Every African Drumming instrument is built to last and covered by our warranty.
Here you’ll find simple tips on caring for it, details about our lifetime shell warranty, and what’s covered if something goes wrong.
We stand by the quality of our drums – and we’re always here to help if you ever need advice or support.
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.
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.
5 Month Graduated Warranty
We’re proud to offer a 5-Month Graduated Warranty on all our African hand drums and select other drums, including djembes (African and Indonesian), dunun, talking drums, bara, sabar, African congas, kpanlogo, and more.
This warranty is designed to give you peace of mind and covers premature issues with your drum.
About Drum Skins
Drum skins are natural products, and their durability can vary—some may last several months, while others can last for years.
If a skin has a undetectable flaw, it will usually become apparent within the first five months, which is why our warranty is tailored to this timeframe. Pre-loved items are not covered by this warranty.
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.
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.
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.
Our drum shells are protected by a lifetime structural warranty, ensuring that your djembe or dun shell is built to stand the test of time under normal use. This warranty also extends to 2nd Grade drums that have been repaired, so you can trust their structural integrity.
If you notice any obvious changes or issues with the timber of your drum, please reach out to us.
Our team is happy to assist and ensure your instrument continues to perform at its best.
In addition to drum shells, the following timber instruments are also covered under this warranty:
African Marimbas and Balafons
Gadzikwa Series Cajons
Rob Towler Tongue Drums
Our warranty does not cover subtle changes in pitch in timber instruments as they “settle in.” This is a natural part of an instrument’s journey and may occur over the lifespan, especially during periods of extreme changes in weather.
Don’t tune too much too soon.
Keep your drum away from:
What Is Considered a Faulty Skin?
A faulty skin is one with inherent defects. This does not include:
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.
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:
What isn’t covered
Drumming is our passion. We value the drums we craft and the customers who buy them – it’s what our business is centred around.
If you discover a fault, please email [email protected] with a photo of the issue and your order number. We’ll assess the condition and advise you on the next steps. In some cases, we may ask you to return the item – if so, we’ll cover the return shipping.
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!
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