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Remo
< Choro Pandeiro
GLOBAL FRAME DRUMS
S T A E B S ’ D L R O REFRAMING THE W Irish Bodhran >
By Gary Gardner
S
ince the 1980s, when the introduction of the Fiberskyn head and Acousticon drum shell signaled a new direction in Remo’s manufacturing focus, the company has been making strong inroads into the world of hand percussion. With more than three decades of frame drum R&D on the table, Remo’s new line of world percussion hand drums, Global Frame Drums and Tambourines (or GFT), represents a clear notch up in the manufacture of professional percussion instruments. Superior craftsmanship is a given with this new crop of toys, from their awesome looks to their brilliant production of traditional sounds. The GFT are constructed from Remo’s synthetic Skyndeep graphic film drumheads and the latest AST (Acousticon Shell Technologies). Addressing all levels of players needs, the GFT instruments provide different options for playability and affordability, from aspiring students to drum enthusiasts to professional musicians.
FOSHIZZLE
Hot off the griddle is Remo’s new Choro pandeiro featuring the “Sizzle Zil” jingle configuration. This unique design utilizes two copper and one German silver convex jingles along with a stainless steel chrome-plated disc between them. The copper jingles have small holes in them that allow more of the staccatosounding German jingle through, as well as shaving off some weight of the in-
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strument. Remo claims the holes also allow the drumhead to resonate more, but I couldn’t really tell if that was true or not. The recommendation is for the Choro pandeiro to be tuned in the lower register, and that advice holds true in the playing. The pandeiro has great tonality and the bass tones really ring out. The jingles are crisp and provide a nice higher ambiance contrasted with the lower tuned head. Another very cool attribute of this instrument is the new Skyndeep with Ultratac replaceable head. This head has a rough texture, which is great for finger rolls, but also mimics an animal-type skin quality. Bending the head for pitch change is easy, where plastic heads are generally much stiffer.
SAMBA DEL SHAMROCK
The new Remo deep-shell Irish bodhrans look and sound incredible. Traditionally fitted with an animal-skin head, this version is outfitted with a fixed synthetic Bahia Bass drumhead. Reminiscent of the sound you’d expect from a Brazilian surdo drum, this head carries amazingly deep bass tones. The attack on the Bahia is a much softer attack than other synthetic heads, giving a mellow vibe to the drum. But it still generates plenty of power when needed. Although the head is fixed, Remo has built in an internal hex key tuning
Choro Pandeiro ............................. 10" x 1.78" Irish Bodhran .................................. 16" x 4.5" Tar ...................................................... 18" x 3" 100 percent recycled wood fiber Acousticon shell Antique wood veneer Choro Pandeiro: “Sizzle Zil” jingle configuration, Skyndeep with Ultratac replaceable head, key tuned Irish Bodhran: synthetic Bahia Bass drumhead, internal hex key tuning system Tar: textured Skyndeep synthetic drumhead, carved out hand position Choro Pandeiro .......................................$189 Irish Bodhran ..........................................$219 Tar ........................................................... $119 Remo Inc. remo.com 661 294 5600
DRUM! August 2010 drummagazine.com
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