Links to Great Percussion
Instrument Companies
We're very proud of our association with the musical instrument makers and distributors listed here. The Tambourine Percussion Studio instrument collection features Toca Latin percussion and Gibraltar hardware, Paiste Cymbals and Gongs and many handcrafted African percussion instruments imported by Motherland Music. We use heads and a variety of frame drums from Remo, sticks from Vic Firth Enterprises, and play handmade clay Udu drums by our good friend Frank Giorgini. Anyone looking for the finest professional percussion instruments available would be well served by following these links.
... more about UDU drums and Frank Giorgini at his home page...
Tambourine Studio is recording facility. Though occasionally we act as brokers for unusual percussion, we don't normally sell instruments; we play and record them here. Yet we get a lot of inquiries from people in the market for instruments similar to those in our studio collection. So we're sharing a list of the resources we use when we go looking for instruments. The following are links you to instrument makers and sellers we respect and admire. If your looking for a drum circle or a teacher click here. Of course you can always call us with questions about instruments or sources. We'll help if we can.
This symbol indicates a company personally endorsed by Steve Forman and Tambourine Studio.
Resource / Website Specialty Notes Address / E-mail
Albert Alfonso Irish Bodhràns Albert makes fine professional quality tunable Irish Bodhràns. Steve Forman plays and endorses Alfonso Bodhràns. Alfonso Bodhràns
8561 Arturo Dr .,Dallas, TX 75228
(214) 3274733
alfonso@psyberlink.net
Ali Akbar College Store Instruments of India The major importer of quality Indian instruments in North America. Run by musicians, students and teachers at the Ali Akbar College. The Store Manager travels regularly to India to maintain his relationship with the best instrument makers in Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi and Chennai (Madras).

Ali Akbar College Store
215 West End Ave.
San Rafael, CA. 94901 Phone: 1-800-748-2252
or 1-415-454-0581
Fax: 1-415-454-9396

 

Bina Musical Instruments of India A direct souce for Indian instruments 789, Nai Sarak, Delhi - 110 006 (India)
Phones : 91-11-326-3595,
326-5889. Fax : 91-11-327-2360
E-mail : binaswar@nda.vsnl.net.in
Bongo Central Internet sales of African Instruments and gifts Drums of the Djembe, Sabar, and Bougarabou families, Rawhide goatskins, Terrific articles on drum making and reheading. One of the best websites on African drums I've seen. drumsales@bongocentral.com
Burnt Earth Clay Stoneware instruments Hand formed from ceramic stoneware clay, no two instruments are alike in size, color, finish, texture or sound. Many are primitive in appearance, yet carefully crafted to be top quality professional musical instruments. Burnt Earth
P.O. Box 4674
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
tel. (925) 947-5537
burntearth@ninestones.com
Clarion Music China, Aisia World Percussion In San Francisco's Chinatown, Clarion Music Center is a fabulous source for ehtnic instruments in general and Asian stuff in particluar, including a huge inventory of Chow and Wu Hann Gongs and Cymbals Clarion Music Center
816 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 391-1317
Toll free within the
U.S. 888-343-5374
El Coyote Enterprises Zills, fingercymbals Hand-crafted in their small workshop in Santa Cruz California. Each Zill is cut from specially alloyed brass, hand- wrought then individually stamped with unique designs. nikki@fingercymbals.
voice mail and fax #
1-877 738-0873

Noisy Toys

 

Ethnic Perc and Kid's stuff "The little store with the big selection of hand drums, percussion toys...kids drums and lots of unique 'noise makers'”. A wonderful source in LA for ethnic Percussion for pros and enthusiasts. 8728 South Sepulveda Boulevard,Los Angeles, CA
90045 (in Westchester).
bill@noisytoys.com
Earthshaking Music Ethnic, World Percussion Terrific eastern US source for Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Mideast etc. A great company. Earthshaking Music Inc
543 Stokeswood Ave
Atlanta Ga 30316
info@earthshakingmusic.com
Fat Congas Hand made Congas, Cajóns, Batajóns Rick Buscemi builds the finest hand-made wood cajóns we've ever seen, including a set of three wooden batá drums called Batajóns. A lot of look-alikes are in stores around the country but none of them come close the sound and quality of FAT Fat Congas
P.O. BOX 5654
Santa Barbara, CA 93150-5654
805.969.6125
fatconga@west.net
The Gourd Connection Gourds Specializing in the manufacture of Hawaiian drums called Ipu and Ipu Heke. If you're serious about percussion sooner or later you'll start making some of your own instruments. Gourds are a very important raw material for a lot instruments, and this is a good place to get them. The Gourd Connection:
3210 Garrison Street
San Diego, CA. 92106-2110
alohaipu@pacbell.net
John Jackson / Bothy Bodhráns Bodhráns John lives in Scottland and makes excellent professional Bodhráns including a model with a unique tuning sytem using a single machine head for tensioning the skin. I own and play one of these drums- it's amazing! --sf john@bothybodhrans.com
William Kooienga Art Drums William Kooienga makes unique wood sculptures that happen to be exquisite drums, often with more than one head.The Drums range from fanciful dumbek types to conga or djembe like creations. This is special museum quallty stuff for collectors.

William Kooienga
Beechhollow Studios
578 Frazier Hollow Road
Dowelltown IN 37059
615 536-5567
beechhollow@hotmail.com

 

Lark in the Morning Ethnic, World Music and Instruments Arguably the largest and most comprehensive mail-order source of it's kind, Lark specializes in hard to find musical instruments, music and instructional materials. The interactive website and 128 page printed catalog serve as important references in their own right. Outstanding! Lark In The Morning
PO Box 799, Fort Bragg, CA 95437
(707) 964-5569, Fax (707) 964-1979
larkinam@larkinam.com
Lark has conventional retail shops in
San Francisco, Seattle, and Mnemonic, Ca.
L.J. Percussion African Drums, etc. Many African drum importers work like Baba Leon does: "The drums that I put together are of top quality. I import raw wooden shells from West Africa. I then finish them and assemble them in my workshop..." High quality finished products. L. J. PERCUSSION
P.O. Box 141592
Gainesville, Florida 32614-1592
1 (800) 920-0418
BabaLeon@LJPercussion.com
Lone Star Percussion Orchestral Percussion World class source for everything in traditional concert percussion and drum-set. Also Afro-Cuban perc from the major manufacturers. Lone Star Percussion
10611 Control Place
Dallas, Texas 75238 USA
214-340-0835 / 24 Hour Fax Number: 214-340-0861
lsp@lonestarpercussion.com
The Mallet Shop Mallet Percussion We get a lot of inquiries for links to used mallet percussion. These folks deal in refurbished Vibes, Marimbas, Timpani etc. Mallet Shop
1401 SE 1st St.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301 malletshop@aol.com
Motherland RhythmArt African Instruments and Art Motherland specializes in importing high quality authentic African Musical Instruments and Art including drums, iron bells, gongs, shakers, rattles, and other instruments, also sticks, beaters and drum tuning accessories. By far Tambourine Studio's first choice for anything African. 2028 14th Street, Boulder, Colorado, USA, 80302-5303 or
P.O. Box 451481, Los Angeles, California, USA, 90045
(888)419-0515 (toll free),
(303)440-4661 (Boulder, CO),
(310)641-2895 (LA, CA,
Steve@MotherlandRhythmArt.Com or Dan@MotherlandRhythmArt.Com
PercussionSource.Com Orchestral Percussion An excellent internet source for traditional orchestra percussion and basic hand percussion. Seems to be oriented toward professionals. 1212 Fifth Street
PO Box 5521
Coralville, IA 52241 USA
phone / 800.397.9378
toll-free fax / 888.470.3942
Professional Drum Shop Drums & Percussion The #1 established shop in LA for drums and accessories, with a large inventory of world percussion. This truly is "the shop where the Pros Shop". Professional Drum Shop, Inc
854 Vine Street, Hollywood, CA 90038
Tel:(323) 469-6285
FAX:(323) 469-0440 prodrum@aol.com
Rhythm Fusion Ethnic, World Music and Instruments Percussion of the world: drums, rattles, bells, shakers, whistles, and more common and weird sound makers.. Phone:(831)423-2048
FAX: (831)423-2073
1541 Pacific Ave Santa Cruz
PO Box 3226
Santa Cruz, CA, 95063 rhythm@rhythmfusion.com

Rolling Thunder

 

Taikos Japanese Drums Rolling Thunder offers the best in taiko drums, videos, music and more from both sides of the Pacific. They import high quality taiko goods that are difficult to obtain outside of Japan, as well as providing excellent products produced in the USA. PO Box 942
San Leandro, CA 94577
Tel/fax: (510) 562-7866
wateya@taiko.com
Steve Weiss Music Orchestral Percussion Professional's Mail -order source for everything in traditional concert percussion and drum-set. Also Afro-Cuban perc from the major manufacturers. Very competitive pricing. Steve Weiss Music
2324 Wyandotte Road
Willow Grove, PA 19090
(215) 659 1170
Toll Free FAX (877) 582 2494
info@steveweissmusic.com
sales@steveweissmusic.com
Tachini Drums Native American Drums Owned and operated by Salish people of the Flathead Reservation, Tachini makes beautiful handcrafted drums. They fabricate their unique ply shells and lace rawhide heads of buffalo, moose, elk and horse. They also provide unfinished shells for other makers. Excellent. Tachini Drums
406-830-0808
info@tachinidrums.com
Taos Drums Native American Drums A source for Native American drums made and played by American Indians in New Mexico . Their shells are usally one piece hollowed tree trunk sections. These drums are sold around the world in gift shops and music stores at ridiculous prices but they sell directly to musicians and they are great people to deal with. Highly recommended. 415.457.3799
atlantis@nbn.com
Warren Casey Drum Co. Tapans, Bodhràns Warren Casey makes wonderful Bulgarian and Macedonian Tapans per order. 818.548.4566
warrencasey@wickedtinkers.com

 

 

Looking for drum circle? The world famous Venice Beach Drum Circle is right here, a short walk from Tambourine Percussion Studio! There are so many out there coming & going, changing; we could never keep up a reliable list. But others are trying to do it, so we're l collecting links to help you find one. Start with Arthur Hull's http://www.drumcircle.com/, and then try http://www.rhythmweb.com/circle/ . In the LA area check out http://www.africanbeat.com/. Please let us know if these help. And If you have a good list group tell us about it so we can share it with others
..Steve Forman
Contact Steve Forman at Tambourine Percussion Studio: 471 N. Avenue 51, Highland Park CA. 90042 Telephones: Voice 323 344 8123, FAX 323 344 8550, E-mail: Steve Forman