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Marcus Chatfield made his first drums in 1989 and has been perfecting the art of drum making ever since. He works in a studio that he designed and built himself in Asheville, North Carolina. He is skilled in making Djembes, Congas, Ashikos, Ngomas, Bougarabous, Djun-Djuns and more. Regarding each drum as an individual, he does not mass produce. His drums represent years of research, development and experience with the acoustical properties of various designs. Using the highest quality materials, Marcus employs a variety of specialized techniques to produce very distinctive sounding drums. His many years of experience is as apparent in the beauty of his drums as is his love of drumming can be heard in the quality of their sound.
Precisely angled slats joined seamlessly together ensure the drum stays perfectly round
Slow cured solid log Djembes of various shapes and sizes
Carved, shaped, sanded and polished drum shells are protected with a mix of penetrating finishes showing off the natural beauty of the wood
A carved ridge to prevent the bottom ring from slipping up and causing lost tension
Comfortable, even rim is easy on the players hands and on the drumhead
Natural African skins for superior sound and durability, free of defects or knifemarks which can compromise a skins integrity and shorten it’s lifespan
Cold rolled steel rings are individually crafted for each drum according to the skin thickness, creating a perfectly snug fit
Hand forged steel hardware for Congas and Ngomas
Highest quality non-stretch rope
Neat, clean rope work that is evenly spaced and tensioned