Welcome to Mystic Rhythms! 

We have been a manufacturer of uniquely crafted hand drums since 1999.  Mystic Rhythms was created by and is still operated by John “The Drum Guy” Wells. The instruments you see on this website are all handcrafted from inception to completion by John. With over 20 years of experience creating drums and a lifetime of working with his hands, you are guaranteed the highest quality musical instrument your money can buy.

 

The drum style shown is based off an African drum named the Ashiko. This style drum hails from the Yoruba culture in (mainly) present-day Nigeria and Benin. There are some creative variations you will notice, which separate Mystic Rhythms drums from their African relatives. First and foremost, you will observe the beads, which not only have an attractive aesthetic appeal, but also are functional. The beads are used for tuning the drum; slide the beads down to raise the tone or pull the beads up to lower the tone. Speed Bead Tuning is an incredible time and labor saving tool, which eliminates the need to tie complicated knots in the drum rope for tuning. Additionally, once you are done playing, releasing the beads up will detune the drum and prolong the life of the head.

 

The shells of the drums are made of 3/4” thirteen-ply Baltic Birch plywood and are created by gluing multiple staves together into a barrel. Once the glue sets and the clamps removed, the drum shell is then placed onto a lathe. The lathe is where the real artistic expression is realized. Each drum is hand turned, sanded and dyed while on the lathe. The drum is then removed, coated on the outside with polyurethane and on the inside with flat black paint, sealing the wood inside and out. The drum is completed with three hand rolled 1/4” steel rings, welded and wrapped in fabric, the highest quality 3/16” Stay-Set rope and a beautiful goat skin head.

 

 

 

Play and Enjoy!

 

 

And remember

All’s well that ends Wells