DrumDrTom - Hand drum repair, restoration and sales

About DrumDrTom


Rope-tuned, African djembe hand drum.

DrumDrTom has a fervent dedication to music with a special emphasis on hand drums. We love drumming and can't wait to get you back at it!

Based in Santa Cruz county, we tend to be open minded and easy going, but please do not misunderstand; we do not lack passion.

We love hand drums!

African, Middle Eastern, Indian, Native American, Asian, South American - we love hand drums from every corner of the world and know that no instrument in the world can make hair stand at attention like a well- tuned djembe!

DrumDrTom has a particular passion for making ailing drums whole again. Few things in life are more rewarding than restoring full voice to a muted djembe. We love to repair frame drums, and are eager to rehead tablas. With many years of experience making drums, repairing hand drums from all over the world is second nature to us.

DrumDrTom's Mission

Whatever ills your instrument may be suffering, the prognosis is good. Dr. Tom has taken this oath:

I will not abandon the care of a drum until she sounds better than new.

This is no idle promise; it is our mission.

It is unlikely that your beloved old hand drum was created with you in mind. It's more likely that she was born to a generic context, very possibly en masse. We will consult with you in order to determine your particular needs--and hers, and we will dedicate ourselves to fulfilling those needs.

When we are done with the repair of your hand drum, she will be one of a kind and she will sound better than new!

Maybe you're new to drumming or are looking to upgrade to a more serious instrument. We can help you with that as well. We now offer custom built drums for sale.

Read what some of our clients have to say about the work we do:

I highly recommend Dr. Tom for his exceptional work on hand drums. I've recommended him to students, drum circle participants and to fellow professional percussionists many times over the years, and he has always delivered top-notch work, always within the time frame he suggested, and always with a professional and upbeat attitude.

Thanks Doc for providing such a great service to the drumming community!

Jim Greiner www.handsondrum.com

Oh Yeah. That Ashiko came out absolutely perfect. Looks great and sounds amazing as well. Flawless job! Thank You!

Anthony (Emporia, KS)

Thanks!

Love the sound. Nice, deep, and throaty. Perfect for explorations.

Joseph Carrabis (Nashua, NH)

Great job Dr Tom! Thank you! I played the drum a little and . . . the sound is really superb and has tons of different tones. Again, thank you. My son will be very pleased when I can give him back his beloved drum better than new!

Brad Smith (Fairfield, CA)

I just want to say, you do beautiful work. From the way she sounds, now I realize she was never, ever tuned correctly before, I just never knew. She sounds amazing!! Thank you, thank you so very much. It's good to have her back, better than before. . . . Thanks again!!

LaVonne (Lake County, CA)

I picked up the drum today and it sounds and looks great - the bass is clear and I love the tone - you've turned it into a one-of-a-kind instrument. . . . Aloha!

Kevin (Honolulu, HI)

ITS PERFECT!!!!!!!!!

I am so thrilled. There is a whole symphony of tones I'm pulling out of there!

Can't stop playing it!

Animal Prufrock (San Francisco, CA)

Dr. Tom,

We received the doumbek yesterday.

Yes, mind blowing...

Haven't played this in years and it sounds great!

Whitehawk Sessions (New Mexico)

My djembe arrived safe and sound on Tuesday afternoon, and I have been testing its sounds in brief periods since then, greatly enjoying all the work that you did to improve it. No complaints whatsoever, only praises! The rope handle is a wonderful, unexpected addition, too. The whole drum is perfect for me now . . I love its sounds and vibrations . . .

Thank you again for taking such good care of my djembe. It's reassuring to know that you are there to help in the future as well. I'll gladly recommend you to other drummers . . .

Suzanne (San Francisco, CA)

Just got my drum...wow! It is singing again! So fun.

Thanks Doc! and thanks for the speedy delivery :)

Sri Odom (Kensington, CA)

I've received the drum, and it looks and sounds amazing. Thanks again, I'll definitely be referring you to my friends.

Rahul

Hi Dr. Tom. Thanks for the work on my tabla (Some months ago). It still hasn't gone out of tune!

Kevin Williams

I got the Ashiko back. Your're right . . . It looks great and sounds great! Fabulous job! Thanks!

Anthony (Emporia, KS)

Hi Tom,
Just wanted to let you know I received my drum safe and sound. Thank you so much! It's awesome! I love the handle you added to the back and it sounds even better than it did before. Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Blessings!!!

Alyssa Maxon (Stamford, CT)

Hello Tom!
I received the drum today and wow, it sure does look nice and sound great! I really appreciate the work! Thanks for everything!

Samuel Bennett

Hey Tom,
I forget if I let you know, but I got my drum last Friday. It looks and sounds great and I'm very excited to be playing again

Thank you so much,
Joshua Doucette

Tom
Thank you so much for fixing my djembe. It is so perfect now. Thank you so much!

Jeffrey Luna-Sparks (Director of Music at Jingle Jamboree Music)

Really nice work......

John Mealey

I was unable to find anyone in my area in NJ to repair my drum and then I found Dr. Tom! Even though he was across the country, I knew he was the right guy for the job... and I was right! I shipped my drum to Dr. Tom, we discussed the details on the phone and a few weeks later I got the drum back! It looks absolutely beautiful and sounds great! So happy!!

Thanks Dr. Tom :-)

Leslie Garabedian (Haledon, NJ)

Dr. Tom,

We received the ashiko today. We are playing the two drums together (We also repaired a doumbek); sounds amazing. Beautiful work, exactly what we asked for.

Whitehawk Sessions (New Mexico)

As I have examined and played my drum since I received it, I thought about . . . the concept of kaizen, continuous improvement. . . . The drum's tones are pure. The ropes are not twisted. The final trim of the skin is straight and matched to the curve of the rest of the head. There are no loose or ragged edges. It demonstrates the pride you take in your work. You are a real craftsman and artist who takes pride in his work. These are djembes that will be pounded by elementary school students, but they look like drums suited for professional musicians.

Alan Rheese (Ogden, UT)

The drum arrived today, and I just wanted to tell you how happy we are with your work. Thank you so much. My husband is thrilled!

Stephanie Newsom (Redwood City, CA)

I got the drum back today -it sounds better than ever! Thanks so much for your help.

Fred Taylor (Mukilteo, WA)

Greetings Dr. Tom!

Yes, the drum arrived safely and it is absolutely beautiful and powerful. I was brought to tears when we opened it. . .

Much gratitude and blessings,
Traci Ireland (Ketchum, ID)

Received tabla today - Excellent job - it sounds great!

Elizabeth Kerr (Front Range Community College)

Dr. Tom,

I received my drum yesterday, It's perfect!! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!

My drum is happy as am I.

All the best to you,
Nada (New York)

Hi Dr. Tom:

Thanks so much for fixing my drum. It just returned home in the mail today and looks and sounds great.

Barbara Price (Lewisburg, PA)

Dear Dr. Tom,

My riqq now sounds terrific, feels great in the hand and looks beautiful. Thank you! You've given new life to this old friend!

Would you let me know if you could help me with another fix-up?.

Sue Frank (Philadelphia, PA)

Dear Dr. Tom,

The drum arrived safely.

Perfect craftsmanship! Thank you and congratulations! . . . We are glad we have discovered a superb doctor for our instruments. We will recommend you to other tabla enthusiasts in our area . . . .

All the best,

Devan Kartha (Executive Director, Center For Music By People With Disabilities)

Hi Dr Tom,

. . . I just received the drum - it's just amazing - what a great sound!!

Thanks again!

Erin (Camarillo, CA)

The drums arrived safe and sound. Wow! You do incredible work!

Scott Wagner (Blacksburg, VA)

Dear Friends:
I recently had two right hand tabla-s and one left hand drum re-headed by Dr. Tom of Drum Doctor, at https://local.yahoo.com/info-140871519-the-drum-doctor-aptos?csz=Aptos%2C+CA&stx=Music

He did an excellent job and returned the drums promptly and securely. He followed up the process by calling me to set up a key for the drum and advised me with expertise. His charge was reasonable. I was eager to add a gratuity to his charge because of the high quality service.

I highly recommend Dr. Tom for any tabla work you might need done in the future.

Devan Kartha (Missoula, MT)

Hey Dr. Tom,

I got my Djembes back today. GREAT JOB !!!! . . . Thanks so much.

Drummer Denny (Reeds Spring, MO)

Hey Tom:

The drums look and sound great! I look forward to a long relationship.

Thx much!

Danny Howdeshell (CSU East Bay)

Dr Drum,

I got the drum back. Looks great.

Thank you,

Alan Ashenberner (Portland, OR)

OK ... Thank you Dr Tom our drum arrived . . . and we are very happy with it . . . Thank you again for our drum's fast recovery..

Paul D. (Baltimore, MD)

Just opened it up. Fantastic work all around! Very well done, and it sounds beautiful!

I'll pass your info along. It's hard to find people around here who do this.

Robert Wencke (Reno, NV)

Dr. Tom,

The dahina arrived today just in time to miss the remnant rain from Hurricane Irma, and the new head looks and sounds great! Can't believe how quickly you were able to repair it. Thanks a million, and I'll definitely be recommending you to my tabla-playing friends!

Steve Barnhart (Lewisville, NC)

Hi Dr Tom!

Yes the daf came back from you perfect, I was very happy. It's a valued part of my collection!

Cheers, Liz (Cortlandt, NY)

Just wanted to thank you again for a great job with my djembe. I've now played many extended sessions on it with numerous other drummers. Everyone is impressed with the volume and tonality for a relatively small djembe frame. It even has good bass! So far it's holding up to all abuse with panache and still nice and tight.

Namaste

Gary Dempster (Santa Barbara, CA)

Dr Tom!

I received the drum a few days ago, fyi. Thanks very much. Jim loves it and it was restored very nicely! He says it looks like the day he bought it!

Vivian (Salado, TX)

IT’S PERFECT !! Thanks so much Tom =^)

Windy Dankoff (Santa Fe, NM)

Love the drum. Sounds wonderful. Looks great. Thank you. I will be sending you all of my stuff from here on.

Stephen Roach (Grenesboro, NC)

Thanks again for my new drum head! This doumbek has become my favorite now. The bongos sound fantastic too!

Michael Hollier (Morro Bay, CA)

Thanks, Tom.

It's as good as ever. Your work was better than I hoped for. Truly. . . .

Nathan McCall

Hey Tom, been meaning to tell you my drum sounds great. Very stable and that’s cool.

All the Best

Tyrone Mitchell (Schenectady, NY)

The Doumbek is doing fine, sounding fine!

Thank you so much!

Jack Morris (San Francisco, CA)

It's great - beautiful work and sounds fab too - many thanks!!!

Cheryl Contee (Sausalito, CA)

Hello Dr. Tom,

I received my tabla the other day and I wanted you to know how happy and impressed I am with your work. The Drum sounds and looks fantastic! I will be sending more Drums your way! I appreciate your help and work! Very happy customer!

John Paul Moser (Barrington IL)

Dear Dr. Tom,

Just wanted to say a million thanks for repairing my drum! I received it a few days ago. I can see the excellent work you did with the lacing - truly appreciate having my dayan back, completely repaired and sounding excellent!

Cheers,

Lizette Lim (Berkeley, CA)

HI Dr. Tom,

Just wanted to Thank you for repairing Tabla that day. It is now in good condition and plays well. My Son's teacher was very happy with the sound.

Once again thank you.

Appreciate your work.

Best regards,

Satya Narayana (San Jose, CA)

Greetings Dr. Tom;

The tabla is perfect & you did a marvelous job repairing & replace(ing) the skin(s). Thanks so much again & please be well & be safe . . .

Raj Durbal (Palm Coast, FL)

Hey Tom,

I've taken a few days to break the new head in and it sounds impeccable!

John Flaherty (Louisville, KY)

Hey Tom! Just wanted to let you know I received the drum you repaired, and my husband was THRILLED! You did an amazing job. Thanks a lot,man!

Liz Boris (Traverse City, MI)

Hey Doc,

The tablas sound great! Been playing em all week. Thank you.

Ryan Moran (Carlsbad, CA)

Hey I got the tabla back and it looks and sounds great, thank you for repairing it!

Axl Dang (Yorba Linda, CA)

It showed up this afternoon, it looks and sounds great!

Thanks again,

Matt DeBlass (Madison, WI)

they came - sounds great . . .

Andrew Lane (Norwal, CT)

Dr. Tom,

Hey Tom Yes, the drum arrived safely, thank you!

The tone range is real good, gun-dun, go-do, pa-ta are very distinct. I wear a belt around my drums to hold them up and in this case, to lean the Ashiko forward off the floor to create tonal range.

Nice work!

Christian Waskiewicz (Minden, NV)

love the new head. Sounds beautiful. Looks beautiful. Thank you!

Sam Eastman (Broomfield, CO)

Hi Tom,

My darbuka was delivered today. You would never know that it was in as bad a shape as it was before your repair. It looks and sounds great! Thank you so much for your great work. Now on to learning to play it!

Robert Yee (Huntington, NY)

The drum arrived today as promised and it looks great. He's going to love it!

Thanks for your help with this project.

Andrea Adkins (Sacramento, CA)

Thank you so much….it’s beautiful and sounds wonderful.

Neel Foster (Savannah, GA)

DR. TOM

My Darbuka is great. THe head is stretched nice and even.

Greg Graybill (Frisco, TX)

My drum arrived yesterday. Thank you so much for making the repairs to preserve the life of the drum. I really appreciate it!

Jennifer Gehl (Hollidaysburg, PA)

We're located in Watsonville, CA, easily accessible to anyone in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Jose/Silicon Valley, Salinas Valley and the Monterey Bay, but don't worry if you don't live in our neck of the woods. We have years of shipping experience. If you need help with this, or have any other questions, please Contact DrumDrTom Now. Call or text us at +1 (831) 428-6626 or email us at DrTom@DrumDr.com.

Con mucho gusto hablamos Español!