foot tambourines - meinl type.

bnolsen

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I got a couple of these recently and thought I would start a thread.

The "big three" I know of are the Latin Percussion, the Meinl classic and (newer) compact foot tambourines.

A couple weeks back I ordered the compact meinl and instead received a "classic". The store shipped out the correct one when I contacted them and let me keep the old one. So I have both Meinls. I've played with the latin percussion version at guitar center.

First things first...construction and durability.

A reason I didn't want the classic meinl was due to poor reviews on construction and durability. Upon inspecting the classic it's easy to see why. The elastic band is very poorly attached to the main body. The ends are either clamped in or stapled, and only a portion of the strap, not the full width strap. There have also been complaints about the halves separating on use.

The meinl compact has 2 exposed fixed posts which accomodates a full loop strap. The strap can't be replaced unless it is cut off (or breaks). Replacing it would require sewing a new loop in place (or using a different type strap).

The latin percussion has two screw in posts which can be removed. That version uses a strap with 2 post loops sewn in.

Sound wise:

The meinl compact and latin percussion are very similar in sound. The design is similar and they ring out.

The meinl classic has an interesting sound. The initial hit is much better defined and percussive. The fully enclosed design quickly dampens the sound.

When I tested both the meinls my kids both immediately preferred the sound of the compact better.

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Being the frugal bastard that I am I would have to make something before buying one of these. Even though they are very inexpensive. Thank you for sharing your review.

~AL~
 
I got one of those last winter. I got the one that is open, whichever one that is, and I don't know the brand, but it looks exactly like the one shown. It is kind of a fun idea, and I took it out busking at a festival that I was at, but I can't really get it to jingle. It is more of a little metallic thunk. Maybe I don't have the technique down. Anyway, I saw a guy at another festival that I was at and he had a tambourine attached to a drum pedal, and when he would tap the pedal it would hit a rubber bumper of sorts. It really rang out. They are more expensive though, and quite a bit more to haul around.
 
The elastic is poorly attached attached but it seems to be a poor design anyway. Putting a clip on to hook over laces or strap improves it's practicality enormously. I haven't had any other issues about construction and it sounds pretty good!

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Just please, as a bass player, I beg of you, do NOT play it on 1 and 3 when I'm trying to play, especially if you play it just ever so slightly off time (like the guy in a particular jam I don't go to anymore, largely because of that reason).

2 and 4 ONLY, please!

Remember, friends don't let friends clap (or chop) on 1 and 3!
 
Just please, as a bass player, I beg of you, do NOT play it on 1 and 3 when I'm trying to play, especially if you play it just ever so slightly off time (like the guy in a particular jam I don't go to anymore, largely because of that reason).

2 and 4 ONLY, please!

Remember, friends don't let friends clap (or chop) on 1 and 3!
 
Just please, as a bass player, I beg of you, do NOT play it on 1 and 3 when I'm trying to play, especially if you play it just ever so slightly off time (like the guy in a particular jam I don't go to anymore, largely because of that reason).

2 and 4 ONLY, please!

Remember, friends don't let friends clap (or chop) on 1 and 3!

Hahahahaha !! Loving this post from turf3 !! I was interested in this "foot tambourine" discussion because I tried out the Latin Percussion model at a gig a couple of days ago, having never utilized one previously. It is actually a very useful thing. We didn't have a drummer on this occasion, and the foot tambourine provided a nice groove. The only problem was that, while playing my guitar for this gig, I tended to forget that I needed to keep the foot tambourine going, so I was a little hit-n-miss! But for the most part, I feel like, at least, I "did no harm". I'm definitely going to practice with it before any future outing, rather than making the mistaken assumption that it would be "a piece of cake" !! Also, turf3, I must confess, when I remembered to play the darn thing, I often tapped my foot on all four beats, but giving strong emphasis to beats 2 and 4, so it had something akin to a hi-hat / snare kind of effect. I will say, somewhat to my surprise, that once I started using the foot tambourine, things suddenly sounded pretty sparse when I stopped using it, so I think it's definitely a worthwhile addition if you're looking to add just a little "oomph" to a drummer-less outing!
 
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