Specifications
- Size: 55 cm diameter, 7 cm frame depth
- 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
The 55 cm, 7 cm-deep kit is Feeltone’’s largest round ritual drum size. A complete building package containing everything to create the instrument — except the beater stick, which by tradition is for you to find in nature. The frame arrives with a raw, saw-cut surface so you can shape it freely to your taste.
Sound and character
The 55 cm size produces a monumental, hollow and very deep fundamental. At this diameter cowhide gives a particularly bodied and weighty vibration that the listener feels physically as well as hears. The tonal range is generous, with rich, slowly-fading overtones around the fundamental. The 7 cm depth adds extra weight and character to the voice.
How to use
Recommended for leading larger community ceremonies and drum circles, as a foundation drum in group sound therapy work, and for professional sound artists in concert-style performances. The 55 cm format is held with both hands and is most comfortable seated, resting on the lap. Its voice provides a unique presence in the space and deserves serious attention.
Why this product
If you want to build by hand the deepest, most filling ritual drum, this kit is the ideal choice. The larger size gives serious tonal range, while Feeltone materials ensure durable, professional quality. The build itself becomes a ceremony, and the finished instrument is a companion for decades.
Care tips
- Tension the large frame with the help of a second person.
- Use a tub or vessel large enough for soaking the hide.
- When storing, make sure the hide does not touch any damp surface.
- Before playing, always warm the head with slow rubbing of your palm.
- Keep the leather head of the beater dry; if it gets wet, let it dry fully before playing.
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).