Hand drums are found in the heart of any Latin music. It is an easy instrument to learn and there is almost always a place for one in a song. But which part of the world you are in, could influence what it is you will be using. There are drums like the djembe which originated in West Africa. Generally, they are tuned by ropes that hold down the animal skin across the frame.
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There are also the Cuban conga drums which are played as pairs. They have a large wooden frame with a single head, and generally, they have metal clamps to hold the skin down. These are one of the most common drums when it comes to latin music.
There is also the bongo drums, which is what we are looking at in this article. Bongo drums originated in Cuba and have been part of the soul of their music ever since. Bongos have 2 drums, the smaller one is the hembra (spanish for female) and then there is the larger one, the macho (spanish for male). Generally the sizes for these are either 6” and 7” or 7” and 8 ½”. I got some of this great information from the guys over at X8 Drums, and you can read about what I found and more in this article.
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Table of Contents:
Best Bongo Drums
LP Galaxy Giovanni Series
Price (before shipping)- $359.99
LP, or Latin Percussion, makes amazing hand drums. Whether they be bongos, congas, or even cajons, they make some amazing sounding instruments. This pair in particular are fashioned with North American Ash and chrome hardware.
|
Head Sizes |
Shell | Head |
| 7 ¼” 8 ⅝” | North American Ash |
Rawhide |
Meinl Percussion HB100
Price (before shipping)- $99.99
Meinl is another drum brand that has made its own waves in the percussion world. They are known not only for their amazing drums but also their cymbals. With this one, there are multiple color options as well as a few material differences. There is an acrylic option as well as plastic available for those who like those sounds better.
|
Head Sizes |
Shell | Head |
| 6 ½” & 7 ½”
6 ¾” & 8” |
Maple
Rubber Wood Acrylic |
Buffalo |
LP Bongo Cajon LP1429
Price (before shipping)- $57.99
For those of you wanting to completely diversify their sound, there is the bongo cajon. These have a fully wooden head rather than any animal skins or synthetic materials. They give almost more of a slapping sound than regular bongos that would work great in certain songs. To know what I mean you can watch this clip here. I know of some percussionists who just outright prefer the feel of wood over that of skins when playing with their bare hands.
|
Head Sizes |
Shell | Head |
| L- 15 ¾”
W- 7 ½” |
Para Wood |
Para Wood |
LP Aspire Series Havana Cafe
Price (before shipping)- $139.99
amazon fields=”B006W2SFUM” value=”button” tracking_id=”audiowebops123-20″]
There are also the Cuban conga drums which are played as pairs. They have a large wooden frame with a single head, and generally, they have metal clamps to hold the skin down. These are one of the most common drums when it comes to latin music.
There is also the bongo drums, which is what we are looking at in this article. Bongo drums originated in Cuba and have been part of the soul of their music ever since. Bongos have 2 drums, the smaller one is the hembra (spanish for female) and then there is the larger one, the macho (spanish for male). Generally the sizes for these are either 6” and 7” or 7” and 8 ½”. I got some of this great information from the guys over at X8 Drums, and you can read about what I found and more in this article.
Table of Contents:
Best Bongo Drums
LP Galaxy Giovanni Series
Price (before shipping)- $359.99
LP, or Latin Percussion, makes amazing hand drums. Whether they be bongos, congas, or even cajons, they make some amazing sounding instruments. This pair in particular are fashioned with North American Ash and chrome hardware.
|
Head Sizes |
Shell | Head |
| 7 ¼” 8 ⅝” | North American Ash |
Rawhide |
Meinl Percussion HB100
Price (before shipping)- $99.99
Meinl is another drum brand that has made its own waves in the percussion world. They are known not only for their amazing drums but also their cymbals. With this one, there are multiple color options as well as a few material differences. There is an acrylic option as well as plastic available for those who like those sounds better.
|
Head Sizes |
Shell | Head |
| 6 ½” & 7 ½”
6 ¾” & 8” |
Maple
Rubber Wood Acrylic |
Buffalo |
LP Bongo Cajon LP1429
Price (before shipping)- $57.99
For those of you wanting to completely diversify their sound, there is the bongo cajon. These have a fully wooden head rather than any animal skins or synthetic materials. They give almost more of a slapping sound than regular bongos that would work great in certain songs. To know what I mean you can watch this clip here. I know of some percussionists who just outright prefer the feel of wood over that of skins when playing with their bare hands.
|
Head Sizes |
Shell | Head |
| L- 15 ¾”
W- 7 ½” |
Para Wood |
Para Wood |
LP Aspire Series Havana Cafe
Price (before shipping)- $139.99
amazon fields=”B006W2SFUM” value=”button” tracking_id=”audiowebops123-20″]
There are also the Cuban conga drums which are played as pairs. They have a large wooden frame with a single head, and generally, they have metal clamps to hold the skin down. These are one of the most common drums when it comes to latin music.
There is also the bongo drums, which is what we are looking at in this article. Bongo drums originated in Cuba and have been part of the soul of their music ever since. Bongos have 2 drums, the smaller one is the hembra (spanish for female) and then there is the larger one, the macho (spanish for male). Generally the sizes for these are either 6” and 7” or 7” and 8 ½”. I got some of this great information from the guys over at X8 Drums, and you can read about what I found and more in this article.
Table of Contents:
Best Bongo Drums
LP Galaxy Giovanni Series
Price (before shipping)- $359.99
LP, or Latin Percussion, makes amazing hand drums. Whether they be bongos, congas, or even cajons, they make some amazing sounding instruments. This pair in particular are fashioned with North American Ash and chrome hardware.
|
Head Sizes |
Shell | Head |
| 7 ¼” 8 ⅝” | North American Ash |
Rawhide |
Meinl Percussion HB100
Price (before shipping)- $99.99
Meinl is another drum brand that has made its own waves in the percussion world. They are known not only for their amazing drums but also their cymbals. With this one, there are multiple color options as well as a few material differences. There is an acrylic option as well as plastic available for those who like those sounds better.
|
Head Sizes |
Shell | Head |
| 6 ½” & 7 ½”
6 ¾” & 8” |
Maple
Rubber Wood Acrylic |
Buffalo |
LP Bongo Cajon LP1429
Price (before shipping)- $57.99
For those of you wanting to completely diversify their sound, there is the bongo cajon. These have a fully wooden head rather than any animal skins or synthetic materials. They give almost more of a slapping sound than regular bongos that would work great in certain songs. To know what I mean you can watch this clip here. I know of some percussionists who just outright prefer the feel of wood over that of skins when playing with their bare hands.
|
Head Sizes |
Shell | Head |
| L- 15 ¾”
W- 7 ½” |
Para Wood |
Para Wood |
LP Aspire Series Havana Cafe
Price (before shipping)- $139.99
LP is here yet again with another great set of bongos. Overall, I like the look of these the best. However, if the price is too steep there is another version (different color and wood) that is $89.99. It is the LP Aspire Series LPA601-AW.
|
Head Sizes |
Shell | Head |
| 6 ¾”
8” |
Oak |
Rawhide |
LP Uptown Series
Price (before shipping)- $249.99
Last but certainly not least is the Uptown Series. I love the sound of them. These are actually one of my favorites in sound. There is a video you can watch here that shows the sound of thes bongos played by a professional.
|
Head Sizes |
Shell | Head |
| 7 ¼”
8 ⅝” |
Sculpted Ash |
Rawhide |
LP is here yet again with another great set of bongos. Overall, I like the look of these the best. However, if the price is too steep there is another version (different color and wood) that is $89.99. It is the LP Aspire Series LPA601-AW.
|
Head Sizes |
Shell | Head |
| 6 ¾”
8” |
Oak |
Rawhide |
LP Uptown Series
Price (before shipping)- $249.99
Last but certainly not least is the Uptown Series. I love the sound of them. These are actually one of my favorites in sound. There is a video you can watch here that shows the sound of thes bongos played by a professional.
|
Head Sizes |
Shell | Head |
| 7 ¼”
8 ⅝” |
Sculpted Ash |
Rawhide |
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LP is here yet again with another great set of bongos. Overall, I like the look of these the best. However, if the price is too steep there is another version (different color and wood) that is $89.99. It is the LP Aspire Series LPA601-AW.
|
Head Sizes |
Shell | Head |
| 6 ¾”
8” |
Oak |
Rawhide |
LP Uptown Series
Price (before shipping)- $249.99
Last but certainly not least is the Uptown Series. I love the sound of them. These are actually one of my favorites in sound. There is a video you can watch here that shows the sound of thes bongos played by a professional.
|
Head Sizes |
Shell | Head |
| 7 ¼”
8 ⅝” |
Sculpted Ash |
Rawhide |
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