This is my favorite Djembe I've tried. I've played the 14" and the 16". Both are crisp on the slaps, and have decent bass tones. I prefer the 16", and I keep it tuned a little bit looser. The tension rods are a little odd to try and tune since they are right against the shell, but I'd rather have that than a rope tuned Djembe or a high rim. The drum is very beginner-friendly, as well. Soft on the hands. I've also used it in a drumset situation with brushes and medium-soft yarn mallets, where it is the snare, bongos are toms, congas are floor toms, and a 22" kick drum. Always get great compliments on the sound of the Djembe. I'd recommend it to anyone.

I used to play on traditional pieces from Ivory coast (west Africa) and was very curious to discover the Remo sound. First positive point: My 16" Remo djembe is lightweight. It has a impressive bass, the Fyberskin-3 feeling is GREAT, much better for the hands than the best goat skin (you feel the difference after a gig!) but there is no way to avoid these disturbing overtones if you play open tones on the rim or fast medium slaps. A direct comparison with my largest traditional djembe confirmed this difference.It remains the best weatherproof one I could get.

On a weekly basis I truck a dozen djembes out to the wilderness and play with kids in the rain, sun, and snow. The fiberskin head is not easily influenced by changes in moisture and despite bumpy roads and fluctuating temperatures they remain in tune. As others have mentioned, the rim is very comfortable on novice hands. The bass tones are great though there is a slight ringing that is difficult to avoid when playing slaps and tones (more of a problem with slaps). The ringing increases the larger the head. It is almost indiscernible on the 10" but very obvious on the 14". I prefer my personal, goat-skin headed, fiberglass djembe for improved tonal articulation, but for our needs with beginners it's an impressive instrument. And who can beat the price on a reliable drum?

I bought the 14" Djembe in earth color. As a rock drummer, this sort of percussion is new to me, but am having a great time with this instrument. You get a real nice deep bass tone out of the drum's center and a high-pitched crack from the rim. It's really durable, has a weather-proof head and is easy to tune. I used it on an acoustic gig not long ago and mic'ed it through a small PA. It sounded really nice. Several folks from the audience commented at how much they liked the sound of the drum (not my playing, though). If I had to pick out one thing I don't like, it's the goofy Rube Goldberg tuning wrench they give you. It comes in two pieces and has an awkward movable joint. Other than that, the 14" Remo Djembe is the way to go. Good luck. I hope this helps you.

This drum is great. It is easy to play and tune. It also stays in tune well

I have the 14"--it's a great, resonant, weather-resistant instrument. That extra ringing on the slap can be largely eliminated by removing the head and placing adhesive foam weatherstripping tape around the outer circumference of the head (do a web search for "how to tune a remo Djembe," and you'll probably find the sites I did) and then tuning it up pretty tight. I'm still working on finding the right tape patterns for the sound I want, but it's very versatile! This isn't a substitute for a true African skin Djembe, but it comes pretty close, is lots easier to take care of (almost maintenance-free, once you get it tuned and damped), and you can't beat the price.

I have one of these drums and I recommend this to people that have never taken lessons. It is a very reasonable Item.

After seeing several of these drums around recently, I decided to pick one up and try it out. I was told I purchased the most common model (14" Earth color), and I can absolutely see why. This drum is amazingly dynamic! Recently we have been playing mostly acoustic shows in and around the Austin area where I have been using just a snare and brushes, hot rods, etc. After adding this drum, it opened up a whole new tonal pallet in our shows. I only had it for about half a day when I tried it out at a show later that night, and the band had nothing but praise for it. It has become a definite staple to our shows after only two weeks. Much like I read in other reviews, I did some slight tone customization with some gaffer tape on the under side of the head to minimize some of the ringing. This was done fairly easily and without removing the head like others suggested. If your arm is long enough, you shouldn't have any troubles either. Clearly, I am pleased with my purchase and would recommend this product to anyone looking for something different as a main drum, or for accents.

I have been gigging at acoustic open mics with this drum and my band. It has worked great giving me the durability and projection I need to get over the pa. I highly recommend this drum for anybody who wants ease of use and great playability!

I grew up with middle eastern dance beats which is best played with a doumbek or darbuka. I own a Turkish darbuka and an Egyptian doumbek. I needed to add a lower/deeper/louder base so I bought a Remo 12'' Djembe. It turns out these are great for solid and loud middle eastern beats even though they do not respond to rolling fingers and high pitch playful messages as well as Doumbeks/Darbukas do. The sound is in 3D and it creates a ringing echo off the walls which some people do not like based on reviews. I love it !!!! I then decided to buy a 10'' for my 12 year old daughter. These Djembe are maintenance free so you do not have to worry about humidity or temperature. They are always ready to play when you are ready. I have been using my drum in drum circles since Spring 2005 and I am looking forward to using it for recording loops at my home studio. I believe these are going to provide excellent recoding results due to their high pitch ringing sound that you do not typically find on organic drumheads.