngoma (Congolese) drum going beyond what I expected. They sanded the whole body, oiled it and replaced the head making it sound better than ever. Mat also added a rubber rim on the bottom of the drum to protect wooden dance floors without me asking. They exceeded my expectations. Many of the Drumskull employees are drummers so they have the added experience of knowing what we need. They are the best in the business and economical. Don't go anywhere else. They are a treasure. Kathy G read more