REVIEW
VaughnCraft has been serving the percussion industry for over 30 years. They construct unique, quality percussion instruments ranging from log drums, wood blocks, and temple blocks, to tambourines, mallets and single-ply snare drum shells. All of their products are handcrafted with uncompromising standards.
All Vaughncraft tambourines are available in 8-inch or 10-inch models, and come standard with a steam-bent maple shells, although they can custom build a tambourine out of any of the woods they bend for drum shells.
The slot patterns determine how many jingle slots are on the tambourine, how the jingles (zils) are laid-out on the shell, which in turn determines how many jingles the tambourine has. There are four different slot patterns:
- Single Row - a single row of jingles, in one line around the tambourine
- Double Row, Inline - two rows of jingles, in two parallel lines
- Double Row, Staggered - two rows of jingles, staggered equally
- Triple Row - three rows of jingles in three parallel lines
Vaughncraft offers six different jingle options, all with very different, unique sound characteristics.
- Steel - The driest jingle, with the most definition and a fairly bright sound. (Closest to the classic Ludwig tambourine sound)
- Secco - Both medium tone and wetness, the secco is bright with a metallic sound.
- Brass - Brass has a fairly dry sound, somewhat bright, somewhat dark, with a bold sound.
- Hammered Brass - With the addition of hammering, the brass jingles becomes a bit higher in pitch and a touch brighter.
- German Silver - The brightest, wettest, washiest jingle we make. Very high in pitch.
- Hammered German Silver - The lowest pitch jingle we make, with a complex, wet sound. The darkest sound you can buy in a jingle.
Vaughncraft offers what they call Supergrip ... a strip of wood at the base of the tambourine, giving something for your fingers to wrap around, regardless if you use the left or right hand to hold the instrument.
Well, that's about it ... whew! As you can see, these are some fantastic instruments. Each tambourine is well-balanced and fits comfortably in the hand. I highly recommend the Vaughncraft tambourines to any musician desiring the very best a tambourine has to offer. For the professional percussionist, studio session drummer, or the artist on stage shakin' their groove thang ... you are going to want to add a Vaughncraft tambourine to your arsenal. But be careful, once you own one ... you'll want another, and another, and another!
For a look at some of Vaughncraft's other instruments and exotic wood shells, catch my video interview with Steve Westphal from Vaughncraft Percussion, recorded during the 2008 Chicago Drum Show.
