Weight/Hardness/Density: Weighs 3.6 pounds per
board foot. Hard Maple weighs 3.4 pounds per board foot. Shock resistance
is similar to that of Ash and Hickory.
Comments: Jatoba is a canopy tree of the Amazon Rainforest and Central
America. It grows up to 30 meters in height with a trunk diameter
of 5 to 6 feet. However, it is usually less than 100 feet high with
a diameter of 2 to 4 feet. An orange resin gum (copal) forms at the
base of the tree which is used to make varnish. The bark, leaves,
and fruit are used in the trees native areas for traditional medicines
for the ailments ranging from stomach problems to athlete's foot to
bronchitis. The bark is used to make tea.
Timbre/Tonal Color: Higher in pitch than Maple when tuned comparably,
but this drum requires a lower tuning. The Jatoba has mid and low
frequencies with a distinguished high over tone. When tuned where
the drum wants to be, the Jatoba has a vintage sound, but has a
fullness to it that many vintage Maple drums lack.
Dynamic Range: Full and explosive at high volume. Good at low volume
but not as explosive.
Tonal Range: Full sounding in Mid to Low ranges but has a lot of
high over ring, which we could not eliminate by tuning.
Tuning Range: Limited tuning range. It needs to be tuned where
the drum wants to be tuned. Tune the bottom head down, and the top
head to a medium tension. This tuning yields a "fat" or
"tubby" vintage sound. We had to use a tiny bit of muffling
near the edge of the head to bring the over ring into an acceptable
range.
Resonance/Decay: Principal note is shorter than the Maple. The
"sweetspot" extends about 1.5 inches out from the center
of the drum, with slightly less over ring in that sweetspot. This
drum has one of the largest playing areas we have encountered. The
sound of the drum remains full even near the edge of the drum.
Cross Stick: Small area where the cross stick sounds good.
Volume: More mid and low frequencies kick in around MF volume.
Jatoba has slightly more volume than our Maple comparison drum.
Sensitivity: Lots of snare sound all the way out to the edge of
the head. A very "snarey" sounding drum. Good snare activation
at all volumes.
Comments: This drum was a real surprise to us. Once the over ring
is reduced, it has a very full and fat vintage sound. This drum
would be a sound engineer's nightmare, due to that over ring. Jatoba
has limited application, so this drum is not suited for someone
looking for a versatile drum. If however, you want a full, rich,
vintage sound for uses such as with a big band, it is definitely
worth checking into. Visually, Jatoba makes a very beautiful drum.
By Greg Gaylord & Tommy Donlinger
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