Give your drum new life with a professional reskin or repair. From minor touch-ups to full restorations, our team handles every step with care and precision.
We work on djembes and a wide range of traditional African and world drums, using premium materials to restore their tone, balance, and playability.
When that day comes and your drum goes pop, it can be a surprise.
Sometimes it happens quietly in the night, other times with a loud bang.
Don’t worry – every drum skin eventually wears out.
Think of it as a chance to refresh your drum with a new skin, explore a different tone, or even choose a new rope colour.
We specialise in djembe reskinning and repairs using quality goat and cow skins.
Our workshop also restores other drums, including dunun, conga, bongo, ashiko, talking drum, dragon drums, middle eastern drums. You name it, we can fix it!
On average, your djembe drum will be back in your hands and sounding great again within 2–3 days. Other drums may take a bit longer.
In some cases, where a drum shows significant damage, additional repair costs may apply.
We’ll assess your drum first and discuss any options or extra charges before starting the work.
Standard goat skin off and on
$190
Re-skin with new rope & oil
(optional, if needed): $230
Full refurb
Including new skin, rope, oil & crack repair: $260 +
Standard goat skin off and on
$145
Re-skin with new rope & oil
(optional, if needed): $175
Full refurb
Including new skin, rope, oil & crack repair: $200 +
Standard goat skin off and on
$1115
Re-skin with new rope & oil
(optional, if needed): $150
Full refurb
Including new skin, rope, oil & crack repair: $170 +
For a warm, distinctive pop, choose a cow or yearling skin – thinner hides that suit djembe beautifully.
They’re slightly firmer on the hands than goat, but increasingly favoured by professional players for their tone and durability.
Additional cost: $20–40, depending on drum size.
Decorative overlap where the skin is stretched below the rings.
This can be done with the hair left on the edge of the skin for a wild look.
Additional cost: $10 for hair-on and $20 for hair-off
Premium Synthetic reskins for all sizes.
We use .4mm skin discs, consisting of 3-ply laminate with a polyester centre that sounds as close to a natural skin as you will find.
Prices start from $200 (13″ djembe with new rope: $285).
Synthetic sheet
Suitable for up to 12.5″ djembes. Prices start from $180 (12.5″ djembe with new rope: $265).
Remo pre-fabricated heads
Suited specifically to 12″ djembes only. Price for reskin with new rope: $255.
We offer great bulk repair deals for larger batches of drums, as well as custom quotes for oversized djembes (over 14″).
Get in touch for a quote.
If your drum’s rope is worn or you’d like to refresh it with new colours, we can re-rope it right here at African Drumming.
Get in touch for a quote.
We’ll assess your drum as soon as it arrives. If needed, or upon request, we’ll oil the shell at no extra cost.
If we notice any structural issues or repairs that require additional work, we’ll contact you first to discuss the best options before proceeding.
Extra work may include:
Over time these can become more severe and eventually cause major issues for the shell.
If repaired correctly, the drum retains its structural integrity for life.
Price determined after in-house assessment.
Some drums were made with rings that are poorly welded or too big, which can compromise the skin and lead to poor sound quality or breakage.
To get the best sound out of your drum, and for the skin to last the longest, you need the rings to be the right size.
Price per ring: $10-$18.
See our ring pricing options here.
Add a protective rubber base to the bottom of your drum.
It protects the drum from damage due to vibration and dropping onto hard surfaces.
Nail Free “floating” Rubber foot, a slick, pro-level protective solution: $120.
Or the old school African way – recycled bike tyre:
10-11″: $50
12-14″: $65
We are known for our quick replies.
We have synthetic Galharet Elfan replacement heads from Egypt, suitable for most standard size darbuka & sombaty.
We also have replacements heads for our Eagle style darbuka.
Darbuka / Sombaty Reskin: $150
Please note: This does not include replacing rivets.
All drums will be assessed on site before the work commences.
We can skin many other drums:
Peg drums, lug/hardware drums, East African drums, Middle Eastern frame drums, American drums and more.
Bring it in and we’ll see how we can help!
Bongos (5″-7″ heads)
Single head: $90
Both heads: $170
Congas
Single head: $180
Two heads: $340
One Head (use existing rope)
Kenkeni: $150
Sangban: $170
Dununba: $200
Whole Set: $490
Both Heads (includes new rope)
Kenkeni: $260
Sangban: $300
Dununba: $360
Whole Set: $700
Standard size 9-11″: $240
We replace the entire head with fresh ropes, using medium thickness African cow skin.
New pegs: $7 each
Most reskinning and repair jobs take around 3–5 days from start to finish. Some drums need a little longer, depending on their condition or current workshop demand.
We’ll provide an estimated completion date after assessing your drum.
If your djembe is hand-carved, high quality, or holds sentimental value, it’s absolutely worth reskinning. For lower-cost, machine-made djembes (often from Indonesia or India), or smaller drums under 10″, replacement is usually more cost-effective.
Get in touch for our advice,
You can also check out our Indo Series djembes for affordable upgrade options.
Yes.
All djembe reskins and repairs are covered by our 5-month graduated warranty – a reflection of the care and craftsmanship that goes into every job.
We use premium African goat skins as our standard choice, with cow or yearling skins available on request.
You can also choose to reskin your drum with kangaroo hide for a dry, crisp tone, or select one of our synthetic vegan drum heads for a weather-resistant, animal-free option.
Our workshop stocks a wide range of hides and materials in different thicknesses and tones, so we can tailor the sound and feel to your preference.
Absolutely.
We reskin and repair drums from all over Australia.
Simply send your drum to our St Kilda studio, including your return address, mobile number, and your preferred sound or rope colour.
Once it arrives, we’ll confirm receipt, assess it, and send you a quote. After reskinning, we’ll arrange return shipping via Australia Post.
Tell us the tone you’re after and we’ll match the skin to suit your playing style.
Drum Maker’s Choice: We select the best hide for your drum shell.
Beginners: Thin to medium skins – easier on the hands and easier to tune.
All-Rounder: Medium skins balanced for tone and projection.
Soloist: Thin or thin-medium skins for bright, responsive high tones.
Thick: Favoured by experienced players for deeper, fuller sound and durability.
Yes!
If you’d like to reskin your drum yourself, we stock a wide range of high-quality drum skins suitable for djembe, dunun, conga, and more. Our team is always happy to offer guidance or tips to help you get the best sound and finish from your reskinning project.
Shipping isn’t included in the reskin or repair cost.
We’ll provide a postage quote once we’ve assessed your drum’s size and weight.
Get in touch with our team for personalised advice. We’re known for our quick replies!
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