Let me say first off that I love this tambourine as it is now. However, the synthetic head is only glued on the top of the frame - not the sides. What you have there is a "bottle cap" effect. This is somewhat visually unappealing, but I am more concerned about the long term durability. Will the head stay on and stay tight? We will see.
Great tambourine, though I prefer a calf head for feel and tone. It has the brightness and more natural sound of German Silver (for cutting through the ensemble sound), but the rhythmic clarity of chromium 25. Highly recommend
Purchased this tamborine, a Grover Super-Overtone Triangle and Grover Standard Tubular Beaters for my daughter who plays in a university band and orchestra. This equipment isn't cheap and the sound produced does appear to be more crisp than the LP equipment I use. But, don't know for sure if a general audience or non-percussionist could tell the difference. Anyway, my order was promptly processed, shipped and received in the time frame specified at the time of order even just a few a few days before Christmas. I will shop here again in the future.
I just got this tambourine today. Right out of the box, it sounded and felt great. I haven't applied any beeswax yet and I can thumb roll MORE than a full circle around the head! My school has several premium tambourines and I've never been able to do that... until now!
