{"id":90,"date":"2019-10-30T20:43:29","date_gmt":"2019-10-31T01:43:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/soundadventurer.com\/?p=90"},"modified":"2019-10-30T20:49:21","modified_gmt":"2019-10-31T01:49:21","slug":"oiling-bongo-heads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/soundadventurer.com\/oiling-bongo-heads\/","title":{"rendered":"Oiling Bongo Heads: The Good, the Bad, and the Oily"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Maybe you’ve had your bongo drums for a while, or maybe you just got a brand new set–what kind of maintenance is necessary for the drumheads? Should they be oiled? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Oiling your drumheads is in most circumstances purely optional. Many drumheads never need any type of maintenance besides being played once in a while and getting the oil from your hands. Excess oil can actually affect the sound and tensile strength of your bongo drums and so any oil application should be made cautiously. <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I was doing research for this subject, I learned that this is one of those controversial topics where it was difficult to find the “right”<\/strong> answer. This is encouraging and also frustrating. I’ve tried to summarize the most valid points in this discussion for you so you can spend more time playing the bongos rather than scouring forums. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Oiling Your Bongo Drumheads Necessary?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It depends. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From my own personal experience, I have a pair of LP Aspire Bongos (hey… don’t judge) with authentic animal skins that I’ve had for 13 years, and I have never had to oil these bongo drumheads.<\/strong> That also illustrates that if you don’t play your bongo drums often that the drumheads can last a long time. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From my research, many people never<\/strong> add oil to their bongo drumheads, and they do not have issues besides the normal wear and tear that comes from drumming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every scenario is different<\/strong>. No animal skin type is the same (from mule skin to goat skin or calf skin) and consequently they do not respond the same to humidity. Some animal skins in some dry climates will dry out and even reach a point where skins tear and crack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In these scenarios, oiling your bongo drumheads may lengthen out the life of your drumheads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you buy bongos that use synthetic drumheads, there is no reason to oil the drumheads.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does Oiling your Bongo Drumheads Protect Them?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are a few theories going back and forth about whether oiling your bongo or conga drumheads adds a layer of protection. Here are some prevailing theories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oil in Your Drumhead Will Repel Water<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Since oil and water do not mix, one thought is that if you are a bongo drum player with sweaty hands, <\/strong>then oiling your drumhead will prevent the moisture in your hands from seeping into the drumhead and damaging it. This is a fair point since moisture can definitely pop a drumhead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, oiling your drums in very humid conditions is thought to potentially prevent water from entering in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oil in Your Drumheads will Prevent Cracking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The theory of this works conversely to the first point. When your own skin dries out, people add lotion or oils to your skin. Lotion does not in fact moisturize your skin, instead, it seals up your skin to retain the water it has.<\/strong> The thought for putting lotion on your hands and rubbing your drumhead is the same. The lotion or oil will seal in the moisture and prevent your drumhead from drying out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do These Methods Work?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

These two thoughts could be considered in contrast with each other. Oil in any case acts like when we wear a rainjacket. It keeps water in (which is why you often can feel sweaty in a rain jacket), but it also keeps water out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can’t speak for every situation as there hasn’t been enough real testing to find out for sure, but in the very least, many people oil their drums for these reasons above. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is the Downside of Oiling Your Bongo Drumheads? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You probably won’t damage your bongo drumheads if you put on oil, but the main reason why you need to be very careful about what you put on your drumheads is that it affects the sound<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can see and hear this in action in this video:<\/p>\n\n\n

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How To Take Care Of Your Conga Heads<\/div><\/div>
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