Drum Maintenance

All drums come with a Tuning & Care Guide. Your drum comes tuned and ready to play. Beware of tuning too much too soon. Each skin has a natural elasticity and needs to be “played in” – you’ll get the best sound and life-span out of your skin with proper care, tuning and patience.

What Isn’t Covered

What Isn’t Covered

Breakage caused by irresponsible use or accidental damage caused by the customer (eg Sharp object through the hide or dropping from height). If you’re unsure, send your drum in for an on the spot assessment.

Timber

All our shells are covered under a life-long warranty. Under normal-use conditions your djembe should last you forever! This includes drums which have been repaired – you can trust their structural integrity. If you notice any change in the timber of the shell, please contact us.

Skins on Drums made by African Drumming

All our African hand drums and select other drums are covered under our 5-Month Graduated Warranty. This includes djembes (African and Indonesian), dunun, talking drums, bara, sabar, African congas, kpanlogo, and more.

Drum skins are natural products, and their lifespan can vary greatly—some may last for several months, while others endure for years. If a skin has an undetectable flaw, it’s likely to fail within the first five months.

To give you peace of mind, we offer this warranty to cover any premature issues. This warranty applies to all our new drums, excluding pre-loved items.

Drums made by an External Company
For drums made by external manufacturers, such as Mano, Remo, or LP, warranty conditions are determined by the respective manufacturer. We’re happy to assist in expediting any warranty requests on your behalf. Please note that the drum may need to be returned to the manufacturer for assessment before they decide on the next steps.

If skin breakage occurs within:

0-1 MONTHS: 100% Repair Coverage + African Drumming pays return post
1-2 MONTHS: 75% Repair Coverage + Customer pays all post
2-5 MONTHS: 50% Repair Coverage + Customer pays all post

Please note: warranty does not cover skins damaged due to neglect or misuse. Drum skins can be delicate, and improper techniques—such as using sticks incorrectly—may cause them to split. Our team carefully assesses each drum before making a final decision on warranty coverage.

Timber

All our drum shells are protected by a lifetime structural warranty. Under normal use, your djembe or dun shell is built to last a lifetime. This warranty also applies to 2nd Grade drums that have been repaired—you can trust their structural integrity! Additionally, the timber frames of the following instruments are covered under this warranty:

  • African Marimbas and Balafons
  • Gadzikwa Series Cajons
  • Rob Towler Tongue Drums

Please note: The warranty does not cover instruments going out of tune or pitch.

If you notice any changes or issues with the timber of your drum or instrument, please reach out to us—we’re here to help.

Quick Tips

Keep your drum away from:

  • harsh, humid conditions
  • direct sunlight
  • places without ventilation, such as the boot of a car.

Don’t tune too much too soon.

Skins purchased from African Drumming

We take great care to select skins that are high-quality, free from faults, and built to last on your drum. However, as a natural product, some inherent defects may not be visible to the naked eye.

A faulty skin is one with inherent defects. This does not include:

  • Skins which break during the drum-making process, such as from over-soaking, over-stretching, over-tightening, or cuts caused by tools, metal welds, or rings.
  • Skins which develop damage after purchase due to inadequate storage, and/or insect or animal damage.
Tips for Skins
  • Store them in a dry well-ventilated place that is not too hot or cold.
  • Make sure they are free from bugs / rodents etc
  • Don’t soak them for too long (more than 5 hours) as this can weaken the skin
  • Don’t soak them in hot water

Skin Warranty Terms

We’re here to help! If you’ve noticed an issue, please send us clear photos and a brief description of how and when it happened. If our team finds the skin to be inherently faulty, we’ll send you a replacement.

For skins mounted on drums that break, it may not always be possible to determine the cause of the fault—whether it’s an inherent defect or an issue that occurred during the drum-making process. In such cases, we may offer a 50% discount on a replacement skin purchase, with the customer covering postage costs.

If an XL skin is found to be faulty, African Drumming will provide a replacement disc of the same type of skin for drums up to 15″ in size.

Warranty on other Instruments and Accessories

At African Drumming we stand by the quality and craftsmanship of our musical instruments and accessories. Each instrument purchased from us is backed by a comprehensive 6 month warranty to ensure your peace of mind and satisfaction.

What is Covered:

  • Manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship
  • Structural issues including cracks, warping, or hardware failures
  • Defective electronic components (if applicable)

What is Not Covered:

  • Normal wear and tear, including strings, drum heads, and reeds
  • Damage caused by misuse, accidents, or improper maintenance
  • Unauthorized repairs or modifications
  • Cosmetic damages that do not affect the instrument’s functionality

The African Drumming Guarantee

Drumming is our passion. We value the drums we craft and the customers who buy them – it’s what our business is centred around.

Beyond our warranty, we’re only happy when you’re happy.
If there is anything amiss with your drum then we are only a call or an email away.
We can always make it right!