Specifications
- Size: 45 cm diameter (round frame)
- Material: oakwood frame (saw-rough, untreated), cowhide drumhead, cowhide lacing, leather strip for the handle
- Included: beater with leather head and wool filling, detailed building instructions
- Origin: Germany, Feeltone workshop
Complete kit for building your own 45 cm ritual drum. The frame arrives raw and untreated, so you can shape its surface to your taste. The stick for the handle is something you have to gather from nature yourself — Feeltone deliberately leaves this step to the maker, because it creates a deeper bond with the instrument.
Sound and character
At 45 cm the drum already speaks with a confident, deep voice, sitting on the golden middle ground between the smaller and larger ceremonial sizes. Cowhide gives a full, projecting tone enriched by warm overtones. The fundamental is stable, long-sustaining, and responds sensitively to both hand and beater. It works well in group circles without ever overpowering the other instruments.
How to use
Recommended for full-moon circles, shamanic journeys, sound meditations and personal spiritual practice. The 45 cm format is still comfortably held in one hand, seated or standing, so it adapts equally well to indoor sessions and outdoor rituals. Its voice serves both for rhythm leadership and for the slow, trance-supporting pulse.
Why this product
A self-built drum is not just an instrument but a personal ceremonial object. The Feeltone kit consists of high-quality materials and arrives with a detailed manual that even less experienced makers can follow. The building itself is healing, and the finished drum can stay a faithful companion to you for decades.
Care tips
- Plan the build for a quiet day — the process asks for full attention.
- Soak the hide in lukewarm water as the manual describes, and wring it well before lacing.
- Keep the finished drum at an even temperature, away from moisture or direct heat sources.
- Warm the head gently before playing — this gives a cleaner, deeper tone.
- For the beater handle, look for a naturally fallen branch, ideally from a hardwood tree.
About Feeltone
Feeltone is a craft instrument workshop in Lassan, northern Germany, founded by Ingo Böhme. For over two decades they have built monochords, sound beds, sound chairs and ceremonial drums for therapists, sound artists and meditation practitioners. Every instrument is hand-built from certified sustainably sourced woods and finished with natural treatments (hard wax oil).