Welcome to LJ Percussion. 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.
I use a three ring mounting system. This system allows me to leave the hair on the outside and still see the top ring and rope work. This is not only decorative, but adds considerable stength, thus cutting down on ring distortion, warpage, and slippage.
The rings are wrapped in various color ribbons, then woven into unique patterns that accentuate the hair color of the goatskin.
Incidentally, I shave all heads myself. No chemical hair removers are used. For Ashikos, deerskin is used with no hair.
Finally, the drums are laced in the traditional fashion using the finest grade accessory cord. This is the same high-grade rope climbers use. It is strong and does not stretch.