Meinl Samba Series

GEARREVIEWS
098 RHYTHM APRIL 2006
KEY FEATURES
The wood
repinique is
loud, cutting
and articulate.
The Meinl logo
is applied to the
underside of the head.
There are reinforcement
rings around the top and
bottom of the repinique.
rubberwood, with a patented
Floatune tuning system.
They come in ABS and brass and
are poles apart sonically; the ABS is
more muted and the brass sings out
beautifully. Playing them with the usual
plastic three-pronged stick accentuates
their high pitch and Meinl includes a
German pfennig for use as your
tuning key – an ingenious use of the
now-defunct currency! Like the majority
of the Samba Series the tambourims
feature countersunk bolt heads and,
as in the case of the repiniques, they
have synthetic heads with logos
applied underneath.
Wood vs metal
Meinl offer a 10"x10" six-lug and a 12"x12"
eight-lug aluminium repinique. Extremely
lightweight and with a traditional street
look, the repiniques feature countersunk
bolt heads and chrome plated hardware.
These drums have a cutting and
considerably ringing tone compared
to their wood counterpart. Muting
these drums is easy and the synthetic
heads are fairly durable too.
M
einl’s Samba Series seeks to
create a range of lightweight
instruments that provide
authentic Brazilian sounds while
causing minimal discomfort to the player.
Surdos provide the heartbeat to
a samba group and Meinl’s Samba
Series surdos are made from premium
aluminium and come in three sizes, all
featuring countersunk bolt heads and
chrome plated hardware. The review
model is 18"x22" with eight lugs and is
powerful and articulate with beautifully
controlled bass tones. I would like to hear
the 10-lug 20"x24" and 22"x24" models
alongside the 18" in a group setting.
Meinl also offer stand-alone surdos
(basically surdos on fl oor-tom style legs),
which would suit percussion groups
and any band that doesn’t need to travel
while playing (as in a parade setting),
as well as a high quality samba belt
that features an adjustable shoulder
pad and is fully length adjustable with
strong attachment clips. It looks striking,
is fully functional and really comfortable.
The 6" high-pitched
tambourims come together
in a samba band to add a
chattering excitement to
the group and create a lot of
forward motion. Meinl use a
variety of materials for their
tambourims including ABS plastic,
aluminium, chrome-plated steel and
Meinl
Samba Series
From £11 | A very different but effective line of Brazilian
samba instruments. Charlie Price joins the parade.
ESSENTIALS
PRICES
Samba Series
Surdo £163-£193
Surdo beater £9-£15
Samba belt £24
Ta mb o ur i ms
£23-£39
Handheld
cowbells £24-£27
Small mounted
a-go-go bell £39
Large handheld
a-go-go bell £47
Aluminium
repinique £82-£99
Wood
repinique £99
Rubberwood
pandeiros £68-£75
Aluminium
shakers £10-£36
CONTACT
Active Music
7 Goose Green
Trading Estate
47 East Dulwich Road
London
SE22 9BN
Telephone
020 8693 5678
Website
www.meinl
percussion.com
RHY123.gear_meinl 098RHY123.gear_meinl 098 23/2/06 3:04:59 pm23/2/06 3:04:59 pm